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Congressional Investigation Launched Into Texas Power Outages

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This article is more than 3 years old.
Updated Mar 3, 2021, 04:57pm EST

Topline

A House committee will probe why Texas’ power grid was unable to handle winter weather last month that left millions without electricity and heat in record cold temperatures.

Key Facts

Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.), chairman of the House Oversight Environment Subcommittee, sent a seven-page letter to the Texas electric grid manager Wednesday requesting a trove of documents relating to winter weather preparedness.

Khanna has asked for all documents the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) has relating to extreme winter weather preparedness since 2010, along with documents from cold snaps in 1989 and 2011, which also put strain on the electric grid.

Record cold temperatures after a winter storm in mid-February nearly led to the complete failure of the Texas power grid.

In a statement to Forbes, ERCOT spokeswoman Leslie Sopko said: “We received the letter and will be providing responses.”

Crucial Quote

"Extreme winter weather events in Texas have occurred repeatedly over decades and ERCOT has been unprepared for them," Khanna said in a letter to Bill Magness, CEO of ERCOT. 

Big Number

At least 4.5 million. That's how many Texans experienced power outages during the deep freeze, the letter states.

Key Background

ERCOT instituted widespread rolling blackouts in order to preserve its electric grid, largely because of failures of natural gas and coal-powered generator systems, leading to millions losing access to heat in the state during a cold snap that in many cases broke century-old temperature records for lows. The extreme cold spread over massive swaths of the southern and eastern U.S., leading to power outages in other states but none as widespread or severe as in Texas. Much of the blame has been put on the fact Texas operates its own electric grid, separate from two larger multi-state electric grids—the Eastern Interconnection and Western Interconnection—which serve the rest of the Lower 48 states. That system makes Texas much more self-reliant and also not subject to federal regulations.

Surprising Fact

An investigation after a 2011 cold snap in Texas by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and the North American Electric Reliability Corporation found striking similarities between causes of power outages then and during a 1989 freeze—the same generators failed both times.

What To Watch For

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is also conducting an investigation into ERCOT.

Further Reading

Texas Power Grid Was ‘Seconds Or Minutes’ Away From Complete Failure, Leaving Whole State Dark, ERCOT Says (Forbes)

Officials Don’t Know When Power Will Be Back In Texas (Forbes)

Disaster Beyond Texas: Large Swaths Of The South Remain Without Water And Power (Forbes)

Texas AG Ken Paxton issues civil investigative demands to ERCOT, other power companies (Austin American-Statesman)

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