In February 2021, the Texas electric grid experienced one of its biggest reliability challenges from the impact of Winter Storm Uri. This storm left millions of Texans without power and water for several days, imposing physical, emotional, and financial trauma on the families of the Lone Star State.
A year later, many Texans fear that they could be in a position like last February if the temperature drops. Uri called into question Texas’ ability to handle extreme temperatures, bringing lasting concern for the future of the Texas electric grid.
There is plenty of blame to go around for the catastrophic electric and water outages of 2021, but policy experts place much of the responsibility at the feet of ERCOT and the PUCT, Texas’ electric regulatory agency. However, this isn’t the first winter storm that has challenged the Texas electric grid: the 2011 Groundhog day storm exposed the grid’s reliability issues a full decade before Uri.
After the 2011 event, recommendations for weatherization preparedness were released by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. However, the lack of mandatory changes left these winterization recommendations largely unenforceable. As public pressure continues to grow, both lawmakers and the PUCT feel a sense of urgency to prepare the grid for extreme winter weather.
Through Senate Bill 2 and Senate Bill 3, the Texas Legislature has mandated market redesign changes and weatherization preparedness to be enacted by the PUCT, ERCOT, and the RRC. Since then, the PUCT has delivered weatherization plans, increased its inter-agency communication, and delivered a two-phase market redesign strategy. Although the PUCT has delivered actionable changes, certainty about how, or if, these changes will benefit Texas is still unclear.
Just this month, Texas experienced its first cold snap of the year and saw a 20% drop in natural gas production. This cold front has both energy experts and consumers concerned that Texas is truly not ready for another extreme weather event.
Media outlets and residents are self-preparing with generators, water surplus, and canned food in case another Winter Storm Uri comes knocking on their door, but ad hoc preparations are no substitute for policy solutions. The upcoming decennial sunset review of the PUCT is a chance to hold the PUCT accountable and demand real results.