Texans hunkered down this week, anxious after the traumatizing collapse of the power grid in February 2021 and fearing a severe storm could come again.
The grid didn't fail this time, but here’s what you should know about changes made to it since 2021. trib.it/G-k
The grid didn't fail this time, but here’s what you should know about changes made to it since 2021. trib.it/G-k
2/ In the wake of the 2021 storm, some conservative politicians in the state incorrectly scapegoated renewable energy as the primary cause of the outages.
But the state’s grid largely runs on fossil fuels. trib.it/G-l
But the state’s grid largely runs on fossil fuels. trib.it/G-l
3/ After the grid failure, Texas lawmakers passed energy grid legislation aimed at preventing electricity blackouts.
But it will likely take years before those changes are fully implemented. trib.it/G-m
But it will likely take years before those changes are fully implemented. trib.it/G-m
4/ The sweeping legislation lawmakers passed addressed some key areas of improvement, such as requiring power generators to prepare plants for extreme weather. trib.it/G-n
5/ But energy experts and executives have warned about weaknesses in the state’s natural gas system, which fuels a majority of the power generation in Texas and played a big role in the 2021 grid failure. trib.it/G-o
6/ Some power companies and energy experts have stressed that after last year’s storm Texas lawmakers did “next to nothing” during the 2021 legislative session to prepare the natural gas supply for severe winter weather. trib.it/G-p
7/ Our reporting showed that the energy industry showered Gov. Greg Abbott and other politicians with campaign cash after the 2021 #TXlege session. To some energy experts, that looked like a reward for not imposing more stringent regulations on companies. trib.it/G-q
8/ As November turned to December, Abbott’s team asked the Association of Electric Companies of Texas to put out a “positive” statement about the power grid’s readiness, according to four people in the energy industry familiar with the request. trib.it/G-r
9/9 We’ll continue to report extensively on matters related to the power grid and the state’s readiness for extreme weather events. Catch up on what we’ve done so far here: texastribune.org/series/winter-…
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