🌨️ Marketplace takes a look at the condition of Texas' energy grid as the Lone Star State marks five years since the devastating Winter Storm Uri.

➡️ Dive in here: https://ow.ly/9me350Yl3on

#TXenergy #energyefficiency #energysky #WinterStormUri

The Lingering Freeze: How Texas Winter Storm Blackouts Still Cost You - Cozzy Energy Solutions Texans continue to bear the financial consequences of the winter storm blackouts that occurred in 2021. The winter storm Uri, which struck Texas five years ago, resulted in numerous fatalities and left over 4.5 million residents without power for up to four days. Approximately half of the Electric Reliability Council of Texas’s (ERCOT) generating capacity

The Lingering Freeze: How Texas Winter Storm Blackouts Still Cost You #ERCOT #TexasBlackout #WinterStormUri #EnergyCrisis #ERCOTFail #PowerGrid

Five Years Later: Is Texas Ready for the Next Storm? - Cozzy Energy Solutions Five years after Winter Storm Uri devastated Texas and other states, questions remain about the state’s preparedness for future extreme weather events. The storm, which occurred on February 16, 2021, resulted in widespread power outages impacting 26 states and causing significant damage across Texas. During the storm, Texas’ power grid came dangerously close to a

Five Years Later: Is Texas Ready for the Next Storm? #ERCOT #TexasPower #WinterStormUri #EnergyCrisis #ExtremeWeather #AustinResilience

Powering Texas: HVDC and the Future of the Grid - Cozzy Energy Solutions Texas’ Electric Grid and the Potential of HVDC Transmission The structure of the United States’ electric grid is defined by both regulatory frameworks and engineering limitations. Contrary to a common belief, the nation’s power system isn’t a single, unified network. Instead, it’s divided into three distinct “interconnects” that operate with a degree of independence. The

Powering Texas: HVDC and the Future of the Grid #ERCOT #TexasGrid #HVDCtransmission #EnergyReliability #PowerGrid #WinterStormUri

Book cover of Angela Frederick's "Disabled Power" showing power company trucks in a line surrounded by snow.

Learn more about and register for a webinar on "Disabled Infrastructure, #Disability #Resilience: Lessons from #WinterStormUri & the 2021 #Texas Power Crisis" with Angela Frederick on February 6 at 1:00 PM ET at bit.ly/DisabledInfra... Frederick is the author of "Disabled Power"

Weather forecast predicting freezing temperatures for Bay City, TX.

Remember when unit 1 of STP, South Texas Project, shut down in the 2021 Texas freeze?
A hard freeze = below 28° F.
Regulations matter.
I hope ERCOT learned their lesson and winterized.
#WinterStormUri
#PhaseOutFossilFuels
#PhaseOutNuclearEnergy
Support 100% clean, renewable energy systems!

America's Electricity Grid Prepared for Winter of 2025-26? A new report from the North American Electric Reliability Corporation has raised concerns about the adequacy of dispatchable baseload power on major regional grids, particularly in Texas, ahead of the winter 2025-26 season. The report highlights vulnerabilities in the state's grid due to rapidly expanding AI data centers and large industrial facilities increasing electricity demand, following a devastating crisis in February 2021 that resulted in widespread blackouts and over 300 fatalities. As the nation's power generation sector faces an upward trajectory in electricity demand, it must prioritize the development of new thermal capacity to avoid repeating past failures, with the expansion of AI data centers further accelerating this challenge due to increased electricity consumption.

America's Electricity Grid Prepared for Winter of 2025-26? #ERCOT #ElectricityGrid #WinterStormUri #RenewableEnergy #ThermalGeneration #ArtificialIntelligence

Texas Supreme Court Limits Lawsuits Regarding Winter Storm Uri Power Outages Texas Supreme Court Limits Lawsuits Regarding Winter Storm Uri Power Outages A recent ruling by the Texas Supreme Court has significantly impacted ongoing lawsuits related to the widespread power outages experienced during Winter Storm Uri in February 2021. While the court hasn’t outright dismissed the cases, it has established a higher legal threshold for residents and businesses seeking to hold power companies accountable for the devastating consequences. The lawsuits, targeting companies like Oncor, CenterPoint, and American Electric Power Texas, initially alleged intentional nuisance and gross negligence stemming from the prolonged and deadly power failures. However, the court determined that plaintiffs have not adequately demonstrated "conscious indifference," the heightened legal standard required to prove gross negligence. The court reasoned that power companies were operating under directives from the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) during the crisis. The court also addressed the "intentional nuisance" claim, finding that plaintiffs had not sufficiently established the power companies as the primary source of the disruption, acknowledging the significant role of the storm itself. Despite this, the plaintiffs have been given the opportunity to revise and refile their gross negligence claims in trial court, though meeting the demanding “conscious indifference” standard will be difficult. The ruling emphasizes the obligation of power companies to adhere to ERCOT’s instructions and highlights the legal protections afforded to them when acting under ERCOT’s guidance. The storm itself resulted in at least 246 deaths, primarily due to hypothermia. Power companies have responded to the ruling; CenterPoint expressed satisfaction and confidence that plaintiffs will fail to prove gross negligence, while Oncor anticipates a full dismissal if the lawsuits are refiled. American Electric Power Texas declined to comment. The legal proceedings continue in Harris County, where the cases are consolidated within multidistrict litigation. A separate appeal remains pending before the Houston First Court of Appeals. The Supreme Court’s decision sets a high bar for future litigation, potentially hindering efforts to hold Texas power companies accountable for similar events in the future. Demonstrating "conscious indifference" – proving companies were aware of potential harm and disregarded it – will be essential for plaintiffs to succeed, and the court’s deference to ERCOT's authority presents a substantial challenge.

Texas Supreme Court Limits Lawsuits Regarding Winter Storm Uri Power Outages #ERCOT #GrossNegligence #TexasSupremeCourt #ERCOT #WinterStormUri #LawsuitsLimitation

Cuts to National Weather Service Leave Forecasters Reeling nytimes.com/2025/03/01/wea… #WinterStormUri #Harvey #txlege

On a serious note, Mose Buchele did a comprehensive podcast, The Disconnect, on the Texas Grid for @kutnews.bsky.social #texasfreeze #winterstormuri #texasgrid #podcast
www.npr.org/podcasts/100...

Can Ted Cruz inspire poetry?
In a round-about way, the freeze Uri brought, which drove Cruz to Cancun, did just that.
#poetry #texasfreeze #winterstormuri

For this month's anniversary of TX's blackout last year, @truthout has partnered with @TexasObserver to publish my latest—a deep look at how Texans are navigating climate PTSD in a failing state after last week's #TexasFreeze & last year's #WinterStormUri....