How the Texas power grid failed and what could stop it from happening again

How the Texas power grid failed and what could stop it from happening again

Millions in Texas are still in the dark following the deadly winter storm that caused the state's worst blackouts in decades, leaving households without power as temperatures dropped to record lows. While the state scrambles to restore power, questions are arising about why Texas was so ill-equipped, and what can be done to ensure this doesn't happen again. A confluence of factors led to the historic blackouts, and officials are already calling for investigations into the chain of events.Looking forward, experts say there are a number of steps the state can take to combat future issues, including weatherizing equipment and increasing reserve margins. Over the summer California was plagued by blackouts, and while the causes are much different this time around, the instances demonstrate the fragility of the grid. With extreme weather events becoming more frequent, and with more being demanded of the grid “” including electric vehicles “” the infrastructure is strained."We need to better realize how vulnerable our energy systems are “” both electricity and the vulnerability of electricity and natural gas systems together," said Daniel Cohan, associate professor at Rice University. "This is going to take some regrouping and there's not going to be a single step. We're