Why the Texas Power Grid could still be Vulnerable to “Large-Scale Failures” this Winter

Y'all-itics

Better get ready for winter. Electric providers and some state lawmakers tell the Jasons they remain concerned that Texas could again experience a large-scale failure if the state suffers through another deep freeze in the coming months. State Representative Jon Rosenthal recently filed a bill that would close a loophole which allows natural gas companies to opt out of winter weatherization requirements, but that legislation will not be taken up during the final few hours of the third special session in Austin. Meantime, the President of the Texas Oil & Gas Association tells the Jasons the concern is not that too many natural gas companies will use that loophole to opt out, but that too many might opt in and they would take the electricity reserved for, say, a hospital during an emergency. Still, Todd Staples says there’s already been a 2,000% increase in the number of natural gas companies that have winterized equipment. But as you’ll hear in this episode of Y’all-itics, that isn’t stopping the state’s largest electricity generator from taking its own steps to protect its equipment and Texans.