Texans were left in the cold and dark this February, following extreme cold weather that had the Texas competitive energy market unable to prevent deadly power failures. Leaving behind its historic commitment to power system independence and joining the larger U.S. grid can relieve some of the consequences of extreme weather events Texas is likely to see again, many energy analysts in and out of Texas said. We designed this system for Ozzie and Harriet weather and we now have Mad Max, said Texas energy consultant Alison Silverstein, a former Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUCT) and Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) adviser, during a Feb. 24 webinar cohosted by the Advanced Power Alliance and Conservative Texans for Energy Innovation. Texas is now reaping the bitter harvest of avoiding federal transmission regulation and state energy sector regulation.
Millions were left without power in Texas as a historic storm crippled the state's electric grid. Looking forward, experts outline some steps that can be taken.