The picture that’s emerged since Winter Storm Elliott is one of inaccurate forecasting of how much electricity would be needed, and large-scale fossil fuel plant failures and gas shortages that left grid operators scrambling to find enough power to meet demand.
A joint Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and North American Electric Reliability Corporation inquiry into the power system’s performance during the storm is ongoing.
Wind and solar energy which made up just 9.2% and 3%, respectively, of U.S. power generation in 2021 appear to have met, and, in some cases, exceeded, expectations during the storm.