Texas faces freezing temperatures and dangerous wind chills this weekend, raising questions about the state’s power grid. The system famously failed during Winter Storm Uri in 2021, leaving millions without electricity and causing over 200 deaths.
Weather Outlook
An arctic air mass will move across 2,000 miles of the country from Texas to the East Coast starting Friday. At least 132 million people are under weather alerts, stretching from the Arizona-New Mexico border to upstate New York.
Dallas could see 36 hours of freezing precipitation, including 1 to 3 inches of snow and up to half an inch of ice. Wind chills are expected to drop to between -10 and 0 degrees, according to the National Weather Service in Fort Worth.
Grid Preparedness
The Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) says the grid is ready. A spokesperson stated that “sufficient generation” is available to meet winter demand. ERCOT will coordinate with the Public Utility Commission, generation providers, and transmission utilities to manage the system.
Lessons from 2021
During Winter Storm Uri, frozen power plants and equipment, combined with surging demand for heat, caused widespread outages. Customers endured near-freezing homes, burst pipes, and no drinking water for days. Wholesale electricity prices skyrocketed, and one company, Griddy, was banned for price gouging.
Improvements Made
ERCOT says it has made multiple upgrades since 2021. These include weatherizing generation units, inspecting transmission facilities, maintaining contingency reserves, and scheduling preventive maintenance. CEO Pablo Vegas noted that over 4,000 inspections have been conducted in recent years.
Matthew Boms of the Texas Advanced Energy Business Alliance highlighted key changes: insulating and heating critical equipment, protecting sensors, and winterizing natural gas pipelines. Batteries and renewable energy are now integrated, providing backup when demand spikes. Texas now has 17,000 megawatts of battery storage—almost none existed in 2021.
Outlook for This Storm
Boms said local outages are still possible from ice and fallen trees, but a statewide failure on the scale of Uri is unlikely. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott declared a disaster for 134 counties and emphasized that the grid is strong and prepared.
Other states, including Georgia, South Carolina, Virginia, Arkansas, and North Carolina, also issued emergencies. The National Weather Service warned that snow, sleet, and freezing rain could disrupt transportation, infrastructure, and power from Saturday through Monday.
Oklahoma Gas & Electric said crews are on standby to handle increased demand. “This is what they train for,” a spokesperson said.
