Texas power crisis shows need to build a clean, resilient grid

The 2021 Texas power crisis, caused by extreme winter weather freezing electric and gas systems, highlights the vulnerability of the traditional centralized grid. The author argues that climate change has created a 'new normal' of frequent extreme weather, making the lack of weather-hardening and reliance on long transmission lines untenable. To build resilience, the document advocates for state-led investments in distributed energy resources (DERs), specifically solar and battery energy storage, to provide backup power for critical facilities and reduce the impact of widespread outages.

• The February 2021 Texas power crisis was caused by extreme winter weather that froze electric and gas systems, including coal plants, gas plants, and wind turbines, rendering them inoperable.
• Texas lacked the de-icing equipment common in colder northern climates because the costs were difficult to justify within its competitive electricity markets under previously assumed normal conditions.
• The United States currently leads all developed nations in the frequency of power outages, a trend attributed to grid neglect and an increase in climate-driven wildfires, heat waves, and extreme weather.
• The author advocates for a shift toward distributed energy resources (DERs), such as solar and battery energy storage, to provide 'clean resilience' and backup power for critical infrastructure like hospitals and water treatment plants.
• Regulatory uncertainty regarding the ownership and use of battery storage continues to hinder the deployment of reliability-enhancing technologies in Texas and other states.

APA

Carrington, J. (2021). Texas power crisis shows need to build a clean, resilient grid. World Economic Forum. https://www.weforum.org/stories/climate-action/what-can-texas-power-crisis-show-us-about-building-more-resilient-grid-america/

Chicago

Carrington, John. Texas power crisis shows need to build a clean, resilient grid. World Economic Forum, 2021. https://www.weforum.org/stories/climate-action/what-can-texas-power-crisis-show-us-about-building-more-resilient-grid-america/.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |last1=Carrington |first1=John |title=Texas power crisis shows need to build a clean, resilient grid |publisher=World Economic Forum |date=3 March 2021 |url=https://www.weforum.org/stories/climate-action/what-can-texas-power-crisis-show-us-about-building-more-resilient-grid-america/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{carrington2021texas, author = {Carrington, John}, title = {{Texas power crisis shows need to build a clean, resilient grid}}, publisher = {World Economic Forum}, year = {2021}, month = mar, url = {https://www.weforum.org/stories/climate-action/what-can-texas-power-crisis-show-us-about-building-more-resilient-grid-america/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }