The Texas electric grid successfully handled a recent cold snap, showcasing improvements since the 2021 winter storm. The growth of renewable energy, battery storage, and infrastructure upgrades are key factors in this resilience. However, challenges remain, including the need for proper weatherization of gas infrastructure and managing growing demand.
Rows of lithium-ion battery containers are seen at Eolian's large-scale battery electric storage facility, Monday, Oct. 28, 2024, in Fort Worth. During recent heat waves and winter cold snaps, batteries have helped stabilize the system at critical moments, providing flexibility the grid did not have five years ago, writes Luke Metzger.
As temperatures dropped across Texas this weekend, many people understandably held their breath. Since the 2021 winter storm, a freeze no longer feels like just another weather event. It feels like a test. By Monday morning, that test had largely been met. The statewide electric grid held up. While some Texans lost power, those outages were overwhelmingly tied to localized problems such as downed power lines, not a systemic failure of the grid.That matters because it shows how much the Texas energy system has changed since 2021. One of the most striking changes is the dramatic growth in renewable energy. Wind and solar, once treated as secondary resources, are now central to keeping light and heat on inTexas.Battery energy storage has grown even more quickly than the solar power it stores. During the 2021 winter storm, Texas had aboutas much. Large batteries store excess electricity during low demand periods and deliver it back to the grid when demand spikes. During recent heat waves and winter cold snaps,State leaders have also taken important steps to fix other failures that made the February 2021 storm so devastating. After the storm,less than a 1% chancerequire 64% less energy to heat homes during the winterfound that oil and gas inspectors aren’t adequately verifying that gas wells and pipelines are properly weatherized. Indeed, as the cold set in on Saturday night,by more than 2 billion cubic feet per day. Since methane gas fuels a large share of Texas electricity, failures upstream can still cascade into grid emergencies. Another challenge is growing demand. Texas’ electricity use is rising rapidly as energy-intensive facilities such as data centers expand across the state. In response, lawmakers passed Senate Bill 6, which requiresover the next decade. If we aren’t careful, that growth could overwhelm many of the reliability gains made since 2021.Meeting these challenges requires building on what has worked. Texas should continue expanding wind, solar and battery storage, which are the cheapest, cleanest and fastest to build forms of new power generation. The state should also invest far more in energy efficiency measures so that homes, businesses and data centers waste less electricity during times of peak demand. Finally, Texas must finish the job on weatherization by ensuring the entire energy system, including gas infrastructure, is prepared for extreme conditions. We’ve made progress, but we shouldn’t get cocky. As extreme weather is getting more frequent and more extreme, we must stay vigilant and keep working toward the clean, hardy and reliable electric grid we need and deserve. Luke Metzger is executive director of Environment Texas Research and Policy Center, a nonprofit that investigates problems, crafts solutions and educates the public and decision-makers in pursuit of a greener future.Live updates: When will ice melt? Record snowfall ends Monday, road conditions still poor
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