Texas Governor Greg Abbott, leaders of the Public Utility Commission and the Electric Reliability Council of Texas all say the state's power grid should withstand the strain that will be placed on it when a severe cold front moves through the state on Thursday.
"The grid is ready and reliable. We expect to have sufficient generation throughout this entire winter weather event," said PUC Chairman Peter Lake.
He noted that power companies, state lawmakers and grid operators had all learned from the winter storm of February 2021 that resulted in wide-spread power outages across the state.
"Texans have seen the impact of the landmark reforms. We went through an extremely cold February and a record-breaking summer and delivered power throughout without disruption. We have more power available than ever before, we have more backup fuel," Lake said.
ERCOT has issued a "watch" to all companies participating in the state's power market to make sure they are prepared for the cold spell.
"Our staff are working around the clock to ensure that we will continue to deliver reliable service to all Texans," said new ERCOT CEO Pablo Vegas. "We do expect to have sufficient generation supply to meet the forecasted demands."
Governor Greg Abbott has been in contact with local leaders across the state to make sure they have access to the resources they need to deal with the cold. He is aware that people might be skeptical after their experiences in February of 2021.
"Trust has to be earned," he said. "We earned that in part by going through this past summer with eleven new all-time records for power demand, and being able to meet that power demand with ease," Gov. Abbott said. "I think trust will be earned over the next few days as people see that we have ultra-cold temperatures, and the grid is going to be able to perform with ease."
The City of Dallas has published a list of resources for people who need help during the cold weather.
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