State Legislators begin review to avoid future mass blackouts after Severe Weather Events
AUSTIN, Texas (Texas Insider Report) — Earlier this year, Texas Public Utility Commission (PUC) Chairman Thomas Gleeson presided over a PUC Meeting that focused on a report addressing the ongoing efforts to improve the reliability of Texas’ electric grid. In the February meeting, Chairman Gleeson offered some thoughts that recognized significant improvements have been made in addressing the reliability issues – particularly on the generation side – while adding that more work was still necessary to ensure the long-term reliability of Texas’ power grid.
“This doesn’t mean we’re done improving the grid. We're continuously looking for ways to strengthen reliability and meet the needs of our fast-growing state,” said Gleeson.
In the aftermath of Hurricane Beryl, the lethal storm that claimed the lives of over a dozen Texas residents and wreaked havoc on critical infrastructure, powerline work crews are laboring through the July heat to restore power across communities most in need.
The first major storm of the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season, Beryl underscored the fact that expansion of the Texas State Power Grid is still very much a work in progress.
And, addressing long-term reliability issues across the entire state’s power grid – including the very real need for additional reforms – will need to include robust discussions to develop additional solutions from policymakers at the Local, State, and even Federal level.
This past week, Houston-area State Legislators signaled publicly that state government should take action to avoid another mass blackout after severe weather.Their sentiments come just after Lt. Governor Dan Patrick (right,) announced the formation of a Specials Texas Senate Committee to focus on the state's ability to "respond more effectively to future storms."
With the impact of the storm knocking out power for an initial 3 million people questions over electricity distribution systems, power generation, state policies and grid reliability, and vegetation management are being raised.
The sizable upward trend in population growth over the last decade has also placed a strain on the power grid system.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Texas grew by nearly half a million people from 2022 to the end of 2023. And future demand growth is anticipated to come from Texas’ continued leadership in numerous energy intensive industries such as next generation Artificial intelligence (or AI,) which will only add to the strain placed on the entire statewide grid.
Compounding the recent surplus of issues facing the power grid is accessibility for working crews due to downed vegetation.
Across the Houston metropolitan area, bucket trucks and utility vehicles are contending with trees and power lines sprawled across roadways from the destructive winds of Hurricane Beryl.
“We are deeply grateful for the tireless efforts of our mutual assistance crews who dropped everything to help our communities when we needed them most,” said Lynnae Wilson, Senior Vice President of Electric Business for CenterPoint.
“As we shift our focus from restoration to prevention, we will be calling on these additional vegetation management resources to execute accelerated plans to prune and remove trees and other vegetation to prepare for the rest of hurricane season," Wilson said.
“As we shift our focus from restoration to prevention, we will be calling on these additional vegetation management resources to execute accelerated plans to prune and remove trees and other vegetation to prepare for the rest of hurricane season," Wilson said.
While lawmakers, Utility and Energy Industry Leaders and various Texas State Officials debate viable solutions, one thing remains clear for Texans: the challenges facing the state’s power grid are extensive – and addressing them will likely require an all-hands approach.
That will require input and cooperation from both the Private and Public Sectors.
