The head of the Electric Reliability Council of Texas told Dallas news outlet WFAA that the they expect to have enough power to meet demand for the duration of this winter storm.
ERCOT had issued a Weather Watch a few days ago as they anticipated these low temperatures. It’s a precautionary measure designed to keep the public informed about grid conditions.
Currently the 6-day forecast from ERCOT shows that they expect to have plenty of power for the duration of these frigid temperatures. In fact, thanks to the power of solar and wind, the grid is performing exceptionally well. Combined, renewable energy sources are currently out-producing natural gas as the primary suppliers of energy to the grid.
Although temperatures were not as low as originally anticipated, a freeze warning was issued by the National Weather Service for Jim Wells County earlier this week, and they have reissued another freeze warning for early Saturday morning from 3 am to 9 am.
While it is still very cold for many Texans, it’s been a much different experience compared to Winter Storm Uri back in 2021. That storm knocked out power for millions of Texans and resulted in the deaths of several hundred people. Around that time, snow had even reached all the way down to South Texas, but so far this year South Texas remains snow-free.