HOUSTON — As we get further into January and February inches closer, Houstonians can expect even colder temperatures. The question is: Will the Texas power grid be ready?
ERCOT said it does not expect emergency conditions this winter and it expects to have adequate resources. Our energy expert, Ed Hirs, said if we get extreme weather, there could be problems.
"ERCOT pointed out that if we get a Uri or Elliott-type storm like we had in '21 and last December, we could have a one in six opportunity for rolling blackouts across the state,” Hirs said. “So, let’s hope we don't get freezing precipitation or another really large polar vortex."
He said the key to preventing another disaster is getting more power plants onto the grid.
In November 2023 we told you ERCOT said the grid could see rolling blackouts in a worst-case scenario this winter. That prediction came after ERCOT said it asked companies to restart their older plants before the winter.
In October, ERCOT issued a request to increase its power capacity ahead of winter's peak load season in Texas but canceled the request after it only found an additional 11 megawatts out of the 3,000 it was looking for.
The additional 3,000 megawatts would have reduced the probability of entering an energy emergency alert to less than 10%. Now ERCOT says there's nearly a 17% chance of rolling blackouts in January during an event similar to the winter storm of 2021. However, according to ERCOT, the chance of blackouts would only be that high between 8 a.m. and 9 a.m., then drop to about 5% after 9 a.m.