Research Library

The Texas power grid is infamously disconnected from the rest of the U.S. Its status as an “energy island” can bring both advantages and disadvantages. Two years ago, Winter Storm Uri knocked out power across Texas for days and exposed major reliability concerns. Here, we discuss changes made in the two years since Winter Storm Uri. Is the Texas grid “fixed?”

The authors conduct a step-by-step examination of various factors that were blamed for the extended power outage on the ERCOT electricity grid in February 2021. While no single factor fully explains the calamity, the bureaucratic failure in identifying and addressing risks along fuel supply chains was a major failure. Most proposed remedies do not fundamentally address what occurred. The authors make several recommendations, some of which have already been implemented.

Energy experts suggest a few market design remedies to improve weatherization incentives following the deadly Texas freeze in 2021.

Reforms enacted by the Texas Legislature have allowed Texans to choose their own electricity provider since 2002. In this study, the authors analyze monthly residential billing data to assess the impact of competition on retail electricity prices.

Texas' ERCOT ISO is used as a model for examining the costs of replacing fossil fuels by wind generation and storage, and for comparing wind power with generation based on nuclear and storage.