Texas Grid Evolution and Its Intersection With Hurricanes, Demand Growth, and Resilience

About the Episode

In this episode of “The Energy Forum,” Ken Medlock sits down with Julie A. Cohn, a Center for Energy Studies (CES) nonresident scholar and research historian, and Miaomiao Rimmer, CES research manager, to explore how the Texas electric grid is adapting to compounding risks from storms, demand growth, and new technologies. They trace the evolution of ERCOT, unpack the dynamics of solar inverters and grid stability, and introduce a new CES dashboard that visualizes 75 years of disaster exposure alongside population growth and critical energy infrastructure.

Key topics include:

• Why the Texas grid is an island — and why it matters.
• Dealing with grid disturbances like those that surfaced in Odessa, Texas, in 2021 and on the Iberian Peninsula earlier this year.
• Reconciling planning assumptions and regulations with rising demand.
• The CES “Natural Disaster Resilience” dashboard and understanding the evolution of risk.

Explore the CES “Natural Disaster Resilience” dashboard here.

This conversation was recorded on June 18, 2025. 

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About ‘The Energy Forum’

Hosted by experts at the Baker Institute Center for Energy Studies, “The Energy Forum” podcast brings together policymakers, researchers, and industry leaders to explore key topics in energy and sustainability.

This material may be quoted or reproduced without prior permission, provided appropriate credit is given to the author and Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy. The views expressed herein are those of the individual author(s), and do not necessarily represent the views of Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy.