MIDLAND, Texas — The Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) CEO, Pablo Vegas, has stated that extensive measures have been put in place to prevent power outages with this arctic blast.
Efforts to winterize power generators and transmission infrastructure have been underway since the brutal heat wave we endured last summer.
According to Governor Abbott, we are much more prepared today than we were during Winter Storm Uri in 2021.
In addition, renewable energy is expected to perform better this time around since this is a low precipitation weather event. Wind and solar both look solid according to Vegas and their output should not be affected by the cold temperatures or precipitation.
Low wind activity on Tuesday could weaken wind energy supply but this is a fairly normal. Monday could be cloudy, affecting solar output, but the renewable energy sector looks like it will deliver enough power to meet demand.
Fuel supplies, such as coal and natural gas are also sufficient for the demand that's expected with these cold temperatures according to Vegas.
As a precautionary measure, and due to the unpredictable nature of the weather, ERCOT has issued a weather watch which is a preliminary notification before more extensive advisory requests are released.
Right now, ERCOT is not expecting to request Texans to conserve power during this arctic blast. As always, stay tuned as this winter weather event evolves and unfolds.