Michael Bakas’ Post

New research shows Texas leads the nation in weather-related power outages, a trend likely to worsen as climate change intensifies. With hurricanes, ice storms, and wildfires becoming more frequent and severe, the state's power infrastructure is under increasing strain. Experts warn that significant investments in grid hardening and modernization are needed to prevent future widespread blackouts. Deep dive on the Texas grid courtesy The Texas Tribune #TexasGrid #PowerOutages #ClimateChange https://ow.ly/zsrc50SHFm6

𝙏𝙚𝙭𝙖𝙨 𝙏𝙤𝙥𝙨 𝙉𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙞𝙣 𝙒𝙚𝙖𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧-𝙍𝙚𝙡𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝙋𝙤𝙬𝙚𝙧 𝙊𝙪𝙩𝙖𝙜𝙚𝙨, 𝙎𝙩𝙪𝙙𝙮 𝙍𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙖𝙡𝙨 A recent Climate Central, Inc. study highlights Texas as the state with the highest number of weather-related power outages in the US from 2000 to 2023, with 210 incidents reported. This surpasses Michigan, which is the second-highest, with 53 outages. The study underscores the increasing frequency and intensity of extreme weather events due to climate change, which heavily impacts the aging energy infrastructure. Notable incidents include the May 28 storm, which left over 600,000 Oncor Electric Delivery customers without power, and Hurricane Beryl's aftermath, which saw 35,000 CenterPoint Energy customers in Houston in the dark for over a week. The 2021 winter storm, which affected 70% of ERCOT customers, also illustrates the vulnerability of Texas' power grid. Extreme weather, responsible for 80% of major US power outages, poses significant challenges for Texas. Severe storms account for over half of these outages, with winter weather and hurricanes also contributing significantly. Although extreme heat causes only 3% of outages, it’s a growing concern due to rising temperatures, population growth, and increasing energy demand. Texas also leads in the financial toll of weather and climate disasters, with over $370 billion in damages since 2000, primarily from hurricanes and severe storms. The study calls for urgent improvements in the state’s energy infrastructure to better cope with present and future climate conditions. #ClimateChange #PowerOutages #Texas #EnergyInfrastructure #ExtremeWeather #Sustainability #ClimateCentral #ERCOT #ONCOR #CenterPointEnergy https://lnkd.in/gdnfAQJC

Rather than shuttling money into strengthening its grid to make sure the lights and A/C stay on during increasingly extreme weather, #Texas is pouring billions of taxpayer dollars into new natural gas-fired power plants. Their infrastructure built for milder weather is failing more often, yet Texas officials aren't willing to talk about a dramatically warming #climate and how it is fueling stronger storms. ⛈️ The solution lies in #solar and getting money out of #fossilfuels. The US Vegan Climate Index® is one way to keep your dollars away from funding environmental destruction. #esginvesting #veganindex #SRI #ethicalinvesting #investing #investment #impactinvesting #savetheplanet #veganinvesting #ESG #climateaction #climateactionnow #oilandgas #naturalgas

From Jonathan Budner of Franklin Energy: "The devastating wildfire in Maui. Floods in California. A historic heat wave in the southern U.S. Multiple tornados and hailstorms in the Midwest. 2023 was a year of weather and climate disasters. And while we rightfully tend to focus on the destruction and human tragedy that occurs, it’s important to take a look at what this means for the nation’s electric grid, too. Floods can damage underground transformers, while hurricanes and blizzards often take out utility poles and power lines. And beyond the physical challenges our grid faces in harsh conditions, times of excess heat or cold quickly lead to customer demand spikes, which creates a whole new slew of problems. Even a robust grid would struggle to withstand this meteorological onslaught, and the U.S. electric grid is unfortunately not as robust as we would like. In fact, it has been described as brittle. And as it’s facing these challenges, it continues aging while receiving little relief. According to the U.S. DOE, 70% of transmission lines and power transformers are at least 25 years old. Despite the deadly combination of aging and a relentless assault of extreme weather conditions, our beleaguered grid has held up thus far. Vox reports that on July 27, 2023, in the hottest month since 1880, electric grids delivered the highest U.S. energy demand ever recorded: an hourly peak of 741,815 MWh." Keep reading on Energy Central: https://lnkd.in/ePvSHYfb

Texas Legislators have focused on power generation — not power lines and poles. False bearers of witness of large power consumers "healing the grid! " & more power is better. Negates the Texas resident & business impacts. Come North to Alberta Canada Grid, NERC 10-year certainty-rated Resource & Reliability where we care if the lights are on. Enhanced public grid is the Norm, & for accelerated power outcomes NRG-HUB-1 provides critical multigrid resilience for life's essentials. https://lnkd.in/gx4zeJEg elemental Hardened by Nature. Engineered Certainty by Design. www.elementalpower.ca

It’s become a familiar cycle: A powerful storm sweeps through a swath of Texas and takes the electric system down in its grip. Trees might bend and topple, crashing down onto a power pole. Sometimes the weight of ice pulls branches onto electric lines. Other times wind makes a wire spark, and that ember ignites a destructive blaze. Thousands of Texans then sit in the dark for days — in either the blistering heat or frigid cold — waiting for utility crews to survey and fix the damage so electricity can start flowing again. Such power outages are likely to continue. That’s because the massive network of equipment that moves electricity across the state and then to individual Texas homes and businesses is unprepared for the severe weather expected in years ahead, experts say. Making it more resilient will require utilities to invest money to strengthen the system over time. Texas had 210 weather-related power outages — MORE THAN ANY OTHER STATE — from 2000 to 2023, according to an analysis by the nonprofit Climate Central that used power outage data from the U.S. Department of Energy. As emissions of heat-trapping greenhouse gasses continue to increase temperatures, severe weather disasters will worsen. Fire seasons are getting longer and more intense, according to Climate Central. Warmer oceans fuel storms, causing hurricanes to likely be stronger. Days before Hurricane Beryl made landfall on the Texas coast July 8, it set records for its strength so early in the hurricane season. Beryl made its way inland toward Houston as a Category 1 hurricane and knocked out power to more than 2.6 million customers — showing how vulnerable the grid’s infrastructure in Southeast Texas was to high winds. Hundreds of thousands of power customers still didn’t have the lights on more than a week after the storm as linemen worked to replace poles and broken equipment. It was yet another period in recent years where massive outages left Texans without electricity. A powerful windstorm in mid-May known as a derecho slammed the Houston regionwith 100-mile-per-hour winds, knocking out power for nearly 1 million customers in the so-called energy capital of the world. City officials, residents and utility companies were still trying to recover from the damage from that storm when Hurricane Beryl hit in July.

As extreme weather and natural disasters increase in both severity and frequency, utilities' electrical #Grids will be especially affected. This is where Itron, Inc.'s intelligent grid edge solutions come into play. Now more than ever before, #Utilities need modernized infrastructure that enables grid resilience in times of need. One way of providing backup power during outages is with energy stored in electric vehicle batteries, which is what Matt Smith, senior director of smart grid management at Itron, and the team had to rely on during #ItronInspire22 when Hurricane Ian hit Florida. Get the full story in his interview with Climate Global News (CGN):

As we prepare for the upcoming winter season, ERCOT is taking significant steps to bolster the reliability of our energy grid. CEO Pablo Vegas recently outlined new measures and tools to mitigate risks and enhance resilience. These efforts include: 🌐 Monthly Outlook for Resource Adequacy (MORA): ERCOT is shifting from seasonal to monthly reports. By using probabilistic models, they can now assess risks under thousands of different weather scenarios, ensuring a more proactive approach to grid management. 🔋 Request for Additional Reserves: To maintain a low-risk profile, ERCOT has requested an additional 3,000 MW in operating reserves. This measure is crucial, especially if extreme weather events like Winter Storm Elliot reoccur. ❄️ New Weatherization Standards: ERCOT has implemented new weatherization standards tailored to different geographic regions in Texas. These standards enhance temperature resiliency, ensuring that power plants across the state can withstand local weather conditions. Despite these proactive measures, challenges remain. Recent events like Hurricane Beryl have highlighted vulnerabilities in our system. Over 35,000 CenterPoint customers in Houston were without power for days following the Category 1 storm, prompting state officials to demand better storm preparedness and response. This situation raises concerns about our readiness for future storms, even those of lower intensity. As energy professionals, staying informed and adapting to these evolving conditions is imperative. The resilience and efficiency of our grid depend on our collective efforts and continuous innovation. As we look ahead, several critical questions arise: How will the proposed legislative changes and regulatory updates impact ERCOT's ability to maintain grid stability and reliability? What further actions can be taken to ensure that our grid is resilient against future extreme weather events and evolving market demands? 📊 Stay ahead with real-time insights and comprehensive energy market data. GridMonitor is free to try. No credit card required. #GridMonitor #ERCOT #EnergyProfessionals #TexasEnergy #GridReliability #WinterPreparedness #StormResilience #EnergyInnovation

Power outages in the US are surging, as climate-related extreme weather strain an already burdened energy grid. Over the last decade, severe storm outages increased by 74% compared with the previous 10 years. https://loom.ly/BSSHdSk

As extreme weather and natural disasters increase in both severity and frequency, utilities' electrical #Grids will be especially affected. This is where Itron, Inc.'s intelligent grid edge solutions come into play. Now more than ever before, #Utilities need modernized infrastructure that enables grid resilience in times of need. One way of providing backup power during outages is with energy stored in electric vehicle batteries, which is what Matt Smith, senior director of smart grid management at Itron, and the team had to rely on during #ItronInspire22 when Hurricane Ian hit Florida. Get the full story in his interview with Climate Global News (CGN):