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Texas power grid to connect with national network after decades of isolation

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For decades, Texas has operated its own independent power grid, largely isolated from the rest of the country. However, a recent initiative from the Biden administration aims to change that by investing millions to better connect the state with the national electrical system.

Texas initially distanced itself from the national grid in the 1930s, seeking to avoid federal regulations introduced by President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s administration. But after a series of severe power outages — two in May and July of this year that left millions without electricity and a 2021 winter storm that killed over 200 Texans — federal support is on the way.

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The U.S. Department of Energy recently announced plans to provide $360 million to support the construction of the Southern Spirit Line, a major electricity transmission project. This new line will link Texas to Mississippi and Louisiana, in turn connecting it to the rest of the national power grid.

The line is expected to carry up to 3,000 megawatts of electricity, enough to power approximately 750,000 homes.

“The U.S. transmission network is the backbone of our nation’s electricity system. Though our grid has served U.S. energy needs for more than a century, our country’s needs are changing,” U.S. Deputy Secretary of Energy David Turk said in a statement. “The Biden-Harris Administration is committed to bolstering our power grid to improve the everyday life of Americans through affordable power, fewer blackouts, more reliable power, and additional jobs across our country.”

Texas currently has three connections to external power grids, which are sometimes used for exporting electricity to neighboring states. The new line will triple the state’s interstate transmission capacity, enabling Texas to import power when necessary.

Construction of the Southern Spirit Line is slated to begin in 2028, with a projected completion date of 2031. While the project falls short of a full reconnection to the national grid — a solution some state lawmakers had advocated for — it is expected to provide much-needed energy to meet Texas’s growing power demands.

The state is seeing an increased strain on its grid due to the expansion of data centers, which support artificial intelligence and cryptocurrency operations.

These facilities can require the same amount of electricity as a small city, and Texas, already home to the second most data centers in the country, is set to add more in the coming years.

This development has raised concerns over the grid’s ability to handle future demand, with some questioning the long-term reliability of the state’s energy infrastructure.

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Jack Aylmer

FOR DECADES, THE TEXAS POWER GRID HAS STOOD ALONE- ISOLATED FROM THE REST OF THE COUNTRY.

BUT NOW THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IS PLANNING TO SPEND MILLIONS TO CHANGE THAT.

TEXAS FIRST REMOVED ITSELF FROM THE NATIONAL ELECTRICAL SYSTEM BACK IN THE 1930’S-

AIMING TO AVOID REGULATIONS FROM FDR’S ADMINISTRATION.

HOWEVER, FOLLOWING A PAIR OF POWER OUTAGES WHICH LEFT MILLIONS IN THE DARK THIS YEAR-

AS WELL AS BLACKOUTS DURING 2021’S DEADLY WINTER STORM THAT KILLED OVER 200 TEXANS-

THE LONE STAR STATE IS GETTING SOME FEDERAL ASSISTANCE.

LAST WEEK, THE DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY ANNOUNCED IT WILL PROVIDE 360 MILLION DOLLARS TO HELP BUILD WHAT THEY’RE CALLING  THE SOUTHERN SPIRIT LINE-

WHICH WILL CONNECT TEXAS WITH MISSOURI, AND THE REST OF THE NATIONAL POWER GRID.

THIS ELECTRICITY TRANSMISSION LINE WOULD ALLOW 3,000 MEGAWATTS TO FLOW INTO AND FROM THE TEXAS GRID-

ENOUGH ENERGY TO POWER 750,000 HOMES.

CURRENTLY, TEXAS HAS THREE EXISTING CONNECTIONS TO OUTSIDE GRIDS THAT ARE SOMETIMES USED TO EXPORT POWER TO OTHER STATES-

THIS NEW CONNECTION THOUGH WILL TRIPLE THOSE INTERSTATE TRANSMISSION CAPABILITIES AND GIVE TEXAS THE ABILITY TO IMPORT POWER.

CONSTRUCTION IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN IN 20-28 WITH A PROJECTED COMPLETION DATE OF 20-31.

WHILE THIS PLAN FALLS SHORT OF THE COMPLETE NATIONAL GRID RECONNECTION SOME STATE OFFICIALS HAD BEEN ADVOCATING FOR-

IT WILL PROVIDE TEXAS WITH SOME OF THE POWER THAT THEY’RE PROJECTED TO NEED IN THE COMING YEARS.

DATA CENTERS, ESSENTIAL FOR SUPPORTING AI AND CRYPTO OPERATIONS, CAN REQUIRE THE ENERGY EQUIVALENT OF A SMALL CITY-

AND RIGHT NOW ONLY ONE OTHER STATE HAS MORE OF THEM THAN TEXAS-

WITH ADDITIONAL FACILITIES SET TO BE BUILT IN THE COMING YEARS.

FURTHER STRAINING A POWER GRID THAT HAS BEEN FACING RELIABILITY QUESTIONS FOR SOME TIME.

 

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