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As the largest power consumer in the nation, Texas faces a significant challenge this winter as it grapples with an Arctic blast. Following a power grid collapse in 2021, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, R, has implemented significant regulatory and structural changes to cope with the increased demand for heating.
Straight Arrow News contributor Peter Zeihan explains how the integration of new wind turbines and solar panels has played a vital role in stabilizing Texas’ power grid. He argues that this approach serves as a blueprint not just for the rest of the country but for the global energy landscape.
Excerpted from Peter’s Jan. 19 “Zeihan on Geopolitics” newsletter:
With cold fronts rushing through much of the country, the Texas power grid had lots of eyes on it this past week. Thankfully, some “updates” over the past couple years have helped the Texans avoid catastrophe.
There’s a handful of reasons this storm was weathered: a shorter cold snap, regulatory changes, and structural updates. The first one is self-explanatory, but let’s breakdown the last two.
Governor Abbot introduced a series of winterizing efforts following the 2021 crisis, which enabled the natural gas system to continue operating through the storm. The winterizing technology used is over 50 years old, so I use the term – updates – loosely.
As for the structural updates, Texas is a bit ahead of the game; they’ve introduced some ‘Texas-sized’ wind turbines and expanded solar capacity. Combine the expansion in clean energy and a more reliable natural gas baseload system, Texas had its bases covered.
These changes made in Texas are just one example of how global energy systems will adapt and evolve over the next few decades.
