Texas Confident Stressed Grid Will Hold Up Amid Summer Heat
The head of the state’s main grid operator remains optimistic blackouts will be avoided.
Transmission lines in Palo Pinto, Texas.
Photographer: Thomas Ryan Allison/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
The head of the Texas power grid remains confident the system will avoid widespread blackouts this summer despite searing heat that’s already pushed it to the brink.
While temperatures have been higher than expected, Electric Reliability Council of Texas Interim Chief Executive Officer Brad Jones said grid operators have enough tools at their disposal to handle heat that’s forecast to extend into next week. State lawmakers also gave Ercot additional powers after the 2021 deadly winter blackouts that can help the grid manage through periods of tight supply, he said.