Texas Power Grid Will Be Stressed by Icy Weather Coming to US

(Bloomberg) -- Extreme cold will test the Texas power grid for two days straight early next week as frigid temperatures push electricity demand close to an all-time high.

Temperatures across the second-largest US state are forecast to begin cratering as soon as Saturday night and by Jan. 15 Dallas residents will be dealing with lows around 11F (-12C), more than 25 degrees below normal, according to AccuWeather.com. 

It is one of the grid’s biggest challenges since a February 2021 winter storm that killed more than 200 and left millions in the dark for days amid cascading failures in power and natural gas infrastructure.

Demand for power to warm homes, schools and businesses is forecast to surge as high as 84.9 gigawatts on Jan. 17, according to the Electric Reliability Council of Texas. That’s close to the record high of 85.5 set in August.  

“We are expecting Tuesday morning and Wednesday morning to be the tightest times for the Ercot power grid,” Governor Greg Abbott said Friday. Power generators “have never been as prepared for a winter event as they are today, including having a secondary source of fuel available.”

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