The Grid vs. The Cold: Why ERCOT is Under the Microscope This Winter

A winter storm this weekend in Texas has many Texans looking back to February 2021.

Snowmaggedon 2021

Snowmaggedon, also known as winter storm Uri, forever changed the way Texans look at winter weather. Some snow or ice isn’t a big deal. But snow, ice, freezing temperatures and a loss of electricity that lasts for a week is an entirely different story. When all was said and done, 223 people lost their lives. 210 were Texans.

ERCOT Says Texas Will Be OK

ERCOT is the agency that oversees the Texas power grid and is the same agency that was reamed after the 2021 power failure disaster. In a statement, ERCOT said, “ERCOT will continue to deploy all available resources to manage the grid reliably and coordinate closely with the Public Utility Commission, generation providers, and transmission utilities.” The company said that in case of an emergency, all updates will be posted here.

How To Protect Your Home Against a Loss of Power

I remember watching the thermostat on our living room wall go up and down during the 2021 winter storm power outage. As soon as the temperature crossed the 50-degree mark, our power would go off again. This happened every 40 minutes for what seemed like hours. I now know that ERCOT was cycling the power, but my main concern at the time was the possible destruction of our HVAC system. It was then and there that I decided to buy a whole home generator.

Generators

There are many different types of generators to choose from, but I went with a whole home generator. To be clear, this is not an endorsement (I am not being compensated). I went with a Generac that is hooked up to our fuse box with a transfer switch. Cost plus installation was about $7,000 dollars. As soon as the power goes off, the generator will automatically turn on. When the power returns, you will not know because you will not lose power. It is seamless. The generator also does a weekly test on its own. Our generator is powered by a 500-gallon propane tank. If you do not want to spend thousands of dollars, a portable generator is another option.