What We Can Learn from Texas' Energy Grid with Chris Tomlinson

In February 2021, an extreme winter storm, the coldest in the last 50 years, caused a massive electricity generation failure in the state of Texas. 

It’s been referred to as The Great Texas Freeze. 

The grid failure lasted over two weeks in some parts of Texas and resulted in 

• a loss of power for more than 4.5 million homes,
• an estimated death toll of over 700 people
• and nearly 200 billion dollars in damages.

To put that in perspective, Texas is roughly the same size as France. 

It’s the second-largest state in America (Alaska being the largest). 

It was later reported by The Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT)  that the Texas grid was only 4 minutes away from total collapse after this catastrophic storm. 

In this episode, we will unpack some of the causes behind the recent grid failings, how we might fix them, and the future of renewables in Texas.

Our guest today has a thorough grounding in Texas history and politics. Chris Tomlinson, a journalist with the Houston Chronicle and energy expert, has a unique understanding of Texas’ grid setup and the state’s energy politics. Tomlinson is the business columnist for The Houston Chronicle, where he covers energy, state politics, and policy. He previously worked as a correspondent and investigative reporter for the Associated Press in Austin and is the author of two books: Tomlinson Hill: The Remarkable Story of Two Families that Share the Tomlinson Name - One White, One Black and Forget The Alamo–both a reckoning with racism in America. 

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