Despite grid improvements, Texans remain at risk for summer outages, study shows

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- A new study ranks Texas as the second most at-risk state in the country for power outages this summer, underscoring the ongoing strain on the state's electric grid.

The analysis by solar energy company Wolf River Electric reviewed large-scale summer outages between 2019 and 2023. While Michigan reported the highest number of outages overall, Texas leads the nation in total hours spent without power during that period.

The Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT), which manages the state's power grid, predicts peak electricity demand will hit in August. This is when Houstonians could face the dual threats of extreme heat and hurricanes.

Battery storage has put us in a much better position to keep the lights on during peak demand this year, according to energy experts.

"There's an effort in front of Congress right now through the House budget bill to take away the tax credits for storage," Doug Lewin, host of the Energy Capital Podcast, said. "If that happens, we will see less storage put in, and those probabilities will be higher in future summers."

Lewin praised Texas lawmakers for allocating $1.8 billion during the last legislative session to install backup power systems at critical sites like hospitals, nursing homes, and police stations.

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