Why a Historic Winter Storm Has Caused Chaos Across Texas
Millions of Texans are still without power, as a record cold snap continues to tax the statewide electric grid beyond its limit—but don’t blame it all on wind turbines.
Contrary to some media reports, experts say frozen wind turbines are only a “tiny” piece of what’s gone wrong, which includes foul-ups in everything from natural gas and nuclear energy in addition to structural issues affecting the uniquely independent system Texas uses to deliver energy to its population.
On Sunday, 10.1 inches of snow fell on San Angelo, Texas, eclipsing the record 2.5 inches the city got in 1951. The border city of Brownsville, Texas, declared its first winter storm watch in a decade, reporting snow for just the third time since 1898. Dallas and Houston are both experiencing sub-freezing temperatures, and Austin, where temperatures normally hover in the mid-60s this time of year, saw 6.4 inches of