MIT Study: Connecting Texas To The National Power Grid Would End Most Blackouts Such As Those In 2021

The Hill reports:

Integrating Texas’ self-contained electrical grid with the broader national grid could prevent mass power outages like those suffered in the Lone Star state during a 2021 cold snap, according to research from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

In the study, from MIT’s Center for Energy and Environmental Policy Research, the researchers modeled the effects of a bill introduced by Reps. Greg Casar (D-Texas) and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) that would connect the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) to the rest of the country.

They determined that if such a law had been enacted ahead of the 2021 event, Winter Storm Uri, up to 80 percent of the millions of blackouts caused by the storm could have been averted.

Read the full article. Shocking, huh? ERCOT is run by the Texas Public Utility Commission, whose five members are appointed by the governor. Hundreds of deaths were attributed to the 2021 winter storm blackout and the resulting lawsuits continue.

BREAKING: A new @MIT study released today found that the #ConnectTheGrid Act could have prevented almost all of the blackouts ordered by @ERCOT_ISO during Winter Storm Uri.

More from @Jason_Plautz / @EENewsUpdates: https://t.co/KTEaE8fYI5

— Congressman Greg Casar (@RepCasar) June 3, 2024