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Clean energy proponents are touting the use of solar and wind power in oil-rich Texas, but a summer heat wave is showing the limits of renewables in sustaining a major power grid.
Temperatures have climbed into the 100’s this month and Texas energy companies are sending urgent messages to customers to warn of rolling blackouts. They also are asking customers to conserve by raising thermostats, cutting back on using dishwashers and washing machines and limiting electric vehicle charging.
Energy Texas, one of 150 retail electricity providers in the state, blamed the looming threat of power outages on “triple-digit temperatures and low wind generation.”
Despite producing more oil than almost anywhere else in the world, the Lone Star State falls far behind many parts of the country when it comes to the reliability of its energy grid.