As temperatures rise and memories of last year’s hot summer days haunt North Texas residents, the fear of potential power outages looms once again.
A recent warning from the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) about the possibility of rolling blackouts has sparked concerns among Texans about the reliability of the state’s power grid, per a recent report from the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
According to ERCOT’s report published last week, the grid’s operating system may need to implement controlled outages during peak hours of energy usage, particularly around 9 p.m., when the grid is most vulnerable to low electricity availability from wind energy.
While this announcement may raise alarm, experts claim that rolling blackouts are not likely, per the Star-Telegram.
ERCOT routinely considers worst-case scenarios in terms of blackout possibilities, lowering its projected output capacity by up to 10% to ensure grid stability. But Joshua Rhodes, a mechanical engineering researcher at UT Austin, downplayed the likelihood of rolling blackouts.
“I don’t think we’ll see blackouts this summer,” he said, per the Star-Telegram. “But there’s always a chance things could happen. If it’s much hotter for much longer than normal, and if we have a lot of power plants offline, then it’s possible to happen, but I don’t think it’s likely to happen.”
However, concerns still linger regarding the impact of renewables on Texas’ electricity. While renewables have contributed to a more diverse energy portfolio, some experts warn of potential disruptions as Texas transitions into less windy months, illustrating the sporadic nature and value of renewable energy sources in 2024.
“We know we’ll run out of dead dinosaurs to mine for fuel and have to use sustainable energy eventually, so why not go renewable now and avoid increasing risk of climate catastrophe? Betting that science is wrong and oil companies are right is the dumbest experiment in history by far,” Elon Musk said via X.
While renewable energy sources offer environmental benefits, questions remain about their reliability in meeting peak energy demands, especially during extreme weather conditions.
Despite these concerns, experts say that the grid is better able to handle an increase in energy demand, thanks in part to the expansion of renewable energies.
“From the standpoint of resources, we’re in better shape than we were a year ago,” said Tom Seng, an assistant professor of energy finance at Texas Christian University, as the Star-Telegram reported.
In the U.S., the generation of renewable energy is projected to increase from 22% in 2023 to 24% in 2024 and further to 26% in 2025, while nuclear power’s share will remain steady at 19% throughout the next two years, according to a report from U.S. News & World Report.