Texas power outages: How the largest energy-producing state in the US failed in freezing temperature

Many Texans are rightfully asking why the largest energy producing state in the country cannot produce enough energy to get through a week of below-freezing temperatures.

So, what happened? Equipment failure turned out to be a big part of the problem.

"Beginning around 11:00 p.m. [Sunday night], multiple generating units began tripping off-line in rapid progression due to the severe cold weather," said Dan Woodfin, senior director of system operations at ERCOT, the organization that manages the state’s electric grid.

What does that mean? Equipment literally froze in the single digit temperatures and stopped working.

[cscheatum]

“It happens every ten years, they were not prepared for it”. Ten years is a lot of time to prepare. Pure failure of leadership. Fire all their executives.

[RoleyChiu]

"they're not ready for it" is a misjudgment. "They chose not to invest in it" is more accurate.

[dylanp_ayz]

Can we start a petition to sue encor and energy providers??? Please?

[shall]

Ridiculous!!
People will literally die.
Elderly, Handicapped, Low income..COMPLETELY UNACCEPTABLE!!!
Everyone needs to check on Family, Friends and Neighbors 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻

[greedylittleduck]

Our "rotating outages" have amounted to us having no power for over 18 hours! People need to be held accountable!

[whiskerpour]

As a Texan I can verify that Texas is trash. I went without power for more than 11 hours. They finally turned my power back on for LITERALLY 8 minutes and it went back off. Me and my dog are freezing and it’s 8 degrees outside.

[waitingforparadised]

They warned us? That’s how they justify our families freezing

[alexadjekum]

Please stop telling us the power is been rotated, that’s not true, rich neighborhoods have electricity, poor neighborhoods don’t.

[maryb]

All of my family’s power went off and my moms water system froze. Thankfully I’m the only with electricity and I welcomed 2 family’s to my home. In total we are 17. Some are sleeping on the floor, couches, inflatable mattresses and our bedrooms. I’m still praying that our electricity doesn’t go off because we have a lot of children here. Please if you have electricity, open your home to others 🙏🏻

[shesasunshinemsp]

We haven't had power since 2am-
I feel really alone and depressed. The later it gets the worse it is.
It makes me wish I had siblings or a big family but instead I have me and myself in the dark for hours on end. I wanted it to snow but nevermind
Update: it's now 10:44 and the power just turned back on!! Stay safe y'all and I hope y'alls comes on shortly and STAYS on ♥️

[informedladypatriot]

Cause they pay their executives millions and never update and winterize their equipment they should be held accountable!

[saksmarcus]

Is there anything in America that doesn’t get politicized these days?

[Danny.]

just grab your dead cell phone and give us a call

[justsaying]

This is bull💩! No rotating happening and how are some of us without electricity for 24hrs + while others have experienced no blackout.

[alexadjekum]

Where is the governor? We still haven’t heard a word from him

[tsaltslinger]

Texas talking about secession but can't keep the lights on when it snows...

[sluggy]

"We saw this coming a mile away! We knew this was going to happen!"

Oh! They knew this was coming! I feel better now.

[johnvillalovos]

Get rid of your leaders turn the gas back on now

[vladimirolujic]

- How?
- Profit before people. Simple.

[techanalyst]

All those transplants from California are wondering what they got themselves into right about now.