WACO, Texas (KXXV) — This past weekend's winter weather brought Central Texas a few days of below-freezing temperatures and unlike the deadly freeze of February 2021, the power grid remained online.
Texans living in Waco now remember that time well.
Watch the full story here:
“We just woke up and everything was freezing and we didn’t have any power" said Michael Bernabe.
Barnabe and his teenage sister, Briseidy, along with some of their family members stayed with Briseidy's friends during the 2021 freeze.
“I mean it was good because I was with my friends" said Briseidy.
But with this past weekend's storm they weren’t too worried and neither was their neighbor Imannol Rodriguez.
“Not even like stocking up on food or any of that because. I have experience working at HEB so I know what it’s like,” Rodriguez said.
25 News' Bobby Poitevint is taking a look at the improvements ERCOT and the state have made over the last five years and why a Texas energy expert believes more still needs to be done.
During Texas’ 2021 winter storm, reports show more than 240 people died following statewide power outages.
Many of those outages were the result of problems with ERCOT — which manages the flow of electric power to more than 27 million Texas customers.
In a statement, ERCOT said since then, it has made at least a dozen improvements including weatherizing infrastructure, boosting fuel and battery services and advancing real-time capabilities.
You can read their full statement at the bottom of this article.
These improvements are important to note, as a report from the Texas Tribune shows: “The inability of power plants to perform in the extreme cold was the No. 1 cause of the outages.”
Ed Hirs has been working and consulting in the energy industry for more than 50 years and currently teaches at the University of Houston.
He's contributed to or been quoted in publications such as 'The New York Times' and 'Forbes'.
“Ercots statements are certainly trying to make do with the best they have available." he said, adding, “For the last five years we’ve been been following a strategy of hope more than we have engineering solutions.”
Four months after the 2021 freeze, the passage and signing of Senate Bill 2 & 3 marked legislative efforts to restructure ERCOT and weatherize infrastructure to improve the grid’s reliability. At the time, Abbott said “These laws will improve the reliability of the electric grid and help ensure these problems never happen again.”
To read more of his comments click here.
Gov. Greg Abbott even assuring Texans ahead of this past weekend’s winter storm that the grid would hold up.
Hirs believes there's still not enough resources available like power plants and is calling on state lawmakers and Gov. Abbott to focus their attention on expanding the grid’s resources that it pulls power.
For instance, he referenced solar farms believing additional resources can help reduce costs and help Texas’ growing energy demands.
Bobby asked: “Do you feel like another 2021 deep freeze repeat is inevitable?”
“It sure looks that way" he responded.
Take our poll:
Do you believe the power grid will hold up against the next big freeze?
Micheal added, “I have confidence in the grid.”
Grid Reliability Improvements since 2021
• Weatherization and Inspections: Electric generation units/transmission facilities weatherized and inspected by ERCOT.
• Real-Time Co-optimization Plus Batteries (RTC+B): Implemented December 5, 2025. Key market design change to provide operational and reliability benefits to the ERCOT System.
• ERCOT Contingency Reserve Service (ECRS): Brings 10-minute response to other Ancillary Services.
• Firm Fuel Supply Service: An additional source of fuel onsite for generators benefits the grid by providing a redundant, or additional fuel source should there be a natural gas scarcity.
• Scheduled Maintenance Period: Generators/transmission operators schedule:equipment maintenance. ERCOT works with transmission and plant operators in the shoulder months (Spring and Fall) for them to schedule time for maintenance on their facilities to be ready for summer and winter.
• Fast Frequency Response Service: Added in 2022, this addition to our Ancillary Services takes advantage of the capability of faster-responding Resources to respond to events.
• Reliability Unit Commitments: ERCOT can bring more generation online sooner when needed.
• Critical Supply Chain/Critical Infrastructure Map: Share locations and connectivity of critical parts of Texas’ power infrastructure.
• Improved Agency Communications: Texas Department of Emergency Management (TDEM) and Texas Energy Reliability Council (TERC).
• Texas Advisory and Notification System (TXANS): Transparent advance notice grid conditions communications tool in English and Spanish. Texans can sign up to receive TXANS notifications in English and Spanish.
• Monthly Outlook for Resource Adequacy (MORA): Provides a monthly outlook for resource adequacy, two months ahead.
• ERCOT Dashboards: Texans can monitor real-time and extended grid conditions on ERCOT.com dashboards including supply and demand, fuel mix (generation powering the grid at any time, prices, etc.
