How the Texas power grid is holding up during the winter storm
When forecasts began for the major winter storm hitting Texas, one of the first concerns for many in the state was the power grid. It has been just five years since the grid saw widespread failures and blackouts during a winter storm that left millions without power and contributed to some of the more than 200 deaths across the state.
At a news conference last week, Gov. Abbott and other state officials tried to allay those concerns, with Abbott saying the grid has never been more prepared for a winter storm like this. More than 48 hours after the storm started to impact Texas, the grid has indeed held up.
ERCOT's dashboard of grid conditions showed more than 11,000 megawatts of operating reserves as of Monday morning, and no issues with the supply of electricity are expected.
Any storm-related power outages have been localized, mainly due to ice or winds taking down power lines.
ONCOR, the power distribution provider for most of North Texas, spent days preparing for the storm, getting power crews and equipment in place to more quickly respond to downed power lines.
As of Monday morning, 8,700 ONCOR customers are without power out of the 4.1 million it serves. Most of the outages are in East Texas, which received more ice from the storm than the DFW area.