How to Make the Texas Electric Grid More Resilient

This year's winter storm and the subsequent damages highlight the urgent need for more resilient energy systems that can outlast increasingly powerful weather events.

1 minute read

September 17, 2021, 7:00 AM PDT

By Diana Ionescu @aworkoffiction


electricity infrastructure

OiMax / Flickr

With demand for energy rising and the effects of climate change more apparent than ever, writes KyLeigh Richardson, it becomes crucial to create a resilient power network that won't buckle under the pressures of extreme weather.

When a winter storm battered Texas this February, "69% of people lost electricity for an average of almost two days, 42 hours, while almost half did not have running water for an average of over two days, and more than 100 people died of exposure to low temperatures and dangerous attempts to warm their homes." The storm and its consequent outages "are estimated to have cost the Texas economy anywhere between $80 billion and $130 billion in direct and indirect economic losses by conservative estimates."

The ravages of the February storm highlighted the fragility of our electrical grid and "the importance of building electric resilience." In fact, "[m]any policy and economic experts say pursuing climate resilience is crucial to policymaking and system planning, particularly in order to ensure electric security." With its population projected to almost double by 2050, Texas will see higher demand for energy even as extreme weather events become more common.

Richardson outlines three strategies for resilience: energy efficiency, smart planning, and diversification of energy sources and technologies. "To ensure resiliency, security and further economic development, Texas must be prepared for curves in the road."

Thursday, September 9, 2021 in Dallas Morning News

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Aerial view of town of Wailuku in Maui, Hawaii with mountains in background against cloudy sunset sky.

Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly

Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.

July 1, 2025 - Honolulu Civil Beat

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

July 2, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

White and purple sign for Slow Street in San Francisco, California with people crossing crosswalk.

San Francisco Suspends Traffic Calming Amidst Record Deaths

Citing “a challenging fiscal landscape,” the city will cease the program on the heels of 42 traffic deaths, including 24 pedestrians.

July 1, 2025 - KQED

Blue tarps covering tents set up by unhoused people along chain link fence on concrete sidewalk.

Study: Anti-Homelessness Laws Don’t Work

Research shows that punitive measures that criminalized unhoused people don’t help reduce homelessness.

15 minutes ago - Next City

Aerial tram moving along cable in hilly area in Medellin, Colombia.

In U.S., Urban Gondolas Face Uphill Battle

Cities in Latin America and Europe have embraced aerial transitways — AKA gondolas — as sustainable, convenient urban transport, especially in tricky geographies. American cities have yet to catch up.

2 hours ago - InTransition Magazine

Row of older brick houses in Detroit with front porches and front lawns.

Detroit Says Problems With Property Tax Assessments are Fixed. Advocates Disagree.

With higher-valued properties under assessed and lower-valued properties over assessed, advocates say there's still a problem with Detroit's property tax system.

4 hours ago - Shelterforce Magazine