How We Can Keep the Power On During Wild Weather

Did you know that millions of people lose power every year due to extreme weather events? This was the reality for Cary Kottler, a clean energy executive, when a historic cold snap hit Texas in 2021. The temperature in his house was barely above freezing, and sadly, his family’s goldfish didn’t survive. This event, known as winter storm Uri, led to more than 200 deaths and left people without power for days. Now, Kottler’s company, Pattern Energy, is working on a major project: building the first significant transmission line to connect Texas with the Eastern US electrical grid. This kind of project could have prevented a lot of suffering during the storm. “When extreme weather hits, like winter storm Uri, you could bring power from the Southeast,” Kottler explained. Experts agree that the US needs more large-scale, high-voltage electrical lines to move power around effectively. As our weather becomes more extreme, it’s crucial to have a robust grid that can handle these challenges. This year alone, powerful storms like hurricanes Helene and Milton knocked out power for nearly 11 million customers. Allison Clements, a former Federal Energy Regulatory Commissioner, emphasizes that the grid needs to be bigger than the weather conditions. “When you have extreme cold fronts or heatwaves, you need to be able to bring in power from areas where the weather isn’t as severe,” she said.

There are other reasons why our grid needs to expand. For instance, there’s a growing demand for power driven by technologies like AI and data centers. Additionally, there’s a vast amount of clean energy waiting to be connected to the grid. Experts describe our current grid as outdated, comparing it to a VHS system in a world that’s moved on to Hulu. The US grid is actually made up of three main sections: the Eastern and Western interconnections, plus the independent Texas grid. Within these, there are smaller regional grids. The connections between all these systems are fragile and outdated. Rob Gramlich, CEO of Grid Strategies, likens these connections to soda straws trying to connect Olympic-sized swimming pools. To make the grid more resilient, experts suggest doubling or tripling its size and making it more adaptable. This could mean replacing wooden poles with stronger materials, burying power lines, or elevating them to avoid damage from trees and vehicles. Even with a bigger grid, climate change-fueled extreme weather poses significant challenges. For example, during Hurricane Helene, many transformers and substations were underwater. However, investments in the grid’s resilience have proven effective in states like California and Texas, which face extreme heat during summers. The Biden administration has allocated $4.2 billion for grid resilience projects, indicating a strong interest in strengthening our electrical infrastructure.

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