A deepfreeze is coming to Texas, and no one knows if the power grid is ready

Article note: Narrator: it isn't. If the power companies were extractive enough to decline standard strip-heaters in equipment before, they've pocketed most of the repair money and slapped a band-aid on it.

Enlarge / Texas Governor Greg Abbott, center, during a press conference at the Capitol on June 8, 2021, in Austin, Texas. He signed two bills into law to reform the Electric Reliability Council of Texas. (credit: Montinique Monroe/Getty Images)

Nearly one year ago, the state of Texas suffered a debilitating power outage to its independent power grid amidst one of the coldest Arctic freezes in decades.

During this power outage crisis, 246 people died, and homeowners and businesses suffered an estimated $200 billion in damages as pipes froze, melted, and then burst. In the aftermath of this crisis, the Republican-led legislature vowed to shore up the state's power grid. Critics, however, said the state officials only took care of the power companies at taxpayers' expense and left power-generating facilities at risk to extreme cold.

Now, we may be about to find out the truth of the matter.