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Will Texas still steer towards renewables despite many grid challenges?
21/5/2025
10 min read
Feature
Texas is famous for rodeos, oil and barbeques. In 2023, the Lone Star State was the number one oil and gas producer, supplying 43% of the US’ crude oil from 32 petroleum refineries, and 27% of its natural gas gross withdrawals. Surprisingly, Texas is also the nation’s leader in wind and solar energy generation, accounting for 28% of all US wind-sourced electricity, according to the US Energy Information Administration (EIA). It also has over 28 GW of total installed solar capacity, surpassing even sunny California in 2024. Charlie Bush reports.
However, despite its energy leadership, the Texas electricity grid has been beset with issues in recent years. Between 2000 and 2023, Texas suffered the most weather-related power outages of any state, with 210, reports Climate Central. This includes a major failure in 2021 caused by winter storms that left over 4.5 million homes and businesses without power. At least 246 people died as a result.
Why are renewables being deployed at scale in a state rich in fossil fuels, and how are they impacting the strained grid?
Texas’ electricity grid
Unlike the rest of the US, Texas operates its own power grid – the Texas Interconnection – separate from the Eastern and Western Interconnections. The electric power system is managed primarily by the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT), which oversees electricity delivery for approximately 90% of the state’s population, or more than 27 million customers. This structure provides a high degree of autonomy, but is increasingly under criticism as widespread outages disproportionately impact Texans. The recently proposed ‘Connect the Grid Act’ could require the Texas electrical grid to increase connections to the Eastern and Western Interconnections, improving supply. However, it has yet to pass through Congress.