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Winter Storm 2021

Texas largely relies on natural gas for power. It wasn’t ready for the extreme cold.

Texas largely relies on natural gas — especially during times of high demand — to power the state. Experts say natural gas infrastructure, from pumping it out of the ground to the plants in city centers, was unprepared for the plunging temperatures brought by the winter storm.

The Blanco Vista neighborhood of San Marcos is blanketed with several inches of snow as a massive winter weather system caus…

Winter Storm 2021

As Texas faced record-low temperatures in February 2021 and snow and ice made roads impassable, the state’s electric grid operator lost control of the power supply, leaving millions without access to electricity. As the blackouts extended from hours to days, top state lawmakers called for investigations into the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, and Texans demanded accountability for the disaster. The Texas Tribune covered the impact of the storm in real time and continues to bring accountability coverage as officials address the issues exposed by the storm. 

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February Winter Storm 2021

  • When will my water come back? How can I get water in the meantime?

  • Will I get a large energy bill?

  • How can I get updates?

  • I was without power for more than a day. Why are people calling these rolling outages?

  • Wait, we have our own power grid? Why?

  • I read online that wind turbines are the reason we lost power. Is that true?

  • How can I stay warm? How can I help others?

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