UT professors say Texas Legislature should do more to improve power grid structure reliability
Texas lawmakers in late September discovered a loophole in legislation aimed at preventing energy failures seen during Winter Storm Uri. Some University experts said most state industries will likely use the loophole to sidestep weatherization upgrades.
Senate Bill 3 requires the Texas Railroad Commission to finalize rules for weatherization upgrades among state industries such as natural gas, oil and electricity. However, some companies have the ability to opt out of the weatherization requirement by not declaring themselves as “critical infrastructure,” according to The Texas Tribune.
Sheila Olmstead, economist and professor at the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs, said most companies are unlikely to voluntarily declare themselves as critical infrastructure because weatherizing equipment is costly, and the energy market does not reward them for reliability. The commission has not released finalized rules for weatherization upgrades.
Olmstead said the state should determine what is critical infrastructure instead of allowing companies to self-report.
Read more: https://thedailytexan.com/2021/10/22/ut-professors-say-texas-legislature-should-do-more-to-improve-power-grid-structure-reliability/
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