The crises in Texas grow

Why did the power grid in the country's energy capital fail so spectacularly? The number of Texans without power fell to half a million on Thursday but the historic storm, which killed at least 38 people, has sparked a heated debate about how to prevent this from happening again. Energy expert and economic historian Daniel Yergin joins #LinkedInNewsLive to unpack the crisis this Friday at 1:30pm ET. Click the “Remind me” button to get a notification when the show begins. Have questions for our guest? Let us know in the comments below and get them answered during the show.

The electrical debacle in Texas may not have been foreseen exactly, but the weather conditions that led to it sure were. Here's the record of what NOAA/NWS sent out, and what ERCOT's own senior meteorologist said prior to this extreme event.

As a native Texan, my thoughts are with my family, friends and colleagues in Texas, and all those impacted in some way by the frigid temperatures, snow or ice this week. I found this article from The Center for Disaster Philanthropy helpful and encourage others to share this overview of the crisis and ways donors can help. https://lnkd.in/gWVBrpJ

Houston we seemed to have a problem and it’s just not in Texas. Aging water infrastructure and the need for advancement technologies in cyber security to prevent future attacks on our water systems has reached a point of a national crisis and we must urge Congress and the Senate to pass Infrastructure Bill. Aging water infrastructure needs to be replaced and adaptation is key with climate change. #letsgettowork #TexasPowerGrid #climatechange #TexasWaterCrisis #CyberSecurity #Israeliwater #waterinvestment #watercrisis WaterRising Institute #partnershipsforthegoals #infrastructure #philanthrophy

Lots of great info out there about what's happening in Texas, but I wanted to recommend this fantastic write-up by my colleague Stephen Naimoli. He takes on a lot in a short piece, answering four questions: 1: What is going on with the power system in Texas and the Midwest? 2: What does this mean for residents and businesses? 3: What does this mean for the electric power system? 4: What does this mean for the energy transition? #texas #energy #resilience #powersector #climatechange https://lnkd.in/gcZqgsj

I provided Barron's with my perspectives on the energy apocalypse happening in Houston right now. It comes down to planning. Planning and mitigating risks. And it’s apparently ‘plan’ wasn’t on the agenda for anyone. We can say it’s a once in a life time event — that’s an answer but will it happen again? Many of these weather events keep proving to be more severe than before. Why do we keep leaving vulnerabilities exposed in all parts of the energy value chain? Complacency—a major no-no. We can’t afford to be complacent. Fiscal responsibility requires that we expect and prepare for “abnormal” weather patterns. And while Texas is currently under the spotlight, there’s a message in this for all of us. Nowhere is immune. People count on all forms of energy for basics. As we power ahead (pun intended) with efforts to speed up the energy transition, we must also make sure the systems that deliver energy continue to function. Tonight the charged car looks more appealing than my house. Stay safe and warm everyone.

I provided Barron's with my perspectives on the energy apocalypse happening in Houston right now. It comes down to planning. Planning and mitigating risks. And it’s apparently ‘plan’ wasn’t on the agenda for anyone. We can say it’s a once in a life time event — that’s an answer but will it happen again? Many of these weather events keep proving to be more severe than before. Why do we keep leaving vulnerabilities exposed in all parts of the energy value chain? Complacency—a major no-no. We can’t afford to be complacent. Fiscal responsibility requires that we expect and prepare for “abnormal” weather patterns. And while Texas is currently under the spotlight, there’s a message in this for all of us. Nowhere is immune. People count on all forms of energy for basics. As we power ahead (pun intended) with efforts to speed up the energy transition, we must also make sure the systems that deliver energy continue to function. Tonight the charged car looks more appealing than my house. Stay safe and warm everyone.