Renewable Energy Under Pressure: Lessons for Grid Resilience to Extreme Weather from Texas and California

The contrasting experiences of Texas and California during recent extreme weather events underscore the critical importance of resilient energy infrastructure and strategic planning in the face of climate change. For Yale Climate Connections, Dana Nuccitelli examines how Texas’s failure to prepare during winter storm Uri in February 2021 led to devastating power outages, while California’s proactive measures helped the state avoid major power outages during record-breaking heat waves.

In Texas, more than 4.5 million homes lost power during the storm, causing hundreds of deaths and exposing significant gaps in the state’s power grid. Despite initial claims by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott that renewable energy was to blame, investigations showed that outages occurred across all types of power generation, including natural gas, coal and wind. The primary problem was a lack of winterization and severe cold, not the inherent reliability of any particular energy source.

In contrast, California faced its own challenges during a record-breaking heat wave in 2020 that led to brief, cyclical blackouts. But in the years since, the state has made significant investments in grid management, battery storage, and regional cooperation. Those efforts paid off during the extreme heat of 2024, when California’s grid not only avoided blackouts but also delivered power to neighboring states.

For city planners, these examples underscore the importance of investing in resilient infrastructure and taking a comprehensive approach to energy management. Texas’ decision to maintain an isolated grid system has further limited its ability to import power during the crisis, underscoring the risks of grid isolation and the benefits of regional integration.