“The state hasn't done enough to ensure the gas supply chain will be weatherized for this winter or next winter. “We're on our own to be prepared for extreme winter weather and potential power outages,” Palacios said.
However, she believes that if current strategies persist of only several companies voluntarily implementing the weatherization needed, then the people of Texas and Laredo are on their own. Thus, weather can change also immediately depending on the meteorological circumstances. According to her, the NOAA predicted that 2021 was going to be a warm, dry winter because of La Niña weather cycle, but the Texas Almanac predicted severe winter weather. Overall, Palacios says whether there is another failure of the electrical grid or not depends on the weather, which is unpredictable. Even if power generators do everything they can to weatherize, if they can't get fuel supplies from gas producers and pipeline companies, we can still have power outages.” “We still don't know if the Railroad Commission has inspected all of the high-volume producing gas wells in the state to make sure they are prepared for extreme winter weather. “Power generators have done more to prepare for extreme winter weather, but at this point everything that gas producers and pipeline companies are doing to weatherize has been voluntary, and we know from past experience that voluntary measures usually don't work to create meaningful change across an industry,” Palacios said.
Palacios says the reason another electrical outage of the magnitude that happened last year is possible is due to the fact that weatherization strategies have only been done voluntarily by several companies and not implemented by the state fully.
“As a result, the Railroad Commission of Texas - our state's oil and gas agency - isn't supposed to start developing standards for weatherizing the gas supply chain until fall 2022, and they might not have those standards finalized until after next winter.We're at risk of more power outages during extreme weather until the state finalizes and enforces weatherization standards for natural gas wells and the rest of the gas supply chain.” Palacios says after Winter Storm Uri, Texas lawmakers passed a variety of measures aimed at protecting the grid, but they went too easy on the gas industry causing little to no change at all that will not be implemented until later this year. “This year, federal investigations determined that fuel supply problems were the second largest cause of power outages during Winter Storm Uri, and problems in the natural gas supply chain were responsible for over 85% of those fuel supply issues.”