Lights Out: A New Problem On The Rise
(RepublicanNews.org) – Last year, people in Texas lived through what many consider to be a nightmare when a winter storm buried the state in snow and ice, leading to electrical failures and freezing families. A heatwave now threatens the Texas power grid as authorities request residents conserve energy to avoid rolling blackouts. While the Lone Star State situation may not seem like a problem for the rest of America, think again because there could be nationwide disruptions due to strains on the US energy system.
Newsweek mentioned many people pointed out that the Texas power network is separate from the US, meaning it can’t import electricity from other states in an emergency. However, while the federal electric grid has a more reliable backup system, the Center for Electromechanics director at the University of Texas at Austin, Dr. Robert Hebner, told the outlet that “100% reliability” all of the time is “unaffordable.”
America's aging electric grid suggests blackouts could spread nationwide https://t.co/zZhRBfZEj6
— Newsweek (@Newsweek) July 13, 2022
Recently examined federal data found that power failures have doubled in the past six years compared to the six before. Outages have become much more frequent, and there’s at least one reason why: extreme weather.
The US has seen some pretty harsh conditions, whether it be winter storms or blistering heat waves, which hurt the grid. While the interruption of power may seem like a Texas issue, these events can happen anywhere, meaning the nation faces an energy system problem.
In addition, as the US government pushes people to be more “green,” electric cars are becoming more popular. While this may seem like a positive move, it will actually harm the power supply system as those cars will need to be charged, putting additional strain on the already failing electric facility. The answer can longer be to fix any problems that present themselves. Instead, America needs to be proactive and figure out how to get ahead of this apparent problem.
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