In February, extreme cold and an unusual winter storm left millions of Texans in the dark. But I didn’t have to.
Many Texans have been without power or water in sub-zero temperatures for almost five days. Americans in neighboring states like Oklahoma have had small interruptions like continuous blackouts, but nothing like what Texans have experienced. That’s because Texas is on its own power grid, separate from the rest of the country, so it can’t easily get power from other states in an emergency.
But the Texas power grid itself did not fail. First, power failed across Texas because power sources across the state were unprepared for the harsh climate. And it didn’t have to happen; Texas has been warned about this exact scenario and, in fact, has experienced versions of it twice in the past 30 years. But the state has not prepared itself.
Now, the rest of the United States faces the same problem. Climate change is making severe climate disasters more and more frequent. And the American power system is not ready for that.
Watch the video above to learn more about what happened in Texas and why it should be a warning sign for the rest of the United States.
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