The 2021 blackouts in Texas were caused by a combination of a poorly managed grid, and a failure to winterize natural gas infrastructure and wind turbines. KERA DART trains in Dallas stopped service because of Winter Storm Uri in February 2021. On the latest episode of Seeking a Scientist, Biberdorf explains how extreme weather is exposing vulnerabilities in the country’s electrical grid, and speaks with scientists and economists to ask how quickly we can shift toward sustainable energy. It was a legitimate humanitarian crisis down here.” “I was driving all over Austin delivering cases of water to dorms and apartment complexes for weeks. Kate Biberdorf (aka Kate The Chemist), a professor at The University of Texas at Austin and the host of the KCUR Studios podcast Seeking A Scientist. “None of my students had access to water,” remembers Dr. Not only that, but natural gas wells froze, and half the state saw water service disrupted.Īs it was, nearly 250 peoplein the state died. That would have left residents powerless for months. KUT reported that the power grid in Texas was only 4 minutes and 37 seconds away from completely collapsing. Those who had power still were urgedto use less, even in the freezing cold. Blackouts left 9.9 million people in the United States and Mexico without power for days. The storm was especially destructive for the electrical grid, as power generators simply couldn’t keep up with demand.

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