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Midnight Connection – A Texas utility tries to transform the state’s electric grid : Planet Money : NPR

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Midnight Connection – A Texas utility tries to transform the state’s electric grid : Planet Money : NPR

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FORT WORTH, TX - FEBRUARY 16, 2021: Transmission towers support power lines above the frozen Clear Fork of the Trinity River in Fort Worth, Texas, after a snowstorm. (Photo credit: Ron Jenkins/Getty Images)
FORT WORTH, TX - FEBRUARY 16, 2021: Transmission towers support power lines above the frozen Clear Fork of the Trinity River in Fort Worth, Texas, after a snowstorm. (Photo credit: Ron Jenkins/Getty Images)

Texas was hit by severe winter weather in February 2021. Just as demand for electricity to heat homes and businesses surged, the cold temperatures crippled parts of Texas’ energy infrastructure. The state’s grid operator was forced to shut down parts of the system, causing widespread power outages and water shortages.

Unlike most other states, Texas’s power grid is not connected to the rest of the country. This became a significant factor in last year’s disaster. After the storm, many people began to ask if changes should be made to the system. It turns out that back in the 1970s, a company tried to change the status quo by secretly connecting Texas’ power grid to the rest of the country in the middle of the night.

In this episode, the Texas Newsroom Podcast Severing ties Brought us the story of “Midnight Contact”.

music: “Creating Magic“”Don’t suppress your curiosity,” and”Wandering Jumping Music

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