The February 2021 blackout in Texas underscored the importance of reliable and resilient power systems. In this commentary, we discuss the roles of regulators, markets, fuel and generation supply chains, and interdependent infrastructures, and find that they need to be reconsidered and redefined to successfully meet the future challenges of increased electrification and severe weather. 

Climate change and severe weather are stressing power grids, while climate change policies are increasing the role of electrification in transportation, heating, and industrial processes. The February 2021 catastrophic blackout in Texas underscored the importance of reliability and climate resilience, and raises questions regarding the roles of markets, the grid and fuel supply weatherization, renewable energy sources, transmission interconnections, and regulatory structure in the electric power industry. This event occurred during a cold snap that brought temperatures in Texas to lows not seen in more than 30 years, with millions of people losing power and tens of people losing their lives. 

The policy response to severe weather and the industry’s changing generation mix should be based upon the engineering and economics of the grid, integrated across regulatory and market policies, and extended beyond the power sector. This paper provides an overview of how reliability has been addressed in power systems and identifies key challenges for the future.