Texplainer: Why Does Texas Have Its Own Power Grid?
This story was originally published in 2011. If you’re looking for the latest updates on the February 2021 winter storm, head over to our homepage or follow us on Twitter.
Why does Texas have its own electric grid?
Texas’ secessionist inclinations have at least one modern outlet: the electric grid. There are three grids in the Lower 48 states: the Eastern Interconnection, the Western Interconnection — and Texas.
The Texas grid is called ERCOT, and it is run by an agency of the same name — the Electric Reliability Council of Texas. ERCOT does not actually cover all of Texas. El Paso is on another grid, as is the upper Panhandle and a chunk of East Texas. This presumably has to do with the history of various utilities’ service ter… Continue Reading (3 minute read)