The 2021 Texas Power Crisis: distribution, duration, and disparities

Abstract

Background Precipitated by an unusual winter storm, the 2021 Texas Power Crisis lasted February 10 to 27 leaving millions of customers without power. Such large-scale outages can have severe health consequences, especially among vulnerable subpopulations such as those reliant on electricity to power medical equipment, but limited studies have evaluated sociodemographic disparities associated with outages. Objective To characterize the 2021 Texas Power Crisis in relation to distribution, duration, preparedness, and issues of environmental justice. Methods We used hourly Texas-wide county-level power outage data to estimate geographic clustering and association between outage exposure (distribution and duration) and six measures of racial, social, political and/or medical vulnerability: Black and Hispanic populations, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Social Vulnerability Index (SVI), Medicare electricity-dependent durable medical equipment (DME) usage, nursing homes, and hospitals. To examine individual-level experience and preparedness, we used a preexisting and non-representative internet survey. Results At the peak of the Texas Power Crisis, nearly 1/3 of customers statewide (N = 4,011,776 households/businesses) lost power. We identified multiple counties that faced a dual burden of racial/social/medical vulnerability and power outage exposure, after accounting for multiple comparisons. County-level spatial analyses indicated that counties where more Hispanic residents resided tended to endure more severe outages (OR = 1.16, 95% CI: 1.02, 1.40). We did not observe socioeconomic or medical disparities. With individual-level survey data among 1,038 respondents, we found that Black respondents were more likely to report outages lasting 24+ hours and that younger individuals and those with lower educational attainment were less likely to be prepared for outages. Significance Power outages can be deadly, and medically vulnerable, socioeconomically vulnerable, and marginalized groups may be disproportionately impacted or less prepared. Climate and energy policy must equitably address power outages, future grid improvements, and disaster preparedness and management.

Spatiotemporal distribution of power outages with climate events and social vulnerability in the USA

“…In Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria, Sotolongo et al observed that rural and Black communities experienced the longest restoration times 25 , and Tormos-Aponte et al found that social vulnerability and political marginalization were linked to longer wait times for the arrival of restoration crews 26 . During the Texas winter storm in 2021, Flores et al observed that counties with a higher proportion of Hispanic/Latino residents faced more severe outages and that Black individuals reported more day-long outages via questionnaires 15 . In Florida after Hurricane Irma, higher percentages of Hispanic/Latino populations were associated with longer outages 14 .…”

A Review of Cybersecurity Concerns for Transactive Energy Markets

“…Zero-day exploits are of particular concern in such highly sensitive and vital industries as power distribution. The lack of electrical power can cause economic losses or even loss of life under some circumstances (see the 2021 Texas power crisis [63]). As such, keeping relevant software and firmware up to date with the latest patches and bug fixes is of even greater importance than it is in most cybersecurity settings.…”

Hot or cold temperature disproportionately impacts U.S. energy burdens

“…On the other hand, the delivery of electricity or natural gas depends on reliable and resilient energy infrastructure, while hot and cold temperatures are likely to cause enormous damage to energy delivery facilities, ultimately leading to higher energy prices. For instance, the 2021 Texas energy crisis was directly triggered by low temperatures that damaged natural gas transmission pipelines, reducing the natural gas supply, redirecting gas from homes to power plants, and making it difficult for households to access critical energy services [23,24]. Growing energy demand and disruptive supply reductions may result in grid overloads or disconnections, thus raising energy prices and increasing energy burdens when encountering hot and cold temperatures.…”