More solar, batteries, and gas microgrids could have helped Houston during last week’s outages. But state leaders and utilities haven’t made them a priority.
By Jeff St. John 18 July 2024
Hurricane Beryl wrecked Houston’s power grid last week, leaving millions reliant on slow grid repair efforts or limited supplies of diesel generators to keep food and medicine from spoiling and air conditioners running amid deadly heat. But in the sea of toppled power poles and darkened homes and businesses, islands of power and light remained intact.
In the worst-hit parts of the country’s fourth largest city, large-scale fossil-gas-fed microgrids kept the power on at wastewater treatment plants, hospitals, senior care facilities, grocery stores, travel centers, and other locations.
And customers equipped with home solar-battery systems were able to keep themselves powered — and sometimes help their neighbors as well — without relying on… READ THE REST OF THE STORY.
Share
