One Year After the Texas Blackout: Lessons for Reliable and Resilient Power Systems

  • Focus Area -
  • Type Discussion paper
  • Date 14 June 2022
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Abstract

In February 2021, Texas experienced an extreme cold snap causing a dramatic electricity blackout that left millions of households without electricity, resulting in over 200 fatalities and economic damages of approximately $100 billion. The Texas blackout has been used to support a variety of claims regarding renewable energy, electricity markets and climate change. We identify the blackout’s drivers and what has been learned since then. These lessons apply to power systems worldwide, including those of the Gulf Cooperation Council and the broader Middle East and North Africa region.

Authors

Marie Petitet

Marie Petitet

Senior Fellow- Utilities & Renewables Marie is a Senior Fellow in the Utilities & Renewables Department. Since she joined KAPSARC in 2021, her research has…

Marie is a Senior Fellow in the Utilities & Renewables Department. Since she joined KAPSARC in 2021, her research has focused on power system modeling (KAPSARC Power Model), market designs for energy transitions, and framework analysis for reliable and resilient power systems.

Prior to joining KAPSARC, Marie worked as a Research Engineer within the Research and Development (R&D) unit of the utility group EDF in Paris, France. During her EDF journey, she worked on long-term and short-term electricity market design, the transmission grid at the European scale, and smart-charging opportunities for electric vehicles. Marie also worked as a researcher within the Market Department of the French Transmission System Operator RTE.

Marie holds a Ph.D. in Economics from Dauphine University, PSL (France), an M.Sc. in Environmental and Energy Economics from Ecole des Ponts ParisTech (France), and a M.Sc. in Engineering from ENSTA Institut Polytechnique de Paris (France).

Expertise

  • Electricity Markets
  • Power System Modeling
  • Electricity Market Design and Regulation
  • Energy Transition
  • Energy and Climate Policy

Publications See all Marie Petitet’s publications

Frank Felder

Frank Felder

Visiting Researcher- Utilities & Renewables Frank is an engineer, energy policy analyst, and was a visiting researcher at KAPSARC. Prior to joining KAPSARC, Frank was…

Frank is an engineer, energy policy analyst, and was a visiting researcher at KAPSARC. Prior to joining KAPSARC, Frank was a Research Professor at the School of Planning and Public Policy at Rutgers University, Director of the Rutgers Energy Institute, and Director of the Center for Energy, Economics and Environmental Policy. In those roles, he conducted original and applied research in the areas of electric power system modeling, clean energy policies, and climate change for academic foundations, government agencies, and energy utilities. He has also worked as an economic consultant and nuclear engineer.

Khalid Alhadhrami

Khalid Alhadhrami

Analyst- Utilities & Renewables Khalid is an analyst in the Utilities and Renewables program at KAPSARC. He is an electrical power and machines engineer…

Khalid is an analyst in the Utilities and Renewables program at KAPSARC. He is an electrical power and machines engineer with a bachelor’s degree from the Department of Electrical Engineering at King Abdulaziz University. His work at KAPSARC has focused on renewables, energy modeling, and the electric power systems field.

Expertise

  • Energy Modeling
  • Electric Power Systems
  • Renewable Energy

Publications See all Khalid Alhadhrami’s publications

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