A devastating ice storm knocked the electricity out in Austin and Central Texas two weeks ago. The power was not fully restored until this past weekend.
This week, Texas marks the second anniversary of Winter Storm Uri. The statewide blackouts are still felt across the state.
The two disasters had very different causes. In 2021, the bitter cold froze large-scale power plants and gas infrastructure, while in 2023, branches coated with ice fell from trees, knocking down electricity lines.
The suffering Texans suffered was the same: a power outage during a cold spell, which forced people to shiver in dark, cold nights or seek shelter. This great Texas Monthly article, aptly titled We Texans are on Our Own when Disasters Strike, shows the helplessness Texans face far too often lately when extreme weather strikes.
Freedom Solar’s mission is to empower people to live powerfully, in part by giving them the tools to protect themselves and their businesses from crises.
In the past few days, we have heard from more of our customers who have been using energy storage and solar panels at home since the blackouts in 2021.
As temperatures and ice began to drop, these systems became even more critical. Customers switched to their batteries when power and lines failed in their neighborhoods. They had been charged by the sun on previous days.
Batteries kept heaters and lights running. While they waited for the power to return, many hosted their friends in order to keep them warm and charge their devices.
Living more powerfully is what it means. You’ll be free from worries about the power grid’s reliability, as well as from paying high bills fueled by fuel price volatility and past disasters.
Texas’ electric system is in need of help. I have previously stated that Texas must do more to rethink its power policies in the context of everyday Texans. The state should focus on improvements that benefit people. This means keeping the power flowing during times when the electricity infrastructure is overloaded and helping people save money on their rapidly rising power bills.
This ice storm, like Winter Storm Uri, demonstrates that rooftop solar and storage projects, community-scale initiatives, and other types of distributed energy production must be part of the solution.