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Summary
- Texas is in the grip of extremely cold weather coupled with power outages.
- Authorities have advised conserving electricity as much as possible.
- Oil prices hit their highest level since the early days of the coronavirus pandemic.
Texas is facing a challenging situation due to the freezing temperature and rolling power blackouts across the state. As extreme weather conditions spiked the demand for electricity, the agency responsible for managing the electric grid has ordered controlled outages.
There is chaos across the state due to the unprecedented situation. The extreme weather, along with the power outages, are getting dangerous for Texans.
How the Government is Tackling the Situation
Meanwhile, the government stated that the power grid was working fine, but few natural gas and coal generators were unable to provide services due to the freezing conditions. Limited gas supplies and frozen wind turbines have interrupted the power generation process, and the government and agencies are advising people to conserve electricity as much as possible. Meanwhile, the Texas state authorities are working towards addressing the issue.
Texans are being encouraged to use minimum electricity. They have been advised to unplug non-essential lights and appliances, turn down thermostats to 68 degrees Fahrenheit, open curtains in the day to let the sunlight come in, and keep curtains closed at night to preserve heat inside.
Some people even turned to the charcoal grill to warm up their homes, which led to a few people ending up in the hospital due to carbon monoxide poisoning.
The Cy-Fair Fire Department tweeted against the practice and warned people that running a generator, or a grill can produce carbon monoxide within the home, which is extremely dangerous as the colourless, odourless gas is deadly. In Harris County, a child and an adult are reportedly in critical condition due to carbon monoxide poisoning.
Power Outage to Continue Along With the Freezing Weather
According to Mayor Sylvester Turner, people residing in Houston, a populous US city, will continue to face power outages even on Tuesday, 16 February 2021.
The situation is likely to worsen as the weather gets colder. Texas is experiencing record snowing days and freezing temperatures ranging from 25 degrees to below zero. The snow flow is creating many difficulties for travellers and traffic.
Rally in Oil Prices
Extreme cold conditions are also resulting in a rally in energy prices, with crude oil trading above USD 60 a barrel. This is the highest crude oil price since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic (January 2020). However, the winter storm is expected to have critical consequences for the oil industry.
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