Majority of Texans Fear Grid Collapse This Summer

Most Texans think they’re going to experience blackouts and that there will be a widespread failure of the electric grid.

According to a new poll by the Texas Politics Project at the University of Texas at Austin, a majority of Texans are concerned about the reliability of the Texas grid this summer.

With the temperatures rising, 63 percent of Texans believe they’ll be experiencing rolling, or temporary blackouts and 51 percent think there will be a widespread failure of the Texas electric grid next summer.

Additionally, 84 percent of Texans think they will be asked to conserve power this summer.

Last year, it was the hottest summer ever from many Texas cities, including Houston, San Antonio and Laredo, with most days reaching temperatures at least 100 degrees. The high demand during hot summers produced blackouts and failures. Last year, the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) asked citizens to conserve energy eight days in August during a severe heat wave.

However, there is a chance that this summer could be hotter.

According to the National Weather Service’s Climate Prediction Center, there is about a 40% chance that this summer Texas could experience hotter temperatures than in the last year.

ERCOT also predicted that there is a 16% chance of experiencing emergency conditions this summer, especially in August, which is usually Texas’ hottest month.

The poll also shows that energy and the grid are important issues for Texans. While most of the respondents believe that border security and immigration are the most important problems the state is facing, energy is the seventh most important problem, according to respondents.

The issue is tied with taxes, housing, environment and crime.

The Texas Politics Project Poll is based on interviews with 1,200 registered Texas voters, and you can view the full poll here.