ERCOT says Texas power grid ready for possible winter storm this week

ERCOT speaks on upcoming winter season

ERCOT, which manages the power grid for about 90 percent of the state, is reporting progress in operations when it's warm. But, the winter months could be another story.

AUSTIN, Texas - The possibility of a winter storm impacting Texas this week has some residents nervous about a repeat of a 2021 winter storm that turned deadly when millions across the state lost power for days at a time.

While details about the storm are still coming into focus, forecasters across Texas are keeping a close eye on the end of the week. That is when an arctic blast, which is expected to arrive, could be accompanied by snow, sleet and freezing rain.

A possible winter storm could impact not just Texas by a large swath of the southern U.S. later this week. (FOX Weather)

The backstory:

A similar kind of storm led to widespread power outages across the state in February 2021. Texans in the state’s largest cities and everywhere in between lost power for days amid the coldest temperatures in a decade. The result was more than 200 deaths.

Multiple 18-wheelers wait in traffic on I-35 Southbound on February 15, 2021 in Austin, Texas. Winter storm Uri has brought historic cold weather to Texas, causing traffic delays and power outages, and storms have swept across 26 states with a mix of

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What they're saying:

The Electric Reliability Council of Texas, the agency charged with managing the bulk of the state’s power grid, said in a statement Monday they anticipate ample supply to meet demand this winter, based on expected weather conditions.

"ERCOT will continue to deploy all available resources to manage the grid reliably and coordinate closely with the Public Utility Commission, generation providers, and transmission utilities," the agency said in the statement.

ERCOT touted improvements such as a contingency reserve and a scheduled maintenance period that have been instituted since 2021.

An Operating Condition Notice has been issued for Saturday and Sunday. ERCOT issued the notice due to the extreme cold weather system approaching the ERCOT region later this week. Temperatures are anticipated to remain below freezing with the possibility of precipitation on Saturday, Jan. 24 and Sunday, Jan. 25.