TEXAS ELECTRICITY CRISIS WORSENS; BAD WEATHER KILLS 31 AMERICANS

The Texas power grid manager says more than 3.4 million customers were still without power — and, in many cases, heat. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has sent generators and blankets, Ilana Panich reported for the New York Times.

The power failure was largely caused by freezing fuel lines to Texas’ natural-gas plants. That didn’t stop advocates for fossil fuels, including Gov. Greg Abbott, from trying to shift blame to renewable energy — which could help forestall the wild weather events caused by climate change. Across the country, at least 31 people have died in this week’s punishing weather.

Another barrage of sleet and snow is expected late into Wednesday evening in Central Texas, and another storm is expected to sweep across the South and East over the next two days, Go Nakamura and Brad Brooks reported for Reuters.

Abbott told a news conference that he expected a nuclear plant in south Texas to come back online Wednesday night, which along with coal-fired plants’ returning to operations should provide enough power for 400,000 homes. Abbott, a Republican, has demanded an investigation into the management of the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT), a cooperative responsible for 90% of the state’s electricity.

WEEKLY FEATURE : COLORSTEEL'S PRESIDENT BREAKS BARRIERS