Cold wave hits Texas again this year... Will power shortages stop factories of companies again?

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Jeong Hyunjin] Another cold wave has hit Texas, USA, raising concerns about power shortages. Since last February, when an unprecedented cold wave caused power supply cuts that led to the shutdown of major companies' factories including Samsung Electronics' Austin plant, Texas has stated that it has established a stable power grid and is prepared.

On the 3rd (local time), The New York Times (NYT), citing the power outage tracking website PowerOutage, reported that about 70,000 households and businesses in Texas experienced power outages that morning. NYT reported that no large-scale incidents or road blackouts occurred as a result.

This week's cold wave mainly struck the urban areas near Dallas and northern Texas around Lubbock, accompanied by strong winds and sleet, and is expected by meteorologists to continue until the 5th before returning to average temperatures. As the cold weather persists, household heating demand is rapidly increasing, and experts expect Texas' power usage to reach its peak on the morning of the 4th.

In response, schools and churches in Texas have closed, and grocery stores are seeing increased foot traffic as people stock up on food, leading to shortages of supplies. The reason Texas is quickly responding to the cold wave is because it experienced a severe cold wave last February that caused over 200 deaths. At that time, the rapid increase in heating demand caused disruptions in Texas' power supply, and major companies with large power consumption such as Samsung Electronics and Infineon consecutively halted operations, resulting in losses amounting to thousands of billions of won.

Amid growing concerns, Texas Governor Greg Abbott held a press conference that day, emphasizing that "Texas' power grid is more stable and resilient than ever" and that they are prepared. He said that only some outages occurred in certain areas due to strong winds and are being restored, adding, "The power grid is working very well. There is enough power supply." Texas power authorities also stated that power supply is sufficient and the possibility of power shortages is low.