The New York Times quoted McGuireWoods partner and McGuireWoods Consulting senior advisor Bernard McNamee in a June 15, 2021, story on the vulnerabilities of Texas’ power system.
On June 14, state regulators asked Texas citizens to conserve electricity after soaring temperatures drove demand to record levels for June. The caution comes after severe winter weather led to power outages that left 69 percent of the state’s residents without electricity.
The North American Electric Reliability Corp. issued a report last month warning that “extreme weather can affect both generation and demand and cause energy shortages that lead to energy emergencies” in Texas. McNamee, a former commissioner on the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, told the Times that the problem is urgent, but not new.
“Every summer, everyone holds their breath to see if there’s going to be enough generation in Texas to keep the lights on,” McNamee said.