Reliance of Texans on natural gas for heating and electricity

 

Texas use of natural gas for electricity and heathing

In February 2021, an unusual weather event, an extreme winter weather front, brought the energy supply in the US state of Texas under tremendous strain as never before.

Not only did it set off alarm bells across the energy sector, but also raised the concern about the logic of turning our back on fossil fuels entirely without a credible alternative at our disposal.

According to the EIA, the US Energy Information Administration, in Texas, 61% of households use electricity as the main power source and 52% of electricity in the state is generated by gas-powered power plants; 31% of households use natural gas for heating purposes.

On February 15, electricity generated by natural gas, wind and nuclear power went down substantially, causing a serious energy crisis.

The fate of wind turbines attracted the global attention during the crisis, because what happened to the blades was not something anticipated in a severe winter storm; that means, there are still some unknowns when it comes to renewable energy generation which cannot be trivialized.

In Texas, as of February, 21% electricity was from the wind turbines and it has been growing for the past decade.

Despite the impressive figure, in Texas, natural gas continues to play the key role in the generation of electricity and the unexpected weather event may compel the authorities not to abandon the process at the expense of health and safety of Texans on impulse, before weighing pros and cons of the alternatives on a platform of neutrality

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