Energy
June 18, 2021
What Is Wrong With the Texas Grid?
Our electric system can’t deliver the power we need when we need it most. But political leaders don't seem all that interested in fixing the problem.
Winter Storm 2021
Energy
June 15, 2021
Did Lawmakers Fix Texas’s Electric Grid?
Governor Greg Abbott said the Lege has done everything necessary to prevent future blackouts. We ask four experts whether that’s true.
Energy
June 9, 2021
Griddy Argues It Was, in Fact, a Champion of Consumers
The much-maligned—now bankrupt and outlawed—electricity provider offered just the sort of experiment Texas’s energy deregulation sought.
Politics & Policy
June 1, 2021
Texas Lawmakers Had Two Crises to Address. They Ignored Them in Favor of Sideshows.
Fearing primary challenges, GOP lawmakers focused mostly on wedge issues such as guns and abortion, rather than the COVID-19 pandemic and the failure of the state’s electric grid.
Politics & Policy
April 3, 2021
Forty-seven Days Without Running Water After the Winter Storm—and Counting
In Houston’s Third Ward, where some residents’ homes were extensively damaged, a fight for repairs has reached a breaking point.
Politics & Policy
April 2, 2021
Natural Gas Producers Are Getting a Pass From the Lege After the Blackouts
Many industries bear a portion of the blame for the failure of Texas’s electric grid. But one seems to be escaping strict requirements to better prepare for future storms.
News & Politics
March 31, 2021
Were the Texas Blackouts a Crime?
The February power outages were a deadly man-made disaster, but punishing those responsible may prove elusive.
Politics & Policy
March 19, 2021
Why Is Dan Patrick All in on Repricing Electricity Overcharges?
The lieutenant governor has long responded to crises with more talk than legislation. But is something different this time as he deals with the aftermath of the blackout?
Business
March 16, 2021
Some on Wall Street Profited off Texas Blackouts. In a Private Call, a Top Regulator Pledged He Would Try to Protect Their Windfall.
Public Utility Commission chairman Arthur D’Andrea apologized to investors last week for the “uncertainty” around its profits.
Travel & Outdoors
March 16, 2021
Sometimes It’s Hard to Be a Garden
Houston’s newborn Eden survives its first major weather event.
Music
March 10, 2021
The Relief Gang Never Stops
When the power went out and the water stopped running, Trae tha Truth and DJ Mr. Rogers were there to pick up the slack.
Critters
March 10, 2021
Do Thousands of Bat Deaths Mean Texans Will Face a Mosquito-Ridden Summer?
Last month’s winter storm decimated the state’s populations of the winged mammals, which may have lasting ecological effects.
Business
March 4, 2021
Despite Losing Power for Days, Texans Will Pay Higher Power Bills—Perhaps for Decades to Come
The bankruptcies and staggering electricity charges are beginning to arrive. Could it go from bad to worse?
BBQ
March 4, 2021
A Barbecue Wood Shortage Is the Latest Side Effect of the Winter Storm
Plus: Meshack’s BBQ works to recover, Texas Twinkies, and 17,000 pounds of chicken.
Energy
March 3, 2021
The Great Texas Blackout Was Caused by a Failure to Ensure Supplies of Natural Gas
State leaders have pointed fingers at everything from windmills to the bureaucrats at ERCOT. But the real issue is the electric grid’s reliance on a lightly regulated natural gas production industry.
Critters
February 28, 2021
Axis Deer Had Overrun the Hill Country. The Winter Storm Devastated Them.
Exotic species brought to Texas from Africa and Asia fared poorly in freezing temperatures.
Energy
February 27, 2021
Texas’s Independence Didn’t Cause the Power Crisis
There’s plenty that needs fixing to avoid another electricity disaster, but our isolated grid isn’t the problem.
Food & Drink
February 26, 2021
From Cold Beans to Beef Jerky, 21 Texans Share What They Ate During the Storm
Families got creative with disaster-induced improvised meals they really enjoyed ... or hope never to eat again.
Music
February 26, 2021
Matthew McConaughey and Beyoncé Did More for Texas Than Ted Cruz
Plus: Taylor Kitsch gets back in the TV game, Travis Scott manages to get people excited about magazines, and Megan Thee Stallion does her best ‘Mean Girls.’
Tacos
February 25, 2021
All Hail the Taqueros Who Fed Texans During the Blackouts
Plus: Aaron Franklin's steak taco recipe, Wichita's booming taco scene, and a strange new addition to Taco Bell's menu.
Food & Drink
February 25, 2021
When the Storm Hit, Texas Chefs and Brewers Stepped Up
Restaurant staff handed out thousands of free meals, brewery employees boiled countless gallons of water, and food truck owners braved the icy highways—despite their own struggles.
Politics & Policy
February 25, 2021
Who’s Responsible for the Texas Blackouts?
Our governor and lawmakers want to blame everyone but themselves for the February blackouts, the latest crisis of their own making.
Health
February 22, 2021
The Winter Storm Set Texas Far Back in COVID-19 Vaccinations
Infectious disease expert Dr. Peter Hotez describes last week’s statewide disaster as a harmful delay “in the face of an advancing enemy.”
Best Thing In Texas
February 22, 2021
The Best Thing in Texas: Everyone Who Helped Us Survive the Winter Storm
Celebrities and regular folk alike came together to offer hot food, clean water, and warm beds.
Tacos
February 22, 2021
How to Order From a Taco Truck
Taco trucks mobilized to feed hungry Texans during the storm, and now they could use your support. Here are nine tips for first-timers.
Politics & Policy
February 19, 2021
Ed Hirs Has Been Predicting This Mess for Years
The Houston-based energy economist is our blackout Cassandra. Will state officials finally heed his advice?
Energy
February 19, 2021
El Paso Heeded the Warnings and Avoided a Winter Catastrophe
The West Texas city was spared the worst effects of this week’s storms, thanks to its preparations in the wake of a devastating 2011 deep freeze.
Being Texan
February 19, 2021
The Day Everything Went Wrong
Like many Texans, residents in one Austin apartment complex faced a kaleidoscope of worst-case scenarios. And like many Texans, they had to get through them alone.
Politics & Policy
February 19, 2021
Q&A With ERCOT President and CEO Bill Magness
Texas Monthly talks to the ERCOT chief about why the blackouts happened and what needs to change now.
Politics & Policy
February 19, 2021
The Texas Blackout Is the Story of a Disaster Foretold
Those in charge of Texas’s deregulated power sector were warned again and again that the electric grid was vulnerable.
News & Politics
February 19, 2021
One of Texas’s Busiest Plumbers Explains What to Do if Your Pipes Burst
Galveston’s Terry Fisher on where to find your water meter, what to do when pipes thaw, and when to call a professional.
News & Politics
February 19, 2021
How to Help Texans Recover From the Winter Disaster
These organizations could really use your time or money.
Politics & Policy
February 18, 2021
Steve and Ted’s Excellent Adventures
Austin’s mayor, Steve Adler, and the state’s junior senator, Ted Cruz, are the latest Texas politicians to take ill-considered vacations.
Politics & Policy
February 18, 2021
13 Curses to Mutter Against Ted Cruz While You Boil Snow to Drink
May you make direct eye contact with your neighbor during your yard pee.
Politics & Policy
February 17, 2021
The Winter Storm, in Photos: How Texans Are Surviving the Historic Freeze
As multiple crises unfold across the state, photographers captured Texans doing their damnedest to keep warm and safe.
Critters
February 17, 2021
In South Padre, Texans Have Rescued More Than 4,000 “Cold-Stunned” Sea Turtles
Conservationists worked to bring the endangered animals to shore—but getting the turtles warm amid a blackout is the next challenge.
News
February 17, 2021
What Went Wrong With Texas’s Main Electric Grid and Could It Have Been Prevented?
An energy expert explains why some four million Texans suffered a barrage of winter storms without heat in their homes.
Energy
February 17, 2021
Lights, Camera, Reaction: Lit-Up Downtown Skylines Are Enraging Powerless Texans
Texans on social media have kept warm by burning the fuel of white-hot rage.
Energy
February 15, 2021
For Frozen Houstonians, Hurricane Reflexes Kick In
But when will the overseers of our so-called Electric “Reliability” Council learn?