--- title: "Texas Snap Freeze Causes Electricity Prices to Soar 10,000 Percent" description: "Texas is trapped in a bizarre cold snap, unlike one it’s ever seen in recent history. And plunging temperatures are wreaking absolute havoc with the country’s second largest state’s electrical grid. Several of the state’s energy facilities have been knocked offline resulting in electricity prices spiking to more than 10,000 percent this week, according to […]" date: "2021-02-17" modified: "2021-02-17" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/texas-snap-freeze-electricity-10000-percent-expensive" categories: - "Science & Energy" tags: - "electricity grid" - "texas" - "the digest" --- # Texas Snap Freeze Causes Electricity Prices to Soar 10,000 Percent ![Plunging temperatures are wreaking absolute havoc with the country's second largest state's electrical grid, sending prices soaring.]() *\Image: Matthew T Rader\* ## Cold Snap Texas is trapped in a bizarre cold snap, unlike any others in recent history. And plunging temperatures are wreaking havoc with the state's electrical grid, the second largest in the country. Several of its energy facilities have been knocked offline entirely, resulting in electricity prices spiking to more than 10,000 percent this week, [according to *CNN*]() — a grim market response that could be a preview of global infrastructure woes as climate-related extreme weather intensifies in coming years. ## Grid Strain More than four million Texas were left without power this week as the state was by several major blackouts. And those who have power are also trying to stave off the cold using electricity, causing a major strain on an already-stressed grid. Texas may produce more electricity than any other state, using mostly crude oil and natural gas, but its grid is completely isolated from the rest of the country. That means it can't import electricity when it needs it the most, according to *CNN*'s analysis. "When it comes to electricity, what happens in Texas stays in Texas," Dan Cohan, associate professor of environmental engineering at Rice University, told *CNN*. "That has really come back to bite us." ## Blaming Turbines In a desperate attempt to distract from the state's infrastructure implosion, some attempted to shift the blame on the state's wind turbines shutting down, a misplaced anti-green energy argument, [*The New Republic* reports](). Only a tiny portion of the state's electricity is generated using wind turbines. Turbines are also perfectly capable of weathering freezing temperatures and are in active use in far colder climates. While wind turbines did indeed freeze and shut down, natural gas infrastructure also failed to a much greater degree, as *The New Republic* also pointed out. In other words, renewables are the least of Texas' problems right now. **READ MORE:** [Deep freeze sends Texas electricity prices soaring 10,000%]() \[*CNN*\] **More on the deep freeze:** *[SPACEX STARSHIP TESTING SHUT DOWN BY HUGE SNOWSTORM]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()