The Disconnect: Power, Politics and the Texas Blackout

Latest Episodes:

The Texas Grid Under Pressure Mar 10, 2023

In this bonus episode, you’ll hear a panel of experts we brought together to mark two years since the 2021 blackout, where we discuss the future of the Texas grid in the face of climate change and the increasingly extreme weather linked to it.

The Campaign Oct 31, 2022

Nearly two years after the big blackout in Texas, how big of an issue is the power grid in the 2022 race for governor?

We talk with Julian Aguilar, a reporter for the Texas Newsroom.

The Disconnect Season 2 is a project of The Texas Newsroom, the collaboration among NPR and the public radio stations in the state. It received support from FRONTLINE’s Local Journalism Initiative, which is funded by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.

The Midnight Connection Sep 08, 2022

We’ve already learned how Texas (or at least most of it) is an energy island — mostly cut off from grids in other states.

In this episode, we’ll hear about the time when one power company went rogue and threw a transmission line across the Oklahoma border.

This is the story of why they tried and how they failed to build a bridge off the island — and how it shaped the Texas grid today.

BONUS: The Megawatt We Don’t Use Sep 01, 2022

We’ve talked about the supply-side fixes — but what about the demand side?

The Fixes Aug 25, 2022

A year and a half after the blackout, lots of Texans are still wondering if they can rely on the power grid. After conservation alerts and one pretty close call this summer, it can seem like the grid is still on a knife’s edge. We look at what’s changed, what hasn’t and how that lack of trust is playing out in one Texan’s life.

The Money Aug 11, 2022

Texans have seen their electric bills rise dramatically since the blackouts last year. We’ll break down all the links in the electric supply chain that each need to get paid — and explain how we’ll still be paying the costs of the blackout for decades to come.

The Toll Aug 04, 2022

In the time since the blackout, state officials, ERCOT and power generators have tried to convince Texans that they’ve got things under control. But a lot of people aren’t convinced. And with good reason. In this episode, we’ll explore how the trauma of the blackout is still with us — and how we still haven’t dealt with the true toll of the disaster. We’ll hear from one family who lost an entire generation.

Bonus: The Winterizing Nov 18, 2021

Texas lawmakers passed a law earlier this year requiring power plants to winterize — but what does that really mean?

And what about winterizing other things that are needed to make sure the lights don’t go out in a storm again?

The Fallout Aug 26, 2021

So what did state leaders do to make sure something like the February blackout never happens again?

And what role did deregulation play in the failure of the Texas power grid?

Find a full transcript of this episode here.

Bonus: The Great Dam Disaster Aug 12, 2021

A huge catastrophe. Dozens dead. A city without power or water. It’s like a miniature version of the February blackouts.

Except this happened more than 100 years ago in Texas — and leaders faced some of the same questions then as they do now.

Bonus: The Black Start Aug 05, 2021

In this mini-episode, we tell what happens next if the Texas power grid were to suffer a catastrophic failure. It almost did in February — and if it had happened, there might have been an even bigger problem.

Find a full transcript of this episode here.

The Blackout Jul 29, 2021

The story of how the worst blackout in Texas history unfolded — and left millions of people cold, hungry and with no faith in their state’s power grid.

A warning: Some of what you’ll hear in this episode may be disturbing, especially if you lived through this disaster.

Find a full transcript of this episode here.

The Electricity Game Jul 22, 2021

How did we get the power grid we have today? Andrew Weber has the story — and it involves football, subterfuge and a whole lot of lobbyists.

You can find a full transcript of this episode here.

The Energy Island Jul 22, 2021

It was only when the lights went out in Texas that many of us realized — electrically — we are all alone. Claire McInerny brings us that story. Plus, Jimmy Maas tells us how the electricity market in Texas used to work up until about 20 years ago.

Find a full transcript of this episode here.

Trailer: The Disconnect: Power, Politics and the Texas Blackout Jun 07, 2021

Join us as we explore the reasons and decisions that ultimately left millions of Texans in the dark during the crippling winter storm of February 2021. KUT’s Mose Buchele reports on what happened, how we got the electric grid we have today and what could be done to fix it in this limited series podcast.

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