TEXAS, USA — The state of Texas is holding true to its word in making a promise to never leave Texans in the dark and cold, as happened in February 2021.
The electricity supply chain map was developed as part of Senate Bill 3 to help pinpoint electricity outages across the state. It is the first ever electricity supply chain map.
"It maps out more than 65,000 critical points in the electricity supply chain," Rich Parsons, director of communications for the Public Utilities Commission of Texas said. "Everything from places where oil and gas producers pull natural gas out of the ground, pushes through the pipelines to the electricity generation plants, and then from the electricity generation plants out through the transmission lines and distribution lines to people's homes."
The goal is to use the map to pinpoint where outages may be and quickly fix them.
"We can contact the company," Parsons said. "We can talk to somebody, assess the situation and see what kind of resources might be necessary to repair something or get something back online. It speeds it up significantly, reduces the number of phone calls. It reduces the wait time for connecting with people."
The PUC isn't alone on this issue. They're working hand-in-hand with the Railroad Commission.
"Obviously, the Public Utility Commission regulates the electric utilities, which include the transmission lines, the power generation plants," Parsons said. "The Railroad Commission has regulatory authority over natural gas supply, natural gas production and natural gas transportation through pipelines, and the natural gas is the fuel that electric generation plants need to generate power."
Even though the map will be extensive, it will continue to be updated with new information.
"This is a living map," Parsons said. "This is going to be updated at least two times a year, so as different facilities or different pieces of equipment go off-line or different pieces of equipment come online. It will stay current with the electric supply chain."