Some important points :
1. If we shift the burden away from the distribution system when events like these happen by making it easier and cheaper for people to have backup power to last them through at least 90% of outages, utility crews can prioritize areas that don't have backup and devote scarce resources more effectively. This is the connection between
#federal #IRA or
#BIL dollars towards technology that can island customer homes during an outage (like batteries), and
#state programs to help
#distributiongrid #gridmodernization.
2. Even though utilities do not own or operate home-installed backup assets in Texas, their cost to serve and their cost to restore goes down as more private individuals install technology that allows them to island their home from the grid during these events. (So this means if you have a battery w/ solar, or just a battery, or thermal backup gen, you can directly reduce the burden of system restoration costs by not being a part of that burden). It is true that the utility will have to repair the infrastructure serving your home: but in a moment of crisis, the fact that your home still has lights on, helps them prioritize homes that do not.
2. It is the state's responsibility to understand and analyze the monetary value trade-offs, for investing the next dollar in supporting the distribution grid (including medium voltage transmission infrastructure), incentivizing whole home backup, or spending it on centralized power generation and accompanying high voltage transmission expansion. The problems we are seeing right now in Texas storm damage, are not related to the third category, and would be greatly helped by serious attention to the first two items.
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