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Texas Braces for Arctic Blast, Grid Prepared for Demand

1/20/2026

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Summary

Story summary

The National Weather Service forecasts an Arctic blast that brings cold and possible wintry precipitation to Texas starting Friday.
The Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) says the grid can meet demand, with a peak above 79,000 megawatts on January 26.
Improvements since the 2021 winter storm, including weatherized generation units, aim to reduce outages while freezing rain and ice create travel impacts.

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Story summary

The National Weather Service forecasts an Arctic blast that brings cold and possible wintry precipitation to Texas starting Friday.
The Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) says the grid can meet demand, with a peak above 79,000 megawatts on January 26.
Improvements since the 2021 winter storm, including weatherized generation units, aim to reduce outages while freezing rain and ice create travel impacts.