The Ground Beneath Us
ERCOT and the Texas Power Grid: What Houstonians Should Know
By The Change Lab -- via manual_seed -- Apr 18, 2026
Overview
Texas operates its own independent power grid, managed by the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, which is separate from the interconnected grids that cover the rest of the continental United States. After the catastrophic February 2021 winter storm left millions of Texans without power for days and caused hundreds of deaths, residents have real and understandable questions about how the grid operates, who is responsible for its reliability, and what has been changed since then. This guide explains how the Texas electricity market works and who oversees it.
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The practice behind Community Exchange. Founded June 2025 and fiscally sponsored by Impact Hub Houston, we build civic infrastructure for the silent majority of Houstonians who are overwhelmed but ready to engage with their community and city.
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