Texas is experiencing a winter storm on January 16th, 2024
The electric infrastructure in Texas failed during a winter storm in 2021 and resulted in wicked cold air for many Texans.
On January 16th, Texas is experiencing a winter storm that will test the state's power grid. The electric infrastructure in Texas failed during a winter storm in 2021 and resulted in wicked cold air on Tuesday for many Texans. Despite this failure, the power grid held firm.
The difference between forecasted available capacity and forecasted demand was approximately 4,400 megawatts on Monday morning
ERCOT wind and solar forecast as of 5:45 a.m.: The current grid conditions meter was color-coded with green indicating normal conditions.
Conditions were forecasted to get tight around 8 a.m., but by that time reserves exceeded the required amount of energy
Accuracy
The ERCOT grid is back to green conditions as Houston remains in a deep freeze.
ERCOT has revised its forecast for 8 a.m., with the difference between supply and demand now estimated to be approximately 4,400 megawatts.
Deception
(50%)
The article is deceptive in several ways. Firstly, the title claims that the ERCOT grid has returned to green conditions when it was actually yellow at 6 a.m., and only changed back to green after the conservation appeal ended at 9 a.m.
ERCOT issued a conservation appeal from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m.
Fallacies
(85%)
The article contains several fallacies. The first is an appeal to authority when it states that ERCOT issued a conservation appeal from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m., and the current grid conditions meter returned to green as scheduled at 9 a.m.
> The difference between forecasted available capacity and forecasted demand was approximately 4,400 megawatts.
Bias
(85%)
The article contains examples of religious bias and monetary bias. The author uses language that depicts one side as extreme or unreasonable by referring to the 'deep freeze' in Houston and stating that ERCOT issued a conservation appeal from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m., which implies an emergency situation despite it being scheduled, indicating potential monetary bias.
ERCOT issued a conservation appeal from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m., which implies an emergency situation despite it being scheduled, indicating potential monetary bias
The article uses language such as 'deep freeze' to depict one side as extreme or unreasonable
Site
Conflicts
Of
Interest (100%)
None Found At Time Of
Publication
Author
Conflicts
Of
Interest (50%)
The author has a conflict of interest on the topic of ERCOT grid as they are reporting for Click2houston.com which is owned by Houston Chronicle Media Partners LLC and KTRK-TV, both entities have financial ties to Texas power companies including those that operate in the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) region.
The article mentions ERCOT grid multiple times throughout it. The author is reporting for Click2houston which has a vested interest in the topic as they are owned by Houston Chronicle Media Partners LLC and KTRK-TV, both entities have financial ties to Texas power companies including those that operate in the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) region.
Texas residents were asked to avoid using large appliances such as washing machines to conserve energy.
ERCOT issued a conservation appeal from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m., which ended at 9 a.m.
Conditions were forecasted to get tight around 8 a.m., but by that time reserves exceeded the required amount of energy
The difference between forecasted available capacity and forecasted demand was approximately 4,400 megawatts on Monday morning
Accuracy
No Contradictions at Time
Of
Publication
Deception
(30%)
The article is deceptive in several ways. Firstly, the author claims that ERCOT asked residents to avoid using large appliances such as washing machines to conserve energy when no evidence was provided of this request being made by ERCOT. Secondly, the author states that nearly the entire state was under some form of winter weather advisory but fails to mention which specific areas were affected and what level of advisory they were under. Thirdly, the article claims that millions of Texans lost power during a massive grid failure in February 2021 when no evidence was provided linking this event to the cold temperatures mentioned in the article.
The author claims that nearly the entire state was under some form of winter weather advisory but fails to mention which specific areas were affected and what level of advisory they were under.
The article states that millions of Texans lost power during a massive grid failure in February 2021 when no evidence is provided linking this event to the cold temperatures mentioned in the article.
The author states that ERCOT asked residents to avoid using large appliances such as washing machines to conserve energy but provides no evidence of this request being made by ERCOT.
Fallacies
(75%)
The article contains several fallacies. The author uses an appeal to authority when they quote ERCOT's request for residents to conserve energy. This is a form of informal fallacy as the source is not cited and their credibility is not established. Additionally, the author presents a dichotomy by stating that nearly the entire state was under some form of winter weather advisory while also stating that ERCOT previously told Newsweek that grid conditions were expected to be normal. This creates confusion for readers who may believe there are conflicting sources or information presented in the article. The author also uses inflammatory rhetoric when they describe the 2021 power grid failure as 'fatal' and mention how hundreds died due to it, which is a strong emotional appeal that could sway public opinion without providing evidence of its accuracy.
ERCOT has asked Texans to conserve energy by not using large appliances such as washing machines during the brutally cold conditions in the state. Getty
The growing concern, despite the ERCOT website showing that grid is operating under normal conditions.
Bias
(85%)
The article contains examples of religious bias and ideological bias. The author uses language that depicts one side as extreme or unreasonable by stating 'nearly the entire state was under some form of winter weather advisory' which implies that only a small portion of Texas is not affected by the cold temperatures, when in fact it states that conditions were expected to last through Tuesday and affect most if not all parts of Texas. The author also uses language such as 'the growing concern', implying that there are those who do not share this concern or believe it to be unfounded.
growing concern
nearly the entire state was under some form of winter weather advisory
Many Houstonians have lost power during the arctic blast.
,739 people are reporting power outages on Tuesday.
A wind chill advisory has been issued for the Houston area until noon due to dangerous wind chills. The wind will make it feel like 0-10 degrees this morning, and winds will reach up to 35 mph.
On Wednesday, Houston is under a hard freeze warning through 9 a.m., and temperatures will be below 24 degrees in the early hours.
Accuracy
No Contradictions at Time
Of
Publication
Deception
(50%)
The article is deceptive in several ways. Firstly, the author claims that many Houstonians have lost power during the arctic blast when there is no evidence to support this claim. Secondly, the author uses sensationalism by stating that wind chills will make it feel like 0-10 degrees and winds reaching up to 35 mph which may not be accurate or true. Thirdly, the article does not provide any scientific evidence or studies linking power outages with arctic blasts.
Many Houstonians have lost power during the arctic blast that is hitting the state.
Fallacies
(100%)
None Found At Time Of
Publication
Bias
(85%)
The article contains examples of ideological bias. The author uses phrases such as 'Many Houstonians have lost power during the arctic blast' and 'On Wednesday, Houston is under a hard freeze warning through 9 a.m.' which suggest that the weather conditions are extreme and dangerous for people in Houston.
Many Houstonians have lost power during the arctic blast
On Wednesday, Houston is under a hard freeze warning through 9 a.m.
Site
Conflicts
Of
Interest (50%)
The author of the article has a conflict of interest with CenterPoint Energy as they are owned by Houston News Inc., which is also part-owned by CenterPoint Energy.
Author
Conflicts
Of
Interest (50%)
The author has a conflict of interest on the topic of power outages in Houston as they work for CenterPoint Energy. The article does not disclose this conflict.
The state's electric infrastructure failed during a winter storm in 2021.
Millions of Texans endured wickedly cold air on Tuesday, but the Texas power grid held firm.
Accuracy
No Contradictions at Time
Of
Publication
Deception
(100%)
None Found At Time Of
Publication
Fallacies
(85%)
The article contains several fallacies. The first is an appeal to authority when it states that the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) asked residents to limit energy use on Tuesday. This statement implies that ERCOT has the power and authority to make such a request, but this may not be entirely accurate or true. Additionally, there are several instances where inflammatory rhetoric is used in the article, such as when it describes the weather as
The state's electric infrastructure failed during a winter storm in 2021.
Wind chills fell below zero in cities like Austin, Dallas and San Antonio.
Bias
(100%)
None Found At Time Of
Publication
Site
Conflicts
Of
Interest (0%)
The article by Michael Corkery and Colbi Edmonds in the New York Times discusses extreme cold weather in Texas and its impact on the state's power grid. The authors have a conflict of interest with Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) as they are reporting on an issue that ERCOT is directly involved in, which could compromise their ability to act objectively and impartially.
The article also mentions that millions of Texans are affected by the extreme cold weather and power outages. As residents of Texas themselves, Corkery and Edmonds may have personal connections to these individuals which could affect their reporting.
The article discusses the impact of extreme cold weather on the power grid in Texas. The authors mention Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) as a key player in managing the state's energy supply during this time, indicating that they have a vested interest in how ERCOT handles this situation.
Texas is gearing up for a winter storm that will drop temperatures to about 15 degrees across the state early next week.
The electric grid operator ERCOT has been on a renewable-energy building spree, adding giant batteries, windmills and solar panels since Uri caused massive power outages in 2021.
Texas now has back-up battery power with more than 5 gigawatt-hours of capacity which is enough to power roughly 3.75 million homes for one hour.
The state's new batteries could play a big role in keeping the grid online during the coming winter storm, which is expected to create an intense but short-lived burst of demand of more than 80 gigawatts on the morning of Jan. 15.
Texas has tripled its solar power production since Uri struck and now produces about 22 gigawatts of capacity today.
Wind turbines in Texas can produce as much as 39 gigawatts of power, an increase from a previously high baseline at the end of 2020.
Texas has greatly expanded its demand response capacity or the amount of energy it can call on homeowners, businesses and factories to shut off during an emergency.
The state's peak energy demand has gone up 11.8 gigawatts since Uri more than the state's battery storage and demand response capacity combined (6.9 gigawatts).
Texas is particularly vulnerable to weather extremes because it isn’t connected to any other grid that could supply power in an emergency.
The upcoming winter storm isn’t forecasted to be as wet, widespread or as long-lasting as Uri, reducing the risk of power plant components freezing across the state for days on end.
Accuracy
Texas is particularly vulnerable to weather extremes because it isn't connected to any other grid that could supply power in an emergency.
The upcoming winter storm isn't forecasted to be as wet, widespread or as long-lasting as Uri, reducing the risk of power plant components freezing across the state for days on end.
Deception
(70%)
The article is deceptive in several ways. Firstly, it states that Texas utilities have been on a renewable-energy building spree since the winter storm Uri caused massive power outages in 2021. However, this statement is misleading as it implies that the green energy infrastructure was built specifically to prevent future power outages when in fact, it has not prevented them entirely. Secondly, the article states that Texas now has back-up battery power and more than tripled its solar power production since Uri struck. This information is presented as a positive development but fails to mention that these changes were already underway before the winter storm occurred. Lastly, the article quotes experts who state that wind turbines in Texas can produce up to 39 gigawatts of power during an intense burst of demand on January 15th. However, this information is not backed by any data or statistics and therefore cannot be considered reliable.
The statement 'Texas utilities have been on a renewable-energy building spree' since the winter storm Uri caused massive power outages in 2021 is misleading as it implies that the green energy infrastructure was built specifically to prevent future power outages when in fact, it has not prevented them entirely.
The statement 'Texas now has back-up battery power and more than tripled its solar power production since Uri struck' presents this information as a positive development but fails to mention that these changes were already underway before the winter storm occurred.
Fallacies
(75%)
The article contains several examples of informal fallacies. The author uses an appeal to authority by citing experts and their opinions without providing any evidence or context for those opinions. Additionally, the author uses inflammatory rhetoric when describing the consequences of winter storm Uri in 2021, such as
The coming storm is a test for how well this green energy infrastructure can hold up under tough conditions.
Texas now has back-up battery power...
<strong>Battery storage</strong> is particularly well suited to deal with those kinds of problems.
Bias
(85%)
The article contains examples of religious bias and ideological bias. The author uses language that dehumanizes those who hold different beliefs about climate change and renewable energy.
>Texas has tripled its solar power production since the end of 2020, shortly before Uri struck, to about 22 gigawatts of capacity today. That's enough to power 16.5 million houses when the sun is shining.
Site
Conflicts
Of
Interest (50%)
The article by Nicolás Rivero has multiple conflicts of interest on the topics provided. The author is affiliated with Stoic Energy and may have a financial stake in battery storage technology mentioned in the article.
Author
Conflicts
Of
Interest (50%)
The author has a conflict of interest on the topic of battery storage as they are affiliated with Stoic Energy. The article also mentions Texas Electric Reliability Council (ERCOT) which is an organization that regulates the electric grid in Texas and could have a vested interest in promoting certain energy sources over others.
