Fort Bend County Congressman Nehls Reaches out to Elon Musk for Texas Grid Help

KATY MAGAZINE NEWS

July 12, 2022

By Natalie Cook Clark

The Texas energy grid continues to be pushed as the state, especially the Katy area, experiences record-breaking heat. Fort Bend County Congressman Troy Nehls reached out to Elon Musk for his help on the grid. He awaits a reply.

Congressman Troy Nehls reaches out to Elon Musk for Texas Grid help. Photo credit: Congressman Nehls' Facebook page.

Texas Breaks All-Time Energy Peak in Heat Wave this Week

Katy continues to experience triple digit heat this week and many are concerned with the Texas power grid. Yesterday the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) reported that the state met an all-time peak. This beat the record that was broken the previous Friday.

ERCOT requested residents to conserve power consumption yesterday and the consumption peak was still met.

Fort Bend County Congressman Seeks Elon Musk's Help

Fort Bend County Congressman Troy Nehls is concerned over the stability of the grid, especially with President Biden’s push on electric vehicles. Nehls wrote a letter a few weeks ago to Elon Musk seeking his help with the growing problem.

Read the Letter:

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Katy Remembers Winter Storm Power Struggle

“In February 2021, Texas suffered one of the worst energy infrastructure failures due to Winter Storm Uri,” says Congressman Nehls. “The severe weather event caused a near complete failure of the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT)—which cost the Texas economy up to $130 billion in economic loss.”

Katyites remember this time well and now the heat has many concerned over more problems.

A representative for the Congressman’s office had this advice for Fort Bend County residents concerned over potential rolling blackouts.

“We recommend any constituents experiencing periodic blackouts to contact their service provider, and in the event of an emergency—medical or otherwise—to reach out to law enforcement personnel first. If you cannot get ahold of a response team, contact our district office and we will do our best to connect you with the proper personnel.”

Nehls Worries of Push for Electric Vehicles

While many are concerned over the grid holding strong during the current heat wave, Nehls is also concerned over the growing push for electric vehicles and how that will add to the state’s energy consumption. This was his reasoning for reaching out to Musk.

“With nearly every automotive manufacturer increasing their electric vehicle production, many are rightfully worried about the significant increase in electrical consumption,” says Nehls.

“According to Pew Research Center, the average EV requires nearly 30 kilowatt-hours to travel 100 miles—which is what an average American home uses each day to run appliances, computers, lights, and heating and air conditioning,” Nehls stated I his letter to Musk.

According to Congressman Nehls’ Office, he is still waiting for a response from Musk.

Congressman Troy Nehls represents the 22nd District, which covers most of Fort Bend County. His District office can be reached at 346-762-6600. Visit his website for more information.

Follow Congressman Nehls on Facebook.