Analysis of Extreme Cold Weather Event in Texas of February 2021 and Suggestions for China

From February 13 to February 17, 2021, a state-wide blackout occurred in Texas, USA. During the extreme cold weather event, approximately 48.6% of generation was forced out at the highest point due to the impacts of various extreme weather conditions, which affected the normal electricity usage of at least 4 million residents. The accident report of the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) provided a preliminary analysis of the factors causing the power outage. Based on the public reports from the ERCOT or other related agencies, this paper reviews the large-area blackout in Texas from February 13th - 17th, 2021. Firstly, the process and timeline of the power outage event have been described. Then, the main reasons for the accident have been sorted out and summarized from the aspects of extreme cold weather, natural gas system, power generation plant, system flexibility, etc. Furthermore, combined with the current situation of China's power grid, the corresponding suggestions have been proposed for preventing such events.