"Blackout: Preventing Another Weather Disaster"

STORYTELLING CATEGORY

KXAN-TV
02/11/2022

A year after a winter storm led to a cascading power failure that left millions of Texans in the dark and cold, most of the pressure was on the state’s natural gas wells and power plants that froze up during the storm. When the cold gripped those power generators, the state’s electricity regulating agency forced providers — like Austin Energy — to shut off power to as many customers as they could to keep the whole system from collapsing. KXAN dug into what your power provider could do in those crucial moments to better manage whose lights go off — and for how long. In addition to the on-air components, KXAN produced four digital stories with interactive data and explanatory features to serve as resources for viewers during the next weather emergency.

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Submitted by Josh Hinkle.