Feb 23, 2021 - Energy & Environment
New homes fueled Texas power demand ahead of deadly winter storm
- Ben Geman, author of Axios Generate
A new post at UC Berkeley's Energy Institute at Haas explores one reason Texas' energy demand got so high during the Arctic blast: lots of new homes to heat.
The big picture: "No U.S. state has built as many new homes as Texas over the last decade, and most of these homes use electric heat," business professor Lucas Davis writes.
Of note: They tend to be less insulated than homes in cold regions and require lots of power when temperatures plummet, Lucas says.