1、CRS INSIGHT Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress INSIGHTINSIGHTi i Texas Power Outage: Implications for Critical Infrastructure Security and Resilience Policy March 4, 2021 The statewide power outages in Texas following a severe cold weather event in February 2021 illustrated the vulnerab
2、ility of electricity supply as a critical economic and safety function. The widespread failure of electric generation facilities in severe weather conditions led to blackouts that affected millions of residents and caused extensive property damage and loss of life. Much of the post-event commentary
3、has focused on the unique regulatory environment in Texas, which some observers fault for the lack of adequate weatherization at critical generation facilities. Texas operates an electric grid that is largely isolated from the national grid, and therefore exempt from Federal Energy Regulatory Commis
4、sion regulations applicable to interstate commerce. The federal policy framework for critical infrastructure security and resilience (CISR) has generally received less public attention. This non-regulatory framework provides authority and guidance for a broad range of voluntary public-private partne