700+ Dead. $295 Billion in Damage. Two Violations Found.
Winter Storm Uri killed an estimated 700+ people in February 2021. The official count was 246. The Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas estimated $80 to $130 billion in economic losses. 4.5 million homes and businesses lost power at the peak.
700+ estimated deaths. Up to $295 billion in damage. 40,000 MW of new capacity added. 8,732 weatherization inspections conducted. 2 violations issued.
Texas added 40,000 MW of new generation since Uri. Battery storage grew 77-fold to 17.6 GW. During Winter Storm Fern in January 2026, batteries hit 7,000 MW at peak, powering 1.75 million homes and preventing an emergency declaration. The legislature allocated $7.2 billion in low-interest loans for dispatchable generation.
The Audit
The Texas State Auditor’s Report 25-037 found that Railroad Commission inspectors are not verifying that natural gas companies actually completed weatherization training. Companies essentially self-certify compliance. Out of 8,732 inspections in the 2024-2025 winter seasons, regulators issued 2 violations.
Both were for facilities with zero weatherization. The other 8,730 passed with no weaknesses identified. Auditors flagged this as “high urgency.”
Natural gas remains the backbone fuel in winter when solar output drops. Texas added 31 GW of solar and 15 GW of batteries since Uri but only 3.1 GW of new natural gas. The generation that failed in 2021 was gas. The regulatory system checking whether gas facilities are winterized is rubber-stamping compliance.