Will Texas Wind Turbines Survive the Arctic Blast?

An Arctic blast is expected to hit central U.S. states over the Christmas period, following a week of wild winter storms. After suffering massive power grid failures in February 2021, people across the state are concerned that similar outages could be seen over the next few weeks as the grid struggles with freezing temperatures.

When the mercury drops, all energy sources are affected. Last year, the state's wind turbines were blamed for the loss of power. "This is what happens when you force the grid to rely in part on the wind as a power source," Republican Congressman Dan Crenshaw said on Twitter. "When weather conditions get as bad as they did this week, intermittent renewable energy like the wind isn't there when you need it."

Only 23 percent of electricity in Texas is produced by wind, while 46 percent is produced from natural gas, as can be seen from the chart below, provided by Statista.

Newsweek takes a look at why the wind turbines froze over and what can be expected for this year

Why Wind Turbines Froze in 2021

After a flurry of freezing rain and historically low temperatures in February 2021, Texan wind farms ground to an icy halt.

Peter Enevoldsen, director of the Center for Energy Technologies at Aarhus University, Denmark, told Newsweek: "Even very minor icing on blades can conclude in aerodynamic inefficiencies, leading to imbalances in the rotor of the turbine. [This] can cause less efficient energy production, errors and components breaking, [and] safety issues.

"If such [events] occur, or are at risk of occurring, the turbine will be shut down."

Jian Wang, a professor of aircraft technology at London's Kingston University, previously told Newsweek that if a turbine is not equipped with an ice-prevention system, large chunks of ice can be thrown off its rotating blades, which can pose a threat to the people and animals that live in its vicinity.

But while wind farms in Texas were forced to close, turbines in the Arctic were able to continue business as usual. Why?

How Could Wind Turbines Work in the Arctic but Not in Texas?

Benjamin Sovacool, a professor of energy policy at the University of Sussex in the U.K, previously told Newsweek: "In Northern Europe, wind power operates very reliably in even colder temperatures, including the upper Arctic regions of Finland, Norway, and Sweden."

"As long as wind turbines are properly maintained and serviced, they can operate reliably in temperatures well below zero."

Turbines built for these colder climates tend to have additional features that stop them from freezing. Enevoldsen said that anti-icing systems like heated blades and water-resistant coatings were available to protect turbines in these regions from the cold. However, Texas is the third-hottest mainland U.S. state—so there has been little investment in these cold weather technologies.

Enevoldsen said that it was impossible to quantify exactly when or if a wind turbine would freeze over. "Icing is dependent on temperature, humidity and wind, and other climatic parameters. However, obviously, temperatures and icing have a strong relationship.

"Installing the right turbines and upgrades will limit the risk of shutdown dramatically," the expert suggested.

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