Texas Power Grid Under Strain After Unexpected Rain Storms


Conan Doyle • June 2, 2025

Severe rainstorms in late May 2025 tested the Texas power grid, causing widespread outages and highlighting vulnerabilities in the state’s energy infrastructure. The storms, characterized by heavy rainfall, high winds, and hail, disrupted power for hundreds of thousands of customers, particularly in Austin, Houston, and other regions.


Austin’s Devastating Hail Thunderstorm


On May 28, 2025, a powerful thunderstorm struck Austin, delivering 2–3 inches of rain in just 30 minutes, accompanied by hail and wind gusts up to 77 mph. Described as the third-worst storm in Austin’s history, it caused over 30,000 power outages, extensive property damage, and one fatality due to flooding. Austin Energy reported over 100 downed utility poles, prompting a three-phase restoration plan prioritizing critical infrastructure like hospitals and emergency services. Crews worked around the clock, but some customers faced prolonged outages due to the extent of the damage. The storm’s intensity underscored the need for improved local grid resilience, aligning with concerns about “Austin power outages May 2025.”


Houston’s Widespread Outages


Earlier in the week, Houston was hit by severe thunderstorms that caused nearly 200,000 power outages. CenterPoint Energy and Entergy mobilized over 1,600 personnel to address downed trees, damaged power lines, and structural harm. The outages were particularly severe in Harris County, where 8,500 customers were affected at the storm’s peak.


Jupiter Power’s new 400 megawatt-hour Callisto I battery energy storage system (BESS) in central Houston offered some relief, providing zero-emissions power to mitigate shortages. These events highlight the ongoing challenge of maintaining grid stability in urban centers, a key issue for those searching “Houston power outages May 2025.”


ERCOT’s Response to the Crisis


The Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT), which manages 90% of Texas’s electric load for over 26 million customers, has faced intense scrutiny following the May 2025 storms. ERCOT’s response included immediate calls for energy conservation and long-term legislative measures to enhance grid reliability.


Immediate Actions by Texas


CenterPoint Energy reported restoring power to over 130,000 customers (80%) by May 27, with fewer than 29,000 still affected, demonstrating effective coordination with local utilities. ERCOT’s real-time monitoring tools, like the Grid Status dashboard, helped track reserves and prevent a system-wide collapse.


The May 2025 outages disrupted lives and businesses, with Austin losing 325 million gallons of water due to burst pipes and Houston facing shortages of food and essentials. Economic losses are still being assessed but could rival the $195 billion from 2021. The storms disproportionately affected vulnerable groups, such as those reliant on medical equipment, highlighting the need for equitable grid solutions.


Objective Perspective

While ERCOT’s reforms show progress, critics argue that the grid’s isolation and deregulated market hinder resilience. The Public Utility Commission (PUC) and Texas Railroad Commission have been slow to enforce weatherization for natural gas facilities, a key failure point in 2021 and 2022. Posts on X reflect public frustration, with some blaming ERCOT’s 14% underestimation of peak demand in past crises. However, claims of systemic failure require scrutiny, as ERCOT’s recent performance avoided widespread blackouts.


As Texas faces growing demand and extreme weather, collaboration between ERCOT, utilities, and lawmakers is crucial to prevent future crises. For those searching “Texas power grid outages May 2025” or “ERCOT storm response 2025,” the state’s efforts signal progress, but vulnerabilities remain a pressing challenge.




By Jack Sterling December 9, 2025
Meta's Ai GPU Needs Meta Platforms, formerly known as Facebook, has been constantly pushing the boundaries of technology to enhance user experiences across its suite of applications, including Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and Oculus. A critical aspect of this innovation is the deployment of artificial intelligence, which drives everything from content moderation to personalized user experiences. AI's role within Meta has grown exponentially, as it powers complex algorithms that handle massive amounts of data to make real-time decisions. With billions of users interacting daily, the demand for efficient, high-performance AI infrastructure is paramount. To meet these needs, Meta has traditionally relied on NVIDIA's GPUs, known for their robust performance in handling AI workloads. However, the rapid advancements in AI have necessitated even more specialized hardware solutions. These solutions must offer swift processing capabilities, scalability, and energy efficiency to support Meta's expansive AI operations across its platforms.  As AI models become more sophisticated, requiring extensive computation for deep learning and natural language processing, the need for cutting-edge infrastructure grows. This is where custom compute chips come into play. In this quest for superior AI infrastructure, Meta has been exploring alternative options that promise to deliver enhanced performance tailored to their unique AI requirements. A potential shift towards custom chips from Google's parent company, offering Tensor Processing Units (TPUs), represents a strategic consideration for future-proofing their AI capabilities. Current Meta Partnership With Nvidia Meta Platforms has maintained a crucial partnership with Nvidia, a leading figure in the field of graphics processing and AI computing. This collaboration primarily centers around Nvidia's powerful GPUs, which have become the backbone for running sophisticated AI models and supporting Meta’s expansive infrastructure needs. These GPUs have been instrumental in training large-scale machine learning algorithms, enhancing Meta's capabilities in areas such as content recommendation, computer vision, and natural language processing. The reliance on Nvidia has enabled Meta to rapidly advance its AI initiatives, thereby improving user experiences across its platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp. Nvidia's cutting-edge technology has provided Meta with the necessary computational power to manage and process massive amounts of data efficiently. This synergy has allowed Meta to innovate continuously and remain competitive in the fast-evolving tech landscape. The GPUs offer flexibility and scalability, crucial for a company that deals with billions of user interactions daily. Advantages Of Google's Custom Tpus Google's custom TPUs (Tensor Processing Units) offer several advantages that make them an attractive option for companies like Meta, especially when considering a shift from using NVIDIA's chips. One of the primary benefits of Google's TPUs is their optimization for artificial intelligence workloads, particularly in deep learning. These chips are designed specifically to handle the heavy computational tasks required for training AI models, resulting in faster processing times and increased efficiency compared to general-purpose GPUs. Another advantage is the scalability that TPUs provide. Google's infrastructure allows organizations to scale their AI workloads seamlessly, making it easier to manage the growing demands of AI development and deployment. This scalability is essential for tech giants like Meta, which continuously expand their AI-driven services. Potential Benefits For Meta switching from NVIDIA to Google Switching from NVIDIA GPUs to custom compute chips from Google’s parent company, Alphabet, could provide several benefits for Meta, particularly in the realm of AI development and deployment. One of the primary advantages is cost efficiency. Utilizing custom tensor processing units (TPUs) could significantly reduce the expenses associated with large-scale AI operations. These chips are specifically optimized for AI tasks, offering better performance-per-dollar compared to generalized GPUs. This means Meta could achieve more with less financial outlay, potentially freeing up resources for other innovative projects. Beyond cost, the integration of Alphabet's TPUs could enhance processing speed and efficiency. These chips are designed to handle the specific computations needed for AI models more effectively, which could lead to faster training times and improved performance of AI-driven features. This capability is crucial as Meta continues to invest heavily in virtual reality, augmented reality, and other AI-powered technologies. Additionally, partnering with Alphabet might facilitate better integration and collaboration opportunities. Given the expertise and infrastructure that Google has developed around its TPUs, Meta could leverage this to speed up the development and deployment of new AI applications. This strategic shift could ultimately strengthen Meta's competitive edge in the tech industry, enabling it to innovate more rapidly and effectively. Challenges And Considerations Switching from NVIDIA to Google’s custom Tensor Processing Units (TPUs) presents several challenges and considerations for Meta Platforms. One significant challenge is the compatibility and integration of TPUs with Meta's existing infrastructure. Transitioning to a new hardware architecture requires extensive modifications to software, potentially disrupting ongoing projects and necessitating considerable developer resources. Additionally, TPUs might require different frameworks or APIs, demanding retraining of staff and adaptation of current AI models to maximize efficiency. Though Google’s TPUs might offer cost advantages, the initial investment in new hardware, training, and possible downtime during transition can be substantial. Meta must conduct thorough cost-benefit analyses to ensure the financial viability of such a switch. Another consideration is vendor dependency. Relying on Google for critical hardware components might limit Meta’s flexibility and bargaining power, particularly if their relationship with Google changes over time.
By Conan Doyle December 9, 2025
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By Jack Sterling December 9, 2025
Proof of Engagement vs. Proof of Authority: Blockchain Consensus Explained Simply Blockchain consensus mechanisms are the rules that decide how a network agrees on new transactions and blocks. Think of it as a group vote in a decentralized club: Everyone needs to agree the ledger is truthful, or chaos ensues. Bitcoin pioneered Proof of Work in 2009 , but energy concerns—Bitcoin consumes 150 TWh yearly, per Cambridge 2025 estimates, sparked alternatives. Today, 70 percent of blockchains use non-PoW models, per CoinGecko data. Two emerging contenders: Proof of Engagement (PoE) and Proof of Authority (PoA), each solving different problems in speed, trust, and user involvement. Proof of Authority (PoA): Trusted Guardians Run the Show Proof of Authority relies on pre-approved validators—known entities with reputation at stake—rather than anonymous miners. Introduced in 2017 by Ethereum co-founder Gavin Wood for Parity, PoA networks select 10-100 validators based on identity and track record. Validators stake their reputation: Misbehave, and the network blacklists them publicly. In simple terms: Imagine a private club where only vetted members (banks, corporations) can approve entries at the door. No energy-wasting puzzles—just trusted sign-offs. VeChain, a PoA leader with $2.5 billion market cap in 2025, uses 101 Authority Masternodes run by enterprises like PwC and DNV, processing 10,000+ transactions per second (TPS) at sub-cent costs. Energy footprint: Near zero compared to Proof of Work's 0.5 percent global electricity use.
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