Reviewing the blackouts

Remember those rolling blackouts we had last week when it got hot and the power grid wasn't ready? About 200,000 customers in Texas lost power, 68,000 of them in Houston — if you were one of those people (or even if you weren't), you'll be interested in a report due out today from the Public Utility Commission.

The blackouts started the afternoon of April 17 as temperatures climbed into the 90s and 100s some places in the state, putting a strain on the state's power grid. The Electric Reliability Council of Texas, which regulates the grid, says it thought it had more than enough juice, but it didn't anticipate the heat wave or the reduced power from regular grid maintenance that takes place in April and October. In Houston, the blackouts affected schools, businesses, hospitals, the MetroRail and the city's 911 system, which had to switch to generator power.

The PUC report is expected to cover how prepared the state is not only for unexpected heat waves, but also for real problems like natural disasters and terror attacks.