U.S. power reliability regulators on Tuesday recommended electric grids strengthen cold weather rules and coordinate with the natural gas industry to prevent a recurrence of the February freeze that left millions in Texas without power for days. The United States has been beset by several extreme weather events this year, including the February freeze and record heat in the Pacific Northwest this summer. The regulators – the U.S. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) and the North American Electric Reliability Corp (NERC) – issued their final report on the February freeze, also known as Winter Storm Uri, on Tuesday. The Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT), which operates most of the state’s power grid, ordered rolling blackouts to prevent the grid from collapsing as extreme cold shut numerous power plants and froze gas pipelines. The freeze left more than 4.5 million people in Texas without power […]