Texas and California Blackouts Show We Need Dramatic Infrastructure Upgrades A view of high voltage transmission towers on February 21, 2021, in Houston, Texas. Justin Sullivan / Getty Images This story is part of Covering Climate Now, a global journalism collaboration strengthening coverage of the climate story. Over a period of about six months, the United States suffered two extreme weather events that had the same outcome: widespread energy disruptions through rolling power outages that left people dangerously vulnerable to the elements. Last August, a powerful heat wave knocked out electricity for millions of Californians in what was the first statewide set of power outages in some 20 years. This past February, a brutal and deadly cold snap in Texas caused rolling blackouts, leaving millions of Texans without the usual means to stay warm.