A natural gas generator is an energy generator fueled by natural gas either by a direct pipe or a tank. As the gas approaches the combustion chamber, it is mixed with air and compressed by a piston. Then, a spark plug ignites the fuel, which pushes the piston down to turn a crankshaft. The crankshaft spins the generator’s rotor in an electromagnetic field, which creates an electric current that people can use to power their everyday devices.

A natural gas generator is very environmentally friendly ? it burns cleanly and results in fewer emissions of almost all types of air pollutants and carbon dioxide than other sources such as burning coal or petroleum products. However, it can be extremely inefficient at times ? when demand is too high, it can depressurize the lines and stop operating. During times of natural calamities, the supply of natural gas can get disrupted, causing a lack of fuel. In other words, a natural gas generator is not set up to be suitable in times of high demand.

This shortcoming can lead to drastic results ? the current Texas winter storm power outages are a direct reflection. The sudden storm led to the coldest temperatures Texas has seen in more than 30 years ? some areas even hit 0F (-18C). This led to high demand for electric heating systems all around the state, which depressurized lines and forced gas-powered power plants to go offline. This was a huge problem in a state that was dependent on natural gas for power ? an energy production breakdown by the Energy Information Administration shows that 52% of Texas’s energy comes from natural gas.

There were, of course, other factors that contributed to the blackout such as frozen wind turbines. However, the natural gas generators were the direct cause of the issue. The New Republic reported that 26 of the 34 Gita watts of ERCOT’s grid that went offline were from thermal sources, meaning gas and coal.

More than four million Texans are currently left in the cold and dark, and the storm is yet to worsen. A new distrust of renewable energy systems is taking over, and Texan citizens are questioning how their energy system can become more resilient to a changing climate. The New York Times reported some proposed strategies, such as heaters on turbines or backup power plants, for any disasters going forward, but public skepticism towards this energy will not make this transition any easier.

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