Many Texas residents love the state’s largely temperate climate, but the region isn’t without weather-related issues like hurricanes and cold snaps that impact the power supply. According to one study by Climate Central, Texas has seen more power outages due to weather conditions in the last 23 years than any other state in the nation.

With power reliability becoming a more widespread concern among residents and business owners, some companies like H-E-B and Walmart have taken steps to ensure access to needed power when outages occur. What are microgrids, and what do they mean for Texans?

H-E-B Responds to Power Grid Collapses

In the last several years, Texas has suffered from major weather disasters. The state bore the brunt of Hurricane Harvey in 2017, the severe winter storm in February 2021, and Hurricane Beryl in 2024. Each resulted in power outages that temporarily caused businesses to shut down and left consumers without access to goods and services.

Although H-E-B stores had long been equipped with diesel generators for backup power, this energy source has one major drawback: It requires refueling every 24 hours. 

That’s why the San Antonio-based supermarket chain elected to upgrade to microgrids from Enchanted Rock in 2016. Today, microgrids have been installed at 85 H-E-B locations, including stores, warehouses, and other facilities.

Enchanted Rock Shores Up Inconsistent Power Supply

Enchanted Rock, a Houston-based company committed to electrical resiliency, is pioneering the current market for energy self-sufficiency with natural gas microgrids. Each unit generates 450 kW of power and can be grouped with additional units to scale up the supply as needed.

Units are roughly the size of a garden shed, making them easy to house on-site, much like an outdoor AC unit. While they are linked to the Texas power grid, they operate independently, utilizing reliable and relatively affordable natural gas.

When an outage occurs, microgrids automatically turn on, bridging the gap in power within as little as seven seconds. Says Pete DiSanto, Enchanted Rock’s President of Operations, “[placeholder for client quote].”

Operating During Outages for the Benefit of Consumers

When natural disasters occur and Texas residents are without access to power and water, supermarkets can become an essential resource. 

During Hurricane Beryl, Houston area H-E-B stores featuring microgrids safely reopened within a few hours. These stores offered consumers access to cold beverages, fresh groceries, air-conditioned interiors, and even charging stations for devices.

Are Microgrids Enough?

For now, microgrids offer a reliable, convenient, and cost-effective solution for keeping the lights on during power outages. They don’t require manual refueling like diesel generators, and they don’t suffer the limitations of solar panels, which need sunlight to recharge.

Microgrid owners also have the option to sell excess energy back to the power grid, adding to the appeal of this modern energy resource. Although new technologies like modular nuclear reactors are in development, H-E-B’s investment in microgrids appears to be a solid choice.

To learn more about this story, check out the original article by Supermarket News.