2. CPS Energy: Winter Storm Uri Was a Housing Disaster. We can fix it.
Channel: Climate Action SA
Date: 2021-03-09

Days with no power and temps in the single digits taught us at least one thing: Not all homes are constructed equally. After a disaster like Winter Storm Uri, people like to talk about 'building back better.' But it's the homes we have right now that offer the greatest opportunity for keeping our families and communities safe. This month's Polar Vortex crisis, and the blackouts and deaths that followed, were a terrifying reminder of the deep structural inequities in our community. However, we also know that the programs under CPS's FlexSTEP initiative, such as home weatherization, energy demand response systems, decentralized solar and battery backup, can make San Antonio homes more resilient to extreme weather events if they are implemented on a broad scale while lowering our city's overall energy use (which will matter the next time ERCOT comes calling). This is the time for city-wide housing mobilization. Join us for a conversation with housing and energy efficiency experts as we develop policy proposals for San Antonio.