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Season two of “The Disconnect” podcast examines what has – and has not – been done to fix the Texas power grid

Season two of the award-winning podcast “The Disconnect: Power, Politics and the Texas Blackout” examines the lingering impact of the deadly 2021 winter storm and what has – and has not – been done to fix the state’s power grid.
Season two of the award-winning podcast “The Disconnect: Power, Politics and the Texas Blackout” examines the lingering impact of the deadly 2021 winter storm and what has – and has not – been done to fix the state’s power grid.

AUSTIN, Texas – Aug. 2, 2022 – Eighteen months after the brutal February 2021 storm and power outages, Texas government and energy officials are trying to convince Texans that they can rely on the power grid. But a lot of Texans aren’t convinced. And with good reason.

Season two of the award-winning podcast “The Disconnect: Power, Politics and the Texas Blackout” launches Thursday, Aug. 4, and examines the lingering impact of the deadly 2021 winter storm and what has – and has not – been done to fix the state’s power grid.

Season two of “The Disconnect” explores how the trauma of the blackout is still with us, why many Texans are seeing their electricity bills go way up, what exactly had been done to fix the grid – and why it isn’t enough, and why no one is discussing the most obvious fix: connecting the Texas power grid to neighboring power grids. Plus, where does natural gas fit into the power grid? Listen to the season two trailer here.

"The Disconnect: Power, Politics and the Texas Blackout" features four episodes, complemented by three bonus episodes.

  • The Toll (Aug. 4)
  • The Money (Aug. 11)
  • The Fixes (Aug. 18)
  • Bonus episode: The Megawatt We Don’t Use (Aug. 25)
  • The Connect (Sept. 8)
  • Bonus episode: The Politics (Sept. 15)
  • Bonus episode: The Cartel (TBD)

“The Disconnect” is hosted by Mose Buchele, energy and environment reporter for Austin’s KUT News, with reporting from Houston Public Media, KERA in Dallas, KUT News, Marfa Public Radio and The Texas Newsroom.

"The Disconnect" season two is a project of The Texas Newsroom, the collaboration among NPR and the public radio stations in the state. It received support from FRONTLINE’s Local Journalism Initiative, which is funded by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.

Season one of “The Disconnect” won multiple awards, including a regional Murrow and a PMJA honor.

About The Texas Newsroom
The Texas Newsroom is a public radio journalism collaboration that includes NPR, KERA in North Texas, Houston Public Media, KUT in Austin, Texas Public Radio in San Antonio and other stations across the state.

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Media contact: Erin Geisler for KUT News (512) 475-8071