Electrical grid experts and utility officials say a widespread grid failure like the one that hit Texas last week would be unlikely to occur in Arizona.
Experts say that even during times of prolonged heat Arizona utilities can draw power from the sprawling Western energy grid. Texas utilities are largely walled off from the rest of the nation to avoid federal regulations. Officials from Arizona's two largest utilities – Arizona Public Service and Tucson Electric Power - point to last year's extremely hot summer as evidence they can manage periods of prolonged heat. The state shattered temperature records in 2020 with 14 days at or above 115 degrees and 53 at or above 110.