Here is a quote which appears to be from someone with real knowledge of at least one aspect of power failure:
“The main reason most power plants “froze up” and tripped off line, or failed to start up, can be traced to simple reasons. First, they do not operate their compressed/control air systems properly. They have failed to maintain their air dryer systems to save money, thus their air systems are full of water; when it freezes the control air systems fail, and the unit cannot run. Secondly, their trace heat systems, to keep water pipes from freezing, are also not maintained properly. The pipe heaters do not work, pipe insulation is removed, not replaced, etc. allowing the water in the pipes to freeze.
I know this having worked in Texas power plants. When attempting to fix air dryers, I was always shut down & told that they didn’t want to spend the money.”
This was a comment at: https://www.aol.com/news/power-failure-winter-storm-pushed-140438363-162726476.html
I have seen several references to a major freeze in 2011. Sounds like a possible effect from the approximately 11 year sunspot cycle which has a stronger 22 year cycle. Check your old weather records. I also remember years ago reading a novel with some terrible winter storm in Texas in the late 1800s. If the utilities are not going to respond and the voters are not going to make effective changes, then individual responsibility is another possibility. In the mid Atlantic area I have more than a month of food, and a week of water in gallon jugs. Also if a big storm might affect water supply I fill my bathtub to supply toilet flushes. Functioning fire places and wood stoves can help, and having one room that can be closed off and be kept warmer for an individual or the family is wise. Officials should be able to announce to the population, “We are facing an extreme (cold, heat, water shortage, wildfire, etc.) emergency, please immediately shut down to minimum heat, AC, water, etc. usage as soon as possible.” Because I am a low income retired person, I keep my thermostat at 55, and use electric heaters in those rooms where I am actually spending time—bedroom, bathroom, kitchen. When I empty a gallon milk or tea jug, I clean and fill with water. Why don’t more people do that instead of buying all those little water bottles by the dozen?
I remember well driving out through Idaho, Montana and Wyoming on vacation when my wife and I still lived in Washingtonstan, communist bloc next to Canadastan and Oregonstan. We passed a windmill “farm” of about 50 of thing ugly things along the top of a small mountain range, in one of those three states, I forget now as it has been 20 plus years ago, but we passed these damned things and there were no more than 4 or 5 of the damned things working. Men were up on several of them working, I assumed trying to get them to work or run. But none of the damned things were working. Lots of luck there.