Joe Biden's energy sec. Jennifer Granholm floats idea of Texas joining national grid

President Joe Biden's newly sworn in energy secretary Jennifer Granholm floated the idea of Texas joining the national grid.

Granholm called last week's Texas storm a climate event on par with California's wildfires.

Texas currently operates on its own power grid, ERCOT.

SEE RELATED STORY: Texplainer: Why does Texas have its own power grid?

"I think the country would welcome Texas being connected to the national grid in some way, shape or form that allows its neighbors to help," she told NPR in an interview. "We could send ions across the electric grid to help in cases, in situations like this."

Pres. Biden made a short visit to Houston Friday afternoon to look at the emergency efforts into the historic winter storm, but also the COVID-19 vaccination efforts.

Granholm suggested that the Biden administration push for Texas to consider the national grid at least as a backup in the event of an emergency.

"So the bottom line is these fossil fuel industries, unfortunately for those working in them, are seeing a challenge from their market perspective," Granholm said in an interview on MSNBC.