James Veverka: Texas energy policy left the state vulnerable and alone

To The Daily Sun,

Texas Gov. Greg Abbot, Rick Perry, and like-minded folks on the right first tried to blame freezing wind turbines for the energy disaster in Texas. They even tried to blame Democrats and the green revolution. AOC did it! Backlash ensued. Wind power only makes up 10% of Texan power during the winter. It didn't occur to them that the wind turbines in the colder states in America's top ten producers kept spinning due to weatherizing regulations. Greenland, Iceland, and Scandinavia, too. The blame belongs mostly to fossil fuels, from the ground up to the grid, and the lack of responsible regulations.

Texas brought some of this upon itself. Damn the feds and damn regulations. The Texas electricity grid seceded from the union decades ago. Texas self-isolated its energy grid from the two main American energy grids in order to escape federal regulations. Consequently, they can't import or export electricity. Texas is unable to call on neighboring states for help just as it is unable to help them. To do so would subject Texas to federal regulations. Horrors! Texas's energy regime has served the state well but there are serious downsides. Not the shiniest penny in the jar, Rick Perry has even said Texans would prefer to be without power for a few days to keep feds "out of their business." It's time for them to grow up and join the "United" States. With changing demographics, it's coming.

 

When the polar vortex and winter storm Uri struck, blackouts caused over four million people to lose power even though Texas produces more electricity than any other state. The All-Alone-State is also the top producer of crude oil and natural gas, but America's energy powerhouse infrastructure was cluelessly yet arrogantly unprepared. In the 2000s, Texas even deregulated their own power grid. Then in 2011, the power grid failed in a cold snap; blackouts, etc. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission issued a 300-page report and advised Texas that the only way to avoid a repeat is to weatherize. Nah! Being 21st century Texas and being that the advice was from the Dreaded Evil Feds, it was ignored. In 1989, the power grid had also collapsed in the cold. To read the National Weather Service El Paso report on the 2011 polar vortex, check out https://bit.ly/3uPY1SK.

 

Texas failed on renewable, fossil fuel, and nuclear reactor infrastructures. Pumping stations froze. Wellheads froze. Valves froze. Pipelines froze. Generators froze. Equipment and instruments froze. A nuclear reactor supplying electricity to two million shut down. Municipal pumping stations froze, water mains and residential lines froze and burst. Water pressure disappeared. Millions had problems getting enough water and there was a boil water advisory. It's a nightmare all the way, from cold infants and spoiled stored breastmilk to seniors who needed their oxygen tanks refilled. Then there's COVID-19.

 

James Veverka

Tilton