Mother Nature sent Texas a reality check

Well, the lights went out and came back and went out and came back.  Welcome to mid-February 2021 in Texas.

Why in the world did this happen?  I thought that we had all that oil in West Texas!  What are we doing using wind turbines to keep us warm?  Who came up with that crazy idea?  Turbines?

I think that all of us got a lesson this time about relying on wind and solar options.  They always look better on paper and graphs than they really are.  In other words, they are not as reliable as coal, oil, or nuclear power during extreme weather conditions.

The good news is that the public is up in arms.  Governor Abbott has put the issue at the top of the Legislature’s agenda:

“The Electric Reliability Council of Texas has been anything but reliable over the past 48 hours,” said Abbott on Tuesday.  “Far too many Texans are without power and heat for their homes as our state faces freezing temperatures and severe winter weather.  This is unacceptable.  Reviewing the preparations and decisions by ERCOT is an emergency item so we can get a full picture of what caused this problem and find long-term solutions.  I thank my partners in the House and Senate for acting quickly on this challenge, and I will work with them to enhance Texas’ electric grid and ensure that our state never experiences power outages like this again.”

Let’s hope there is a frank and thoughtful discussion.  I hope someone will ask a simple question: why are we using turbines when there are more reliable options to do the job?

Mother Nature decided to teach us a lesson, and I hope we learn it before the next storm comes around!

PS: You can listen to my show (Canto Talk).