Yeah... unfortunately GOP is on the "blame renewables" narrative. Sadly nothing else could be further from the truth for Texas in 2022. Of course this "blame renewables" talking point is parroted in the Wall Street Journal by their editorial board. But the facts & figures in 2022 for power in Texas do not support their claims. Yet the beating of the drum to blame wind turbines by GOP pundits continues.
The problems with power in Texas are much deeper than the issue of sourcing between renewables and non-renewables -- the issue is structural and regulatory. In the majority of states -- electric power companies are a regulated monopoly. This is needed because power is crucial to the operation of the state.
For example, in North Carolina -- Duke Power is the largest regulated monopoly providing power across the state plus a small number of tiny rural electric cooperatives formed under the FDR administration. The regulation of Duke Power goes well beyond simply stating what rates the power company can set and what what margins they are allowed. The requirements for back-up capacity, winterization, renewable requirements, distribution network, dumping of waste, maintenance cycles, reciprocal help agreements, and many other aspects are all part of the regulatory oversight by the state.
Texas went the direction of privatizing electric power, cutting themselves off of the national grid (the only state to do so) and not having any effective regulatory oversight whatsoever. Power companies were basically allowed to do whatever they pleased in competing with one another. Equipment maintenance and other "costs" went down the toilet as these unregulated power companies pursued profit. The end result is where Texas is at today.
Unfortunately the situation is a crisis -- and Abbott is just pretending the problems don't exist. Let's take a look at his recent statements --
Meanwhile, Governor Abbot doesn't seem too worried about the risk of a power collapse. But his non-reaction is very on brand. Even during February's icy storms, the politician publicly praised his administration's electricity operations, telling reporters that the Lone Star state's electric grid is the most reliable and resilient it's ever been. When asked if these requests to voluntarily conserve energy still meant that the state was prepared for a hotter August, the Governor remained defiant saying, "If you look at the way the grid has performed so far, it's performed remarkably well."
Yep, Abbott and GOP are basically:
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