Texas’ Harbinger of Climate Disasters
Deleterious Arctic weather and an isolated, deregulated energy market made for a perfect (winter) storm in Texas approximately a month ago, leaving millions facing extended blackouts and little respite from freezing temperatures. Texas was left with only half of its generating capacity as power plants froze. Cities issued boil-water notices, leaving many without safe drinking water. The state that prides itself on its energy independence and generation capabilities was toppled by this unusual winter storm.
What went wrong?
Texas, long imbued with wariness of federal involvement and regulation, established its own independent electricity grid in the 1970s.
In 2011,
February’s blackouts have shown Texas is not immune to the harsh reality of climate change, nor will it be in the future, unless our approach to infrastructure and energy undergoes repair with a focus on planning for a future that brings more climate disasters. Experts say the best measures that can be taken
Texas politics not only suffers from oversights in planning, but also from rhetoric that makes systemic change — what is arguably necessary for us to prepare our infrastructure for future climate change-fueled disasters — difficult to achieve. Governor Greg Abbott falsely blamed renewable energy for the blackouts and commented on the Green New Deal’s supposed ineffectiveness, with Congressman Dan Crenshaw and Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller joining in on the misleading attacks on wind energy. This is all despite the fact that the 80% of power losses were owed to natural gas and coal, as reported by Politifact. Failures on behalf of Texas’ wind turbines were not a result of the nature of these turbines, but rather the fact that turbines were not maintained and winterized properly.
If Texas hopes to prevent another catastrophe in the future, it will require both accepting the reality of the situation and having serious discussions based on facts, beginning with our government. From there, Texas — like many other places — will need to transform its infrastructure with a future rocked by climate change in mind.
