Mother Nature always has a way to show, even though you think you're in charge, you're really not. I hope this is a wake up call.
Texans have long prided themselves on bucking federal oversight and standing apart from the rest of the country.
"Texans have long seen this independence as a point of pride. Texas’ independent grid was created a century ago in the image that Texans have of themselves: standalone, free from federal oversight and largely deregulated. But this week’s blackout has come as a rebuke to that idea—or, at least, highlighted the limits of Texas as a brash, go-it-alone state, big enough not to have to rely on the rest of America."
"Some states like Georgia require operators to maintain energy reserves almost double what Texas requires. This costs energy companies more money, but it also ensures that a grid is more reliable."
"Texas, which has no state income tax, has avoided budgeting funds to prepare the grid for winter, knowing that customers would have faced higher bills."
"After a major winter storm knocked out power in Texas almost exactly a decade ago, federal regulators called on the state to fortify its grid against deep freezes."
"Even at the height of the crisis this week, Rick Perry said Texans would rather go without power for days than deal with federal energy regulations."
Texans have long prided themselves on bucking federal oversight and standing apart from the rest of the country. But this week revealed the risk that comes with that independence.
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