Texas’ Blind Spots in the Winter Storm of 2021
It is a well-known fact that Texans are proud. We value our independence in our deep-red state. However, these things aren’t what saved us during the worst winter storm in decades. With some help from foresight, we might even find that pride has done a lot of damage.
Texas has its blind spots. We like to talk about how we were once our own country, and if we wanted to become one again, we already have our own power grid, ERCOT. Texas likes to think we can do everything by ourselves and make it better. This especially applies to anything related to energy or oil.
Because Texas has a lot of its own energy reserves it can afford to have its own energy grid. Their independence keeps the federal government out of regulating Texas’ power. This allows the state to get innovative with its resources. Because the grid is so isolated it makes it harder for the state to ask for help when it needs it like last week.
The lack of federal oversight means companies like ERCOT weren’t given any incentives to winterize power plants and store energy in reserves for emergencies. In colder climates that have wind turbines, they are fitted with heaters. Gas and coal plants are contained indoors in colder climates, as opposed to outdoors in Texas. These adjustments take money — money that isn’t necessarily worth it if you live in a climate that doesn’t experience below-freezing weather very often.
But the climate is changing and that brings us to another blind spot. For as long as anyone can remember Texas has been a hot climate. The cold months are January and February and if it manages to snow or freeze it happens at night. When the sun comes out everything melts away and life goes back to normal.
Last week the temperature stayed below freezing for multiple days, an occurrence that could become more common because of climate change. As it happens, most of the Texas legislature either doesn’t believe in global warming or denies that it’s caused by humans. This can, and has, made Texas more vulnerable to what climate change has in store. Texas coasts have been hit by stronger hurricanes due to warming water in the ocean and more and more weather records keep being broken.
Jesse Jenkins, an energy systems engineer at Princeton University explained how difficult this problem will be to solve “With climate change, the past is no longer a good guide to the future. We have to get much better at preparing for the unexpected,” he told the New York Times. Then there is Governor Abbott appearing on Fox News on Tuesday saying “this shows how the Green New Deal would be a deadly deal for the United States of America.” It’s ideas like this that make it harder to make improvements with climate change in mind.
These blind spots are not confined to the legislation or one party. There are plenty of people who were not prepared for this weather and its outcomes. That is why communication has never been more important.