Greg Alvarez writes about Texas’ power grid in Forbes.
- As Texas experienced record heat waves last month, its power grid remained steady, thanks in part to renewables.
- In its past legislative session, Texas’ lawmakers introduced several anti-renewable measures in response to power outages during Winter Storm Uri.
- While several of the bills did not pass, the Legislature failed to address one of the root causes of blackouts during Uri: a lack of winterized infrastructure.
- To bolster the state’s grid, lawmakers in Texas should invest in winterization measures and double down on free markets to allow renewables, fossil fuels, and nuclear power to flourish.
“The 250% residential demand spike during Uri could have been mitigated dramatically if Texas proactively funded efficiency incentives and adopted tighter building codes. Those actions are cheap – all of the homes in Texas could be winterized for less than the $50 billion in power price premiums paid out during Uri. Beyond lowering electricity demand, winterization measures would lower consumers’ utility bills while making their homes more comfortable.”
Read the full article here.
The views and opinions expressed are those of the author’s and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of C3.
