When it comes to energy, Texas has no shortage of options. It has one of the most diverse energy systems in the country. It leads the nation in both oil and gas production, as well as the generation of wind power. However, some are calling into question the reliability of renewable energy and the policy of prioritizing renewable energy over other forms of energy.
One particularly controversial form of energy is wind power, which has drawn the ire of Republicans across the state and the nation.
Rep. Jared Patterson shared an article criticizing wind power and pointing out the problems with it on Twitter, saying, "The 'energy expert' enviros don't want you to read this article. One of the best reads on the Texas deregulated electricity market, with an honest look at the problems wind power cause."
Texas has historically had a successful electricity market. This stems from a decision by Gov. George W. Bush in 1995 to bring in Pat Wood III to lead the Public Utility Commission with the mission of deregulating Texas' electricity market. Wood recounted a conversation with the former governor at a May panel discussion in Austin. “Y’all might think you have a lot of other jobs as a regulator,” Wood told the audience, channeling Bush. “But first and foremost, your job is to create a foundation for the state of rich economic development.”
The move to deregulate brought in billions in private investment for both traditional and renewable energy, resulting in Texas' net electricity generation increasing at a rate five times larger than the average in the United States.
The February storm put on display, according to the author, that the reliability of the Texas grid had been taken for granted and was not prepared -- 4.5 million lost power and at least 246 lost their lives.
Wind accounted for a quarter of ERCOT's generating capacity as of 2021, and solar's capacity increased nearly five percent. However, during last year's storm, two-thirds of the ERCOT outages came from icing and freezing on four types of power plant components. Nearly half of that number were ice on wind blades, totaling 190 units.
Curt Morgan, CEO of Vistra Corp., the state's largest power generator, said that while the push for green energy is good, Texas put other priorities ahead of reliability. “In the electric sector,” he said, as reported by Dallas Morning News, if “you allow reliability to suffer, you’re going to have rolling blackouts.”
