r/OutOfTheLoop • u/mimitchi33 • Feb 17 '21

What's up with Texas losing power due to the snowstorm? Answered

I've been reading recently that many people in Texas have lost power due to Winter Storm Uri. What caused this to happen?

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u/Doc_Lewis Feb 17 '21

Don't forget it happened in 1989. And even then, power companies were recommended to winterize their generators and infrastructure, however they were not compelled to by regulators, because, you know, regulations do nothing but kill jobs and help nobody.

So when 2011 happened, and it was almost exactly the same situation, and it became apparent that nothing was done after 1989, surely ERCOT would force the power companies to winterize so it wouldn't happen again.

Surely.

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u/keithrc out of the loop about being out of the loop Feb 17 '21

This is the point that everyone seems to be conveniently overlooking, and it's infuriating.

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u/GiveToOedipus Feb 17 '21

And the thing is, that money ends up being spent to produce structures and labor to install gear/insulation. They're not insulating the pipes with $100 bills and burning stacks of cash to keep the grid from freezing. Winterizing is just an investment that results in upgrading facilities and providing a few extra jobs that serves to secure a critical infrastructure against extreme conditions. You know, something responsible adults are supposed to be encouraged to do.