#5SmartReads - February 19, 2021

On Texas' independent grid, The Bachelor, and on rejecting imposter syndrome

Texas largely relies on natural gas for power. It wasn’t ready for the extreme cold. (Texas Tribune)

My friend Abra turned me into a grid warrior - someone who obsesses over the perilous state of our nation’s electrical grid. In this journey, I’ve also become obsessed with Texas’ independent grid, and the benefits and downfalls in deregulation, various forms of energy powering the grid, and how it generally operates.

My fascination quickly turned into horror as the winter storm hit Texas. To see millions stranded in their homes without power, and many with no ability to boil water for safe use, is just horrifying. The politicization of this issue is even more so.

We need common sense governance to come in. But first, we need to dispel some of the lies that have been spread about Texas’ energy sources and what failed here.