Opinion: 7 smart ways Texas can stop power blackouts - once and for all
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Icicles hang off a Texas 195 sign Thursday in Killeen. Winter storm Uri brought historic cold and power outages to Texas.Joe Raedle, Staff / Getty Images
As early as this Thursday, the Legislature will begin hearings on the rolling blackouts that crippled much of the state during last week’s record cold snap. Lawmakers can save themselves the trouble. We already know what happened — and we have known for a decade.
The only thing more biting than the bone-chilling cold is the knowledge that the misery was preventable. Texas’ electricity grid has struggled with reliability during times of peak demand since at least 2011, and yet the fundamental issues remain unchanged. There are plenty of things that could be done, but they require two things sorely lacking in Austin: political will and leadership.