By Matt Welch The February winter storm shocked Texans to the core. For days, the energy capital of the United States shivered silently in the dark while snow covered the streets, the world shut down, and the human and economic costs soared. Only a fool would continue forward without recognizing that something needs to change so that […]
A line in a recent op-ed from an Iowan farmer, Seth Watkins, in the Clarinda Herald-Journal caught my attention: “Our future depends on a renewable, resilient, and reliable energy grid.” A statement like this might surprise you, especially coming from a state where 93 of 99 counties voted for President Trump in the 2020 election. […]
What is this? Earlier today, the Conservative Energy Network joined the Energy Choice Coalition, Heritage Action for America, Conservative Coalition for Climate Solutions, and R-Street Institute, among others, in signing onto a letter urging congressional leaders to “undertake a detailed and objective study of the cost of electricity in the United States.” This independent study would examine whether the current electricity […]
Last week President Biden unveiled his hefty new infrastructure proposal labeled the “American Jobs Plan” with a price tag of over $2.2 trillion dollars. The usual suspects found in any infrastructure bill are there: roads, bridges, ports, and transit systems. Beyond those, the President also aims to tackle drinking water, broadband, and supply chains. At […]
The Texas legislature is considering HB1284 and SB450, a set of bills that will empower the state to begin approving permits for the use of Class VI wells for carbon capture and storage. Class VI wells are those designed to inject CO2 deep into the earth for long-term storage. Currently, these approvals are handled by […]
By Landon Stevens If the devastating impacts of winter storm Uri in Texas last month showed us anything, it is that there are gaping holes in grid infrastructure that need to be addressed to increase resiliency and keep the lights on in any condition. In Washington, President Biden’s $1.9 trillion stimulus package just made its […]
By Landon Stevens Last month dozens of people died and millions were left in the dark as historic winter storm Uri hit Texas and the Southern United States. Immediately upon hearing of blackouts sweeping across large swaths of Texas, vocal proponents on both sides of the all-too-politicized energy debate took to social media to point […]
As more consumers demand clean energy, it’s up to markets to respond. However, without policy solutions that advance real competition, and until our state and federal leaders reach consensus to replace our nation’s outdated and costly monopoly utility system, any progress is fleeting—and ratepayers will be stuck with the fallout.
It is encouraging to see conservatives leading discussions on these proposed plans, but we must act now to help revitalize and modernize America’s aging infrastructure and energy grids. Together, these proposed stimulus plans can help businesses turn the lights back on and get the country back to work for a brighter economic and energy future.
As we all react to this new normal and question how we could have prepared better, it’s past time to consider that much like the warnings of epidemiologists about a potential pandemic that went unheeded, energy experts have been raising red flags about the vulnerability of our nation’s electricity system for years.
To effectively meet this challenge and prepare for future crises, we must invest in a more adaptable grid solution, one that emphasizes a diversified energy portfolio of baseload and renewable sources and is structured around a more flexible workforce.