Texas Is Brimming With Oil And Natural Gas. Why Are They Having Blackouts?

The name “Texas” is practically synonymous with energy. The Texas oil boom started in 1901 with the Lucas gusher at Spindletop. Texas dominated U.S. oil production by the 1940s. The City of Houston boomed on the back of oil exploration, production and refining. In more recent years, Texas oil production has been matched by its enormous output of natural gas.

The technological revolution of fracking not only opened up new energy production fields, but allowed producers to return to old fields to extract oil that was not obtainable without the new technology. Offshore oil and natural gas production in the Gulf of Mexico, much of which was off the coast of Texas, only added to the legend of Texas as one of the greatest sources of oil and natural gas in the world.

So, it comes as a shock to many to read articles such as this, which report that Texas is suffering from electricity shortages and may have to introduce rolling blackouts across the state this summer.

The reason is straightforward, if somewhat ridiculous. Politicians in Texas have bought into the Green New Scam and have been requiring extensive investments in wind turbines and solar panels to generate electricity for the Texas power grid.

The difficulty is that such sources of energy are intermittent and unreliable. Wind turbines don’t work when the wind doesn’t blow, and solar panels don’t generate electricity at night or in bad weather. Both can contribute to the grid, but neither can support the grid.

A modern electric grid requires a constant minimum baseload of power just to keep operating. That baseload can be provided by coal, oil, natural gas or nuclear power, but it cannot be provided by wind or solar.

In fact, wind turbines froze during the extreme cold experienced in Texas last winter, and blackouts resulted. Some people froze to death in their homes.

Now Texas is experiencing extreme heat with no wind, and the turbines are failing to generate power for that reason. It’s a testament to political stupidity that the state with the greatest energy reserves after Alaska cannot generate electricity because of dependence on unreliable wind and solar sources.

The problems in Texas should be a warning to the rest of the U.S. and the world. Unfortunately, as long as ignorant politicians and ideologically committed greeniacs are in charge, we should all expect similar results.

It’s time to fire any politician who does not recognize that oil and natural gas are not only efficient, they’re necessary. Until that day, you may want to stock up on sweaters, blankets, and candles if you want to avoid freezing in the dark.

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