Why does Texas have its own power grid?

[douglas9]

Why does Texas have its own electric grid?

Texas’ secessionist inclinations have at least one modern outlet: the electric grid. There are three grids in the Lower 48 states: the Eastern Interconnection, the Western Interconnection — and Texas.

The Texas grid is called ERCOT, and it is run by an agency of the same name — the Electric Reliability Council of Texas. ERCOT does not actually cover all of Texas. El Paso is on another grid, as is the upper Panhandle and a chunk of East Texas. This presumably has to do with the history of various utilities’ service territories and the remoteness of the non-ERCOT locations (for example the Panhandle is closer to Kansas than to Dallas, notes Kenneth Starcher of the Alternative Energy Institute in Canyon), but Texplainer is still figuring out the particulars on this.

https://www.click2houston.com/news/texas/2021/02/16/why-does-texas-have-its-own-power-grid/

[pwb]

1. Some states built their own Confederate power grid for when they punish

the rest of us and leave the Union? Dumbfuckistan states of amurica.

[Javaman]

8. fever dreams of right wing morons. nt

[overleft]

2. The basic result of privatization of utilities.

[Clearly fogged in]

3. Republican deregulation, privatization, and their own independence from other Americans

ERCOT was formed in 1970. From wiki

In 1970, ERCOT was formed to comply with NERC requirements. Throughout the 1980s, the organization continued to take over functions from TIS and eventually became the central operating coordinator for Texas.[citation needed]

The Texas Legislature amended the Public Utility Regulatory Act in 1995 to deregulate the wholesale generation market. The PUC then began the process of expanding ERCOT’s responsibilities to enable wholesale competition and facilitate efficient use of the transmission system by all market participants.[2]

On August 21, 1996, the PUC endorsed an electric utility joint task force recommendation that ERCOT become an ISO. This ensured that an impartial, third-party organization was overseeing equitable access to the transmission system among competitive market participants. In September 1996, the change became official when the ERCOT Board of Directors initiated operations as a nonprofit ISO, the first in the United

[PJMcK]

4. How's that privatization thing working out, Texas?

Privatization costs more and provides less. The private company uses its profits to give bonuses to its executives instead of investing in its infrastructure. So it's no surprise that they're unprepared for emergencies. Just watch: In a month or two, they'll raise their rates to cover the costs of this emergency.

There was a news photo yesterday of a road on the Texas/Arkansas border. The state line runs down the middle of this road and the Arkansas side was plowed and drivable while the Texas side was covered in snow and ice. It was the perfect emblem of Texas' government's failure.

[Hangingon]

7. There are seasonal problems. Other states have power problems at times too

The Texas power power system has encouraged innovation.

[Chainfire]

6. Republicans build millionaires with their infrastructure money.