It seems very strange, to me anyway, that in the year 2021 power generating companies in the state of Texas can’t seem to figure out how to run as the temperature approaches zero. Other states, especially in northern states, don’t seem to have this unusual difficulty. But not much seems to have changed in Texas generating plans since the 1980s, except maybe, that they are no longer public utilities.

I sit here in my living room looking at a beautiful sunny day outside. There are no tree limbs down, no power lines broken it on the ground… and yet, I find myself in the dark. It almost feels like after a hurricane. Except, has noted above, there is no real visible damage anywhere. It’s just cold.

It’s not the code of Minnesota, or New York, it’s not even the cold of Kansas. Yet in those more northern climates it takes an ice storm and downed lines to interrupt electric service. What is wrong with the great state of Texas.

I can remember when Texas switched from public utilities to private utilities. The promised savings and economics of privatization never seem to happen. The only real change was the removal of responsibility. Now private companies generate electricity. Other private companies contract with the generators and the public to supply the electricity. And the third tier of private companies then own the transmission lines to get the electricity to your house or business. And at each level of this pyramid prophets are guaranteed. Doesn’t really matter how inefficient the companies are… It doesn’t even matter if they actually deliver product… The only thing that really matters now is that they will generate a profit. Sure seems like the public lost something and that go around.

But we all know, don’t we, that privatization is good public responsibility, public ownership, that’s socialism isn’t it? And we all know socialism is bad. Unpatriotic. On American. You know, kind of like Ronald Reagan used to preach against Medicare and Medicaid. Then there’s that evil of all evils social security… Socialism.

I think it’s time, especially when we’re talking about something is important as the electrical grid, to make sure everyone who profits from the system is responsible for maintaining their portion of that system. And I’m sorry temperatures in the twenties should not compromise the system.

So much for my candle lit rant of the day.

Yo try to stay warm, and if you have electricity conserve it because I’d like to have some too.