Texas utilities made what appeared to be, and might well have been, an economically rational

[dsc]

decision not to winterize their plants. I do not have enough, or more precisely I have no, expertise in the cost of winterizing those plants to determine how much money was saved by refusing to do so, vs what they will pay out for not having done so. But it is likely to have appeared at the time to be a good economic choice and may well turn out to have been a good economic choice for those who made it. That is why we regulate companies. This is what happens when companies aren't regulated. They make economic choices which reek havoc. Texas politicians who worship at the alter of deregulation brought Texas to this place.

[servermsh]

1. But they are also isolated

I'm not an expert in this topic and don't really know anything. But I'd have to assume that their situation would be better if they were connected to the national network and could import power. Their generation centers are offline. As far as I know, they do not have widespread problems with the power lines themselves being down.

[dsc]

2. yes that appears to be a huge part of the problem

there are some parts of Texas on the national grid (El Paso for example) and they aren't experiencing the problems that the electrically isolated parts of Texas are. But a main driver of them having done this was to avoid regulation.

[Happy Hoosier]

3. This why having utilities as for-profit businesses is a terrible idea.

A utility needs to account for things that economically might not make sense, like security, or preparing for unlikely events like this. When profit is on the line, the rich will always choose more profit.

[rickyhall]

10. Totally correct. When cities made there own power blackouts were localized.

& kickbacks weren't legal.

[Happy Hoosier]

11. It's crazy to me that we aren't managing the national grid...

... as a matter of national security.

[Klaralven]

4. Is there any penalty other than the lost revenue from not selling power when prices are high?

Do generators have any contractual obligation to sell power when it is cold?

[Irish_Dem]

5. I hope nuclear power plants are never private for profit.

[gab13by13]

7. Nuclear power plants need the government,

they would never operate solely privatized, who would insure them or dispose of the spent fuel rods? Without taxpayer money we wouldn't have any nuclear power plants.

[Irish_Dem]

8. Good.

[Hermit-The-Prog]

6. Suuuure. If they hadn't been warned back in 2011 that this would happen.

[UpInArms]

9. Missouri dabbled in destroying its electricity management in the early 2000s

https://www.bizjournals.com/kansascity/stories/2004/02/23/daily24.html

Hearings had begun Monday in Aquila's requests for rate increases. The company seeks a $14.6 million annual rate increase for its 64,000 customers in the St. Joseph Light & Power Co. service area and a $65 million annual rate increase for Aquila's 220,000 electricity customers in its former Missouri Public Service Co. area. Joyce said the parties to the suit will have to decide whether the rate cases could be separated, allowing the Missouri Public Service case to proceed.

AG Processing sued after the PSC approved the $270 million merger in 2000, arguing that by failing to decide whether Aquila could recoup $92 million in purchase costs from ratepayers, the PSC hadn't properly considered whether the merger was in the public's interest.

The Missouri Office of Public Counsel joined the original plaintiff in challenging the rate case in the lawsuit that produced Tuesday's writ of prohibition.

Aquila was the absolute worst in terms of service and maintenance

They eventually sold their district to KCP&L and it has improved