Even Now, After 100+ Deaths In February Cold Crash, TX Legislature Balking At NG Weatherization Bill

[hatrack]

In the days following February’s deadly Texas blackouts one thing became clear: A big reason people lost power is because natural gas was not getting to power plants.

Equipment essential to the production, processing and transport of gas failed in the freeze, leaving power plants starved for fuel and the state starved of power.
But you wouldn’t know it by listening to many state lawmakers. And as the Legislature hits key deadlines to pass out bills, it remains unclear if Texas will ensure gas infrastructure is weatherized to withstand the next big freeze.

“I think it would be kind to say we’re hesitant to do anything about it,” House Rep. Jon Rosenthal, D-Houston, told KUT. “We seem to be unwilling.” Outside of the Legislature, Rosenthal is a mechanical engineer who works in the sub-sea natural gas industry. It’s a background he has used to raise the alarm about the risk posed to the grid by freezing natural gas infrastructure. Three of the biggest blackouts in Texas history, he points out, happened after equipment used to produce, process and transport gas failed in the cold. That failure stopped gas from getting to power plants.

EDIT

One bill remains in play that requires gas systems to be weatherized. Senate Bill 3 has already been passed through the Senate. It gives authority to the Railroad Commission to create mandatory weatherization standards. But even if the bill is passed, Rosenthal worries it may not be strict enough to get companies to comply. The way it’s currently written, he says, could create penalties as low as $100 a day for noncompliance in some cases. When it comes to weatherization “that’s no enough to cause corporate action,” he said At the time of this writing, SB 3 was still waiting for a vote out of a House committee. Its approval has been complicated by a provision within it that would slow the growth of Texas’ renewable energy sector.

EDIT

https://climatecrocks.com/2021/05/15/following-deadly-blackout-failure-will-texas-give-gas-a-pass/#more-66187

[Make7]

1. We don't need onerous regulations to prevent death and destruction.

That's for the free market to decide.

How much profit for an energy company is one life worth? We don't need government interference in calculating those answers, the companies are fully capable of determining what is in their best interests.

Freedom!