As Texans continue to experience rolling blackouts and loss of power, NBC News' Josh Lederman breaks down how the state's energy grid was unprepared to handle the winter storm and what this crisis means for the future of green energy. Aired on 2/17/2021.
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About Craig Melvin: Craig Melvin is an MSNBC Anchor and NBC News Correspondent. He currently anchors “MSNBC Live” on Saturdays and Sundays, contributes reports for “TODAY,” and fills in as host for Lester Holt on “Weekend TODAY.”
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Understanding How Texas' Energy Grid Broke Down During Winter Storm | Craig Melvin | MSNBC
It sounds like very poor planning. I feel for the Texas citizens.
A woman and her 8 or 9 year old child died from carbon monoxide poisoning trying to stay warm in their car
@Phillip Pux Lucas this problem dates back at least to the 1930s when the federal power grid was first being created. Texas didnt want to have to abide by pesky safety regulations.
It also helps explain the west explosion from April 15, 2013
?,, my neighbors dog passed away here in shiny california!!sad day
Their leaders were unprepared it’s honestly angering to watch this incompetence
States choose their leaders, so the people share responsibility.
Not winterizing your power grid? Power lines not able to take icing? Also gotta winterize your wind turbines too. Texas’s third world power system……
Yeah thats true. Either way those conditions aren’t exactly seen as normal for texas
@Doug
Right, who could have foreseen that what happened 10 years ago could happen again? /s
The report produced after the last incidence? Noooooo…
“winterizing” – ffs
This kind of freezing rain, temperature drop, and snow is not even close to normal in Texas like it is in the Midwest where I’m from. It’s like how my state would be completely unprepared for the Texas normal of 110+ degrees during the summer.
Lmao
Longhorn cattle, the Astrodome, 72 ounce steaks, delicious BBQ, and hiding behind the door when God was passing out the brains.
And Ted cruz’s hamster.
Just to put things straight only 13% of the turbines froze the others are pumping out above seasonal average and the reason they froze was because the power companies didn’t pay for cold weather upgrades
@ebf1003 if you cool gas the pressure lowers but they’ve got frozen instruments as well not sure on the liquid temp of the gas that’s getting shipped
Dan Bongino will give you the facts.
@Hunter Roberts parents. Who else? I don’t have Twitter.
@Greg Greg Thanks. Trying to read up on this stuff now.
Only 13% of the grid is fed by wind. The failure in texas happened because fossil fuel generators failed.
This is what happens when you put your trust in the Republican Party. I would bet all if not most of them like Ted Cruzz and the like did not loose power.
I feel bad for the good people of Texas, but you pick your leaders, right?
he is not in Texas, the rich folks took a vacation from this.
Hard to pick your leaders right when your raised and molded by the mindset and traditions of Christian religions and the irrational policies here.
But they did not plan for this, for they never customize for this situation. Leaders in Texas never believed in climate change so they never made adequate plans, even when they saw what happened in Oregon and California they just lazed off and pointed to nonsensical reasons for the devastation.
This reporter Lederman did not illuminate anything about the why/how this happened. Nothing about TX’s unique “Go-it-Alone” power grid, nothing about aging/neglected infrastructure, nothing that provided context for the failure and the consequences. Lazy.
This is what they call “journalism” these days, stating opinion based on their own limited knowledge as a limousine liberal. No investigation or interviews needed, because of course they are smarter than everyone else.
With all the hot air the republicans generate, you would think this wouldn’t be an issue.
Great, another greenhouse gas to track.
Here in Denmark we have a couple of phased out coal power plants in stand-by mode in all cases. Wind power covers 52% of electricity
Thinking ahead… what a concept!
Why can’t Texas just buy energy from neighboring states???
Oh, that’s right. They are the only state that can’t…
yeah so much for capitalism and open markets right… lol
Texas is the only state with its own grid. It is intentionally not connected to other states. specifically to avoid federal regulators. In fact, Texas is more capable of buying power from Mexico than from another state.
Don’t mess with them, I guess. I feel terrible for the citizens in trouble. Hopefully, people will vote better going forward.
They can’t give energy to other states either….so much for neighbourly love.
Texas gives new meaning to the idea of living *off the grid.* A few libertarians get rich, and everyone else is left out in the cold.
ironically all the wealthy Texans left the state to winter over elsewhere.
Jeez, Texas has a food shortage, economic crisis from covid, pandemic from covid, now people have no utilities, and freezing temperatures.
Sounds like Canada
All utilities have to be taken out of private hands so there’s zero profit motive and these companies can feel freer to upgrade and install what’s needed so this doesn’t happen in the future.
As I understand it Texas has a “stand-alone” grid, not associated with the other two major grid systems. The “Lone Star State”. Good luck.
As I understand it, windmills create 20% of Texas electricity but excessive dust or ice will deteriorate the efficiency of the blades so they were turned off which then allowed them to freeze and thawing them out requires flying a helicopter and dumping chemicals in the rotors. After just a few years the blades become completely worthless and they are discarded in massive landfills anyways
@Obambo #5 Unless ”after just a few years” means a quarter century in your language
Huston, Texas has a problem.
LOL, telling Texans to consrve power but downtown lit up like a birthday cake.
Texas created this themselves. They wanted a completely independent grid, this is why there should be a giant electric grid. Like a federal one that already exists.
if you want to understand why Texas broke down just imagine a picture of Ted Cruz, Greg Abbot, and Rick Perry standing next to Texas. Get the picture?
The demand is no worse than August in Texas trying to cool homes. This was just lack of preparation.
He is hating being in Russia. You need to stay there. You’re a problem.