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Comment by bastardoperator | Hacker News Reader

I'm not surprised at all that Texas isn't interested in energy that will devalue crude and natural gas given their the top producers of both.

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The article mentions one Texas- based company but I don't see anything about Texas otherwise...

Texas has the highest renewable energy production out of the 50 states:

https://insideclimatenews.org/news/09032023/inside-clean-ene...

With some controversy over the impacts to grid stability:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/energy/2023/07/25/wh...

They are also embarking on massive CO2 sequestration projects.

https://www.texastribune.org/2023/09/20/texas-carbon-capture...

The main problem with ERCOT's grid stability isn't that they are using a lot of renewables so much as it is that ERCOT isn't interconnected with other big power systems in Texas's efforts to avoid federal oversight, as that Washington Post article indicates. They can't benefit much at all from buying power in other markets to make up for generation shortfalls lest they risk the feds making them do things they don't want to do. (On the flip side, they also can't sell their cheap renewable power into other markets as easily when they have excess generation capacity!)

There's an awful lot of schadenfreude that happens within the renewable energy and power production communities during serious power system events in ERCOT because they willingly suffer problems other power systems don't have to.

I have no idea why I constantly hear the claim that Texas (for some reason it's always texas) is diametrically opposed to renewables. The data, as you've pointed out, indicate completely otherwise. I can't help but think it's people just projecting their idea of what a 'red' state is like, instead of actually thinking critically about the reality.

I think the claim is based on the public political statements made by leaders in Texas. The fact that there is a huge discrepancy in what they say publicly against the science of global warming and the utility of renewables versus what the investment numbers say is the really sad part. Basically it boils down to: I'm going to lie through my teeth to pander to the stupid people who vote for me, but I'm also going to create favorable conditions for my wealthy buddies to make a killing in renewables.

i replied as sibling but deleted it. I think the point to remember is the energy industry in Texas is there to make money. If they can make money with renewables then that's what's going to happen. West Texas has a tremendous amount of wind energy and so... now we have wind farms out there. We also have a lot of flat, sunny, unusable land out in West Texas too so you're starting to see solar farms as well. No one is doing it to SaveThePlanet no matter what the pamphlet says, it's profitable in Texas so it's happening in Texas.

The almighty dollar is one hell of a motivator!

The statements by republicans tend to be a denial of the idea that we should get rid of gas by government fiat, or a skepticism of the ability for renewables to provide consistent power. I've never heard a wholesale dismissal of renewables from most conservatives.

I strongly identify with this position. I don't need the government stopping gas sales. That doesn't mean I don't recognize that renewable energy is cheaper and pollutes less.

What I've noticed on the left is that unless you believe that gasoline and natural gas should be made illegal, you are considered a hypocrite if you also use renewables.

I'm just chasing the rationally superior energy source. The environmental argument doesn't really sway me on this one. And I don't like government coercion for a very useful and life saving substance (fossil fuels).

Nevertheless to directly address your claims. Abbot has been pretty vocal in his support for renewables..his campaign puts out materials extolling his success in bringing them to Texas.

https://gov.texas.gov/uploads/files/business/RenewableEnergy...

In another speech, abbot makes this clear by saying he favors a both and approach: https://www.houstonchronicle.com/politics/texas/article/Gov-...

He again touts the benefits of renewables.

I think what's happened here is that progressives have once again moralized on this issue.

It's not enough to be in favor of and actively take steps to encourage renewables. If you don't do it to the same degree or you don't simultaneously criticize and ban the alternatives, you're presumed guilty of some great transgression.

No, Texas really doesn't.

The article:

> Texas has produced more gigawatt-hours of electricity from renewable sources than any other state for several years running

That's an absolute number, and this is just another version of all heatmaps are just population maps[1].

If we look at percentage of energy from renewables … Texas lags the national average, and is way down the list. The top is Vermont.[2]

(They're not first in terms of per-capita, either, but I do wish that column was in the table. I don't exactly know where they are in the ranking, other than not first.)

[1]: https://xkcd.com/1138/

[2]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_U.S._states_by_electri...

Read the article, god damn

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