Blackouts Cascade Beyond Texas in Deepening Power Crisis

[Breccia]

As someone who's had boil water orders and also broken pipes, I can only say...I'm sorry, Texas. Stay safe, stay warm.

My pipes froze and burst, because my house was not built to code. My insurance company went savage on the contractor.

I recommend you follow suit.

[Shadowferal]

Well, had this gone on long enough Mexico might have had to build a wall...

[josykay]

As someone who's had boil water orders and also broken pipes, I can only say...I'm sorry, Texas. Stay safe, stay warm.

My pipes froze and burst, because my house was not built to code. My insurance company went savage on the contractor.

I recommend you follow suit.

The issue is though, does the building code require such meassurements and they were not fulfilled... or is Texas like "Lul, who needs federal building regulation, we build like we want".

[Crissi]

Ted Cruz is garbage, of course.

Though I am not with this sentiment public officials need to be "on the ground" in times of natural disaster. I highly doubt there is anything Ted Cruz has authority and power to do in Texas that needs to be done while actually sitting in a plush office or mansion in Texas. As if he shares the hardships of the average Texan in part or whole, ever.

It's just an empty, symbolic gesture. What do people think; Ted Cruz is going to personally and physically repair the power grid over a weekend? Is he gonna stock supermarket shelves at the local HEB?

Gimmie a break. Let this asshole sign whatever documents or administrative work that needs to be signed and while the WORKERS actually fix shit as usual. Spare me the outrage a pampered asshole is not wearing mittens on TV or standing in front of a Whataburger to show solidarity with people using a Yankee candle for heat.

Fuck you, Ted Cruz.

Its about the optics, and looking like he doesnt even pretend to empathize with us common people. Like he cant even be bothered to put on even a little political theatre.

fuck him. I hope a shark eats him down there.

[Deja Thoris]

When this happens every other year, I'd say it is normal.

This is the coldest its been for decades. Drop the every other year bullshit.

[Breccia]

The issue is though, does the building code require such meassurements and they were not fulfilled

Sorry, that was a metaphor. The buildings in Texas were probably built to code.

The issue is the infrastructure, and in this metaphor, the "contractor" is the Texas state government/the Texas power grid. Which I'm told was not built to federal code on purpose, because they left the federal system on purpose, to avoid building to code.

[Shadowferal]

Cruz draws backlash for trip to Cancun amid winter storm crisis

The reports came shortly after social media users highlighted numerous tweets from Cruz and other Texas lawmakers mocking earlier power outages in California. Cruz conceded Tuesday that he had "no defense," adding, "A blizzard strikes Texas & our state shuts down. Not good."

The photo led to widespread mockery of the Texas senator on Twitter.

"It’s so weird that Ted Cruz would go to Mexico to seek refuge from Texas."

Cruz was expected to return to the U.S. immediately, according to the AP.

[wunksta]

Beto O'Rourke is organizing wellness checks for seniors during Texas' blackouts. Ted Cruz is in Cancun.

https://theweek.com/speedreads/96758...ed-cruz-cancun

Good interview with him
https://twitter.com/CNN/status/1362268103355195394

[Zig Zug]

Ted Cruz cares about you. #keepDonating #DidTrumpGiveYourDonationBack?

https://www.cruz.senate.gov/ - He even has disaster preparedness on his front page. I wonder if his resort is all inclusive, or breakfast mimosas are extra.

"California is so poorly run!" - Pretty much every Texan I've ever met.

"Texas would rather endure the black out than let the federal government in!" - A governor

A little bit of fore cast snow touches the ground, entire state tailspins and enjoys a lower standard of living than those in Mexico.

That said, my heart does go out to people suffering because of shitty, ineffectual leadership.

[Mayhem]

This is the coldest its been for decades. Drop the every other year bullshit.

Doesn't change the fact that parts of texas get temperatures in the low 30s every other year. But even if this happens only every other decade, it's something not unknown and could and should be prepared for. I mean, usually people don't live in parts where disasters happen regularly, but if they can occur, they prepare accordingly. We have major floods every 10-20 years, guess what we prepared for in between?

[Rasulis]

My daughter got her power back. No water. Lots of broken mains apparently. The surface of her wrap around deck undulated all over the place. The outer perimeter foundations popped out of the ground around 4 inches. She could not see the stem walls of her house foundations because of the deck. It should be okay because the pad went down 48 inches. It should be well below the frost line.

[CastletonSnob]

Hard freeze tonight.

I got power back last night. Should I be worried about losing it again?

[Not A Cat]

I can't help but feel this is all AOC's fault

/s

But for real, I don't understand why conservatives are trying so hard to blame windmills. I live in Massachusetts where it regularly reaches below freezing temperatures and windmills work just fine. In fact, the last two weeks we've averaged about 4 feet of snow and 10 degrees F.

[Shadowferal]

But for real, I don't understand why conservatives are trying so hard to blame windmills. I live in Massachusetts where it regularly reaches below freezing temperatures and windmills work just fine.

They enjoy "tilting" at them.

[Not A Cat]

They enjoy "tilting" at them.

nice

It's just strange. They aren't being subtle at all in their defense of fossil fuels and attack on renewable energy. Isn't more than half of their energy gas and coal?

How much of their energy actually comes from windmills anyway? Not that it matters since any state north of Virginia has had to deal with freezing temperatures regularly and haven't had issues with their renewable energy sources.

[draynay]

That said, my heart does go out to people suffering because of shitty, ineffectual leadership.

They elected them.

[wunksta]

nice

It's just strange. They aren't being subtle at all in their defense of fossil fuels and attack on renewable energy. Isn't more than half of their energy gas and coal?

How much of their energy actually comes from windmills anyway? Not that it matters since any state north of Virginia has had to deal with freezing temperatures regularly and haven't had issues with their renewable energy sources.

64% gas and coal

Natural gas (51%)
Wind (24.8%)
Coal (13.4%)
Nuclear (4.9%)
Solar (3.8%)
Hydro, biomass-fired units (1.9%)

https://www.statesman.com/story/news...al/6780546002/

[Not A Cat]

64% gas and coal

Natural gas (51%)
Wind (24.8%)
Coal (13.4%)
Nuclear (4.9%)
Solar (3.8%)
Hydro, biomass-fired units (1.9%)

https://www.statesman.com/story/news...al/6780546002/

Not gonna lie, that's a lot more than I expected. But still, it seems pretty disingenuous of these news outlets to place so much of the blame on renewable energy when there are ways to winterize windmills and also there's the fact that these gas and coal plants failed too.

Again, not subtle.

[Zan15]

This is yet another huge Catastrophe that Republican/GOP/Trumpers are Responsible for.

There are plenty of States that have invested and prepared for Extreme Climates.

What is currently happening in Texas is completely the fault of Republican Texans and the Greedy Utility Companies.

Because PG&E would rather pay fines then spend money on Maintenance and Fix Infrastructure. If you want to hold PG&E accountable then you'll need Big Government and Heavy Regulations, While Republicans are constantly blaming Communism and Socialism.

Well what happens is PG&E and other companies across the country try to plan huge maintenance, infrastructure investments and other massive improvements and when it comes time for the bill to be presented......the public freaks the fuck out and the regulators cut the hell out of the plan and approval.

You've had a half dozen massive storms in the northeast and the outrage last about a month, the regulators ask for a plan and the problem gets kicked forward like the current generation does with every problem.

We couldn't even cut down trees without half the towns/cities suing the shit out of our electric provider because they were "too aggressive". These same towns 4-6 months before that were suing them for failure to restore service fast enough and not being prepared for the storm.

[Elegiac]

Well what happens is PG&E and other companies across the country try to plan huge maintenance, infrastructure investments and other massive improvements and when it comes time for the bill to be presented......the public freaks the fuck out and the regulators cut the hell out of the plan and approval.

You've had a half dozen massive storms in the northeast and the outrage last about a month, the regulators ask for a plan and the problem gets kicked forward like the current generation does with every problem.

We couldn't even cut down trees without half the towns/cities suing the shit out of our electric provider because they were "too aggressive". These same towns 4-6 months before that were suing them for failure to restore service fast enough and not being prepared for the storm.

I mean, let's not let PG&E or ERCOT off the hook here; both are for profit companies.

And profit is money that could have been used for said infrastructure investments, but wasn't because... Something something invisible handjob of the free market etc.