disclosure: i worked in mechanical maintenance for a large midwestern power distribution company. power isnt a 'good' or 'bad.' co-ops and collectives exist t

disclosure: i worked in mechanical maintenance for a large midwestern power distribution company. power isnt a 'good' or 'bad.' co-ops and collectives exist to keep generators and distributors and maintenance crews honest and on the level but at the end of the day cities say "we need power" and power companies are responsible for it. theyre also responsible for communicating risks like salmon collapse and, if thats acceptable to the city, then proceed. texas has a see-no-evil, hear-no-evil problem where plants do not perform risk assessment and do not communicate it, instead pocketing the cash and giving a big beaming thumbs-up. Texas has decided that instead of a transparent and working regulatory agency that helps navigate things like storm coverage, MTTR, and low income assistance, a rubber stamp will do. no grids perfect. cities often put off maintenance for decades to save traffic headaches, prevent water and other utility outages, and to plan around other construction work they might be doing. Texas is a different and very cavalier beast entirely though.