3 ms·

One thing about Texas, if you have money to build whatever you want to build and line the pocket so of some politicians, you can get around regulations, propert

One thing about Texas, if you have money to build whatever you want to build and line the pocket so of some politicians, you can get around regulations, property rights, and taxes

Aloha 4y ago
We also just have fewer regulations about what can be built and where, and there are fewer block points in the approval process here.
dexterdog 4y ago
That is common in Texas but it is far from being a unique thing.
hn_throwaway_99 4y ago
This is a bullshit, low-effort comment (to be fair, this article seems to be attracting tons of them). If you have specific examples of places where corruption, unenforced regulations and disrespect for property rights allowed a wind or solar farm to get built, especially in a way that shows more corruption than other locales, speak up with a source, otherwise you're just bullshitting. It's not that hard to see why Texas is a leader in solar and wind: 1. There is a lot of land in Texas, and there are tons of "in the middle of nowhere" places where wind or solar farms aren't subject to NIMBYism. 2. Texas actually has extreme respect for property rights (many might argue too much). In contrast to many Western states, there is comparatively little federally owned land - most of it is privately owned ranch land. 3. Texas already has lower regulations and business taxes than many other states - Texas doesn't need corruption to get around stringent regulations. Texas simply makes it easier to put up a wind or solar farm on any of the huge swaths of privately-owned "emptiness" that cover most of our state.
- Spooky23 4y ago
  It wasn’t a very detailed comment, but let’s be real here. Resource extraction and energy industries own Texas politics, and have for over a century.
  - kQq9oHeAz6wLLS 4y ago
    Again, [Citation needed]
    - jeffbee 4y ago
      You want a citation for corruption at the Texas Railroad Commission? Just Google it or start here: https://www.houstonchronicle.com/business/columnists/tomlinson/article/Oilfield-waste-company-rewards-Christian-for-16849001.php https://www.houstonchronicle.com/business/columnists/tomlins...
      - JumpCrisscross 4y ago
        > want a citation for corruption at the Texas Railroad Commission What does this have to do with wind or solar? The difference is this: installing in California requires reams of permits. Installing in Texas rarely does.
        bradknowles 4y ago
        In Texas, it's the Railroad Commission that is the key to approving solar and wind farm permits. It's weird, yes. But that's the way things are done in Texas.
        stjohnswarts 4y ago
        The response tells you what you need to know. Any of it is a Google search away but the person just remains argumentative doing nothing more than [citation needed] wanting to be spoon fed information on a casual discussion site.
    - Spooky23 4y ago
      There’s this new thing, came out in 1999 or so. They call it “Google”. If the notion of corruption & influence peddling with respect to the oil industry in Texas is shocking to you, start there. Another great resource to explore is Robert Caro’s series of biography about Lyndon Johnson, which extends into the unique role Texas’s entry into the union (as a nominally independent state) drove some of the decisions about military base placement, etc. Also the growth of the oil infrastructure companies like Halliburton into major defense contractors.
- bradknowles 4y ago
  T. Boone Pickens is a notorious Texas oil man who has knowingly and willingly and with maliciousness aforefought perpetrated some of the biggest industrial crimes in the state. And he's bought off the politicians to make sure that he can continue to do so. T. Boone Pickens is also the leading guy in Texas who is deploying wind farms, and is using the same tactics. It may be a useful exercise to follow the money and the specific individuals who are known to be involved.

One thing about Texas, if you have money to build whatever you want to build and line the pocket so of some politicians, you can get around regulations, property rights, and taxes

Aloha 4y ago

We also just have fewer regulations about what can be built and where, and there are fewer block points in the approval process here.

dexterdog 4y ago

That is common in Texas but it is far from being a unique thing.

hn_throwaway_99 4y ago

This is a bullshit, low-effort comment (to be fair, this article seems to be attracting tons of them). If you have specific examples of places where corruption, unenforced regulations and disrespect for property rights allowed a wind or solar farm to get built, especially in a way that shows more corruption than other locales, speak up with a source, otherwise you're just bullshitting. It's not that hard to see why Texas is a leader in solar and wind: 1. There is a lot of land in Texas, and there are tons of "in the middle of nowhere" places where wind or solar farms aren't subject to NIMBYism. 2. Texas actually has extreme respect for property rights (many might argue too much). In contrast to many Western states, there is comparatively little federally owned land - most of it is privately owned ranch land. 3. Texas already has lower regulations and business taxes than many other states - Texas doesn't need corruption to get around stringent regulations. Texas simply makes it easier to put up a wind or solar farm on any of the huge swaths of privately-owned "emptiness" that cover most of our state.

Spooky23 4y ago
It wasn’t a very detailed comment, but let’s be real here. Resource extraction and energy industries own Texas politics, and have for over a century.
- kQq9oHeAz6wLLS 4y ago
  Again, [Citation needed]
  - jeffbee 4y ago
    You want a citation for corruption at the Texas Railroad Commission? Just Google it or start here: https://www.houstonchronicle.com/business/columnists/tomlinson/article/Oilfield-waste-company-rewards-Christian-for-16849001.php https://www.houstonchronicle.com/business/columnists/tomlins...
    - JumpCrisscross 4y ago
      > want a citation for corruption at the Texas Railroad Commission What does this have to do with wind or solar? The difference is this: installing in California requires reams of permits. Installing in Texas rarely does.
      - bradknowles 4y ago
        In Texas, it's the Railroad Commission that is the key to approving solar and wind farm permits. It's weird, yes. But that's the way things are done in Texas.
        stjohnswarts 4y ago
        The response tells you what you need to know. Any of it is a Google search away but the person just remains argumentative doing nothing more than [citation needed] wanting to be spoon fed information on a casual discussion site.
  - Spooky23 4y ago
    There’s this new thing, came out in 1999 or so. They call it “Google”. If the notion of corruption & influence peddling with respect to the oil industry in Texas is shocking to you, start there. Another great resource to explore is Robert Caro’s series of biography about Lyndon Johnson, which extends into the unique role Texas’s entry into the union (as a nominally independent state) drove some of the decisions about military base placement, etc. Also the growth of the oil infrastructure companies like Halliburton into major defense contractors.
bradknowles 4y ago
T. Boone Pickens is a notorious Texas oil man who has knowingly and willingly and with maliciousness aforefought perpetrated some of the biggest industrial crimes in the state. And he's bought off the politicians to make sure that he can continue to do so. T. Boone Pickens is also the leading guy in Texas who is deploying wind farms, and is using the same tactics. It may be a useful exercise to follow the money and the specific individuals who are known to be involved.