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> I've heard Texas has cheap energy and an independent grid. Or is it just general policy manoeuvring? No, it's correct. It just lead to a LOT of problems[0].

> I've heard Texas has cheap energy and an independent grid. Or is it just general policy manoeuvring? No, it's correct. It just lead to a LOT of problems[0]. To me something that is needed by everyone really should be fully regulated. [0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2021_Texas_power_crisis https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2021_Texas_power_crisis

thechao 3y ago
Texas energy is cheap, and it just so happens that the political game aligns "make the grid ok" with their best interests; but, if the interests ever diverge we will be proper fucked.
- sangnoir 3y ago
  The TX legislature already socialized the losses due to extremely high spot-prices after that winter storm a few years ago.
  - __loam 3y ago
    Yeah, the power was cheap until it wasn't. A lot of morons blamed things like frozen wind turbines but a lot of the problems were from natural gas plants that were never properly winterized, because the Texas grid was deregulated and the was no incentive to winterize.
roenxi 3y ago
> To me something that is needed by everyone really should be fully regulated. People say that, then when you look at migrants they tend to move to places where things are cheaper. It is hard to make a convincing argument for cheap power because the benefits are so diffuse, but when people are making choices for where to live [0] vs power prices [1], there is a real bias towards places with cheaper energy, and away from places with expensive energy. That is a clue about what matters in practice. So we're in this world where people do love to whinge about the Texas grid - and the reason they know about that grid is because Texas is really successful. In part (in large part) because of their energy policies and general attitude towards liberty. [0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_U.S._states_and_territories_by_net_migration https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_U.S._states_and_territ... [1] https://www.eia.gov/electricity/monthly/epm_table_grapher.php?t=epmt_5_6_a https://www.eia.gov/electricity/monthly/epm_table_grapher.ph...
- bruce511 3y ago
  As individuals, humans are very good at optimising for the short term, while ignoring long-term risk. It seems to makes sense to pick a place based on low cost of living because that affects our life-style this month. External factors can mess with the equilibrium, think winter storm or unexpected pregnancy, but those aren't important to us, so we happily ignore that for now. Focus on the immediate up-side, and just ignore the possible (but unlikely) downside. Don't get me wrong, we kinda have to live like this, or we end up as preppers. We kinda have to ignore things like possible earthquakes on the West Coast or we'd be permanently terrified. On the other hand we care enough to cater to some level of earthquakes in building codes. But no building code will guard against Cascadia. So sure, lots of people move to Texas because of the weather, or cheaper housing, or cheap energy, or whatever. But as a general rule they're likely to be less resilient to unlikely events.

thechao 3y ago

Texas energy is cheap, and it just so happens that the political game aligns "make the grid ok" with their best interests; but, if the interests ever diverge we will be proper fucked.

sangnoir 3y ago
The TX legislature already socialized the losses due to extremely high spot-prices after that winter storm a few years ago.
- __loam 3y ago
  Yeah, the power was cheap until it wasn't. A lot of morons blamed things like frozen wind turbines but a lot of the problems were from natural gas plants that were never properly winterized, because the Texas grid was deregulated and the was no incentive to winterize.

roenxi 3y ago

> To me something that is needed by everyone really should be fully regulated. People say that, then when you look at migrants they tend to move to places where things are cheaper. It is hard to make a convincing argument for cheap power because the benefits are so diffuse, but when people are making choices for where to live [0] vs power prices [1], there is a real bias towards places with cheaper energy, and away from places with expensive energy. That is a clue about what matters in practice. So we're in this world where people do love to whinge about the Texas grid - and the reason they know about that grid is because Texas is really successful. In part (in large part) because of their energy policies and general attitude towards liberty. [0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_U.S._states_and_territories_by_net_migration https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_U.S._states_and_territ... [1] https://www.eia.gov/electricity/monthly/epm_table_grapher.php?t=epmt_5_6_a https://www.eia.gov/electricity/monthly/epm_table_grapher.ph...

bruce511 3y ago
As individuals, humans are very good at optimising for the short term, while ignoring long-term risk. It seems to makes sense to pick a place based on low cost of living because that affects our life-style this month. External factors can mess with the equilibrium, think winter storm or unexpected pregnancy, but those aren't important to us, so we happily ignore that for now. Focus on the immediate up-side, and just ignore the possible (but unlikely) downside. Don't get me wrong, we kinda have to live like this, or we end up as preppers. We kinda have to ignore things like possible earthquakes on the West Coast or we'd be permanently terrified. On the other hand we care enough to cater to some level of earthquakes in building codes. But no building code will guard against Cascadia. So sure, lots of people move to Texas because of the weather, or cheaper housing, or cheap energy, or whatever. But as a general rule they're likely to be less resilient to unlikely events.