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Texas is about as red as it gets and leads the nation in renewable energy including solar. Red or blue, if the gov can setup a situation where renewable energy

Texas is about as red as it gets and leads the nation in renewable energy including solar. Red or blue, if the gov can setup a situation where renewable energy is profitable then nature will take its course. https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/texas-tops-us-states-renewable-energy-battery-capacity-maguire-2025-01-09/ https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/texas-tops-us-states...

davedx 1y ago
Renewable energy is profitable
- abetusk 1y ago
  Renewable energy is already profitable.
- rob74 1y ago
  Yeah, but if hindering it is an excellent way of pandering to your fossil fuel donors while at the same time "owning the libs", to hell with it!
dzonga 1y ago
I lived in texas before & the first time I saw massive wind farms alongside oil pumps was in texas. wind turbines are wonderful things to look at. but yeah some of those were constructed in the years there was a "blue" admin n I guess market forces took over too.
- dylan604 1y ago
  If you can use free energy to power your pumps to bring out that oil that just means there's that much more profit in the dinosaur juice
  - Scoundreller 1y ago
    At least it's only natgas for electricity, which is less valuable than oil. Saudi Arabia generates ~41% of its electricity from oil, 59% from natgas and <1% solar. Talk about mismanagement... https://www.eia.gov/international/data/country/SAU/electricity/electricity-generation?pd=2&p=00000000000000000000000000000fvu0000000000000000000000000000000u&u=0&f=A&v=mapbubble&a=-&i=none&vo=value&t=C&g=none&l=249--199&s=315532800000&e=1672531200000 https://www.eia.gov/international/data/country/SAU/electrici...
FuriouslyAdrift 1y ago
Indiana has one of the largest wind farms in the world and is so red it practically glows... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fowler_Ridge_Wind_Farm https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fowler_Ridge_Wind_Farm We also have a ton of solar. We could be doing much better as we also have an enormous amount of coal plants.
frenchman_in_ny 1y ago
There's a very specific reason (or quirk) as to why Texas leads the nation in renewable energy -- ERCOT. Basically, 90% of Texas' electric load is serviced by in-state assets, and they have very few interconnections to the rest of the grid. The electricity dispatch curve is priced on the margin, on the cost to operate the last-fired generator (natural gas), and ERCOT has moved to grow solar as a way to reduce prices.[0] ERCOT has also had a number of spectacular -- and costly -- failures. [0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electric_Reliability_Council_of_Texas#2023_shift_in_electricity_generation_mix https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electric_Reliability_Council_o...
- Scoundreller 1y ago
  What's their argument against interconnects though? Especially as you install more wind and solar, capturing (or sending) generation across a wider geographic area should regress-to-the-mean production and consumption better without turning on peaking plants that may be on for only hours a year. Or get natgas generation from areas where the natgas infra hasn't frozen solid.
  - toomuchtodo 1y ago
    Avoiding federal regulatory oversight. https://www.ferc.gov/introductory-guide-electricity-markets-regulated-federal-energy-regulatory-commission https://www.ferc.gov/introductory-guide-electricity-markets-... ("ERCOT is not subject to federal (FERC) jurisdiction because its grid is not connected to those of other states. Thus, power sales in ERCOT are not considered sales in interstate commerce and not subject to federal (FERC) oversight. That said, ERCOT runs some electricity markets that have similarities to those described herein.") Edit: This is only up until recently; Texas is seeking to potentially interconnect with neighboring grids, forgoing FERC independence in the process. Texas Bill [H.B. 199] Opens ERCOT to Grid Interconnection - https://www.environmentenergyleader.com/stories/texas-bill-opens-ercot-to-grid-interconnection,85274 https://www.environmentenergyleader.com/stories/texas-bill-o... - July 25th, 2025 ("A completed interconnection—either synchronous or non-synchronous—would likely bring ERCOT under partial federal jurisdiction for the first time since its creation. Currently, ERCOT operates almost entirely within Texas to avoid triggering FERC oversight under the Federal Power Act.") Connecting Past and Future: A History of Texas’ Isolated Power Grid - https://www.bakerinstitute.org/research/connecting-past-and-future-history-texas-isolated-power-grid https://www.bakerinstitute.org/research/connecting-past-and-... - December 1st, 2022 Why Texas Has Its Own Power Grid - https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2003/08/why-texas-has-its-own-power-grid.html https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2003/08/why-texas-has-it... - August 18th, 2003
cogman10 1y ago
Yup, my home state of Idaho also has a shockingly green energy portfolio. All of the PNW is like that because it's on a shared grid that has been primarily powered by hydro for as long as I've been alive. And still, we've seen a massive amount of green energy installed here. Both windmills and solar farms.
- kixiQu 1y ago
  For what it's worth Oregon and Washington are pretty much at the bottom of new renewable installs: https://www.propublica.org/article/oregon-washington-green-energy-bonneville https://www.propublica.org/article/oregon-washington-green-e...
  - cogman10 1y ago
    Yup, Idaho's on that list as well. But when you look at a grid map you pretty quickly understand why that's the case. https://app.electricitymaps.com/map/zone/US-NW-IPCO/live/fifteen_minutes?countryC=&wind=true&solar=true&lang=vi https://app.electricitymaps.com/map/zone/US-NW-IPCO/live/fif... Right now, about 6% of my power comes from natural gas. That's the only fossil fuel power I'm currently using. Everything else is solar/hydro/wind. Not sure why nuclear isn't listed, I thought we had an active plant here. But you get the picture. For my grid, new solar or wind is simply not needed so why would we be anywhere near the top of installation? Batteries is what we actually need. There is a point where it's a bad idea to install more renewables.
- kitten_mittens_ 1y ago
  Idaho Power’s local generation is quite clean. But…during the summer in Idaho, almost a third of energy comes from Wyoming and Utah where coal is still a substantial part of generation.
  - cogman10 1y ago
    Idaho power has been working at installing batteries across the state I believe for this very reason. They have a plan to be 100% renewable by 2030 and I believe they'll actually hit that target given how close they already are.

davedx 1y ago

Renewable energy is profitable

abetusk 1y ago
Renewable energy is already profitable.
rob74 1y ago
Yeah, but if hindering it is an excellent way of pandering to your fossil fuel donors while at the same time "owning the libs", to hell with it!

dzonga 1y ago

I lived in texas before & the first time I saw massive wind farms alongside oil pumps was in texas. wind turbines are wonderful things to look at. but yeah some of those were constructed in the years there was a "blue" admin n I guess market forces took over too.

dylan604 1y ago
If you can use free energy to power your pumps to bring out that oil that just means there's that much more profit in the dinosaur juice
- Scoundreller 1y ago
  At least it's only natgas for electricity, which is less valuable than oil. Saudi Arabia generates ~41% of its electricity from oil, 59% from natgas and <1% solar. Talk about mismanagement... https://www.eia.gov/international/data/country/SAU/electricity/electricity-generation?pd=2&p=00000000000000000000000000000fvu0000000000000000000000000000000u&u=0&f=A&v=mapbubble&a=-&i=none&vo=value&t=C&g=none&l=249--199&s=315532800000&e=1672531200000 https://www.eia.gov/international/data/country/SAU/electrici...

FuriouslyAdrift 1y ago

Indiana has one of the largest wind farms in the world and is so red it practically glows... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fowler_Ridge_Wind_Farm https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fowler_Ridge_Wind_Farm We also have a ton of solar. We could be doing much better as we also have an enormous amount of coal plants.

frenchman_in_ny 1y ago

There's a very specific reason (or quirk) as to why Texas leads the nation in renewable energy -- ERCOT. Basically, 90% of Texas' electric load is serviced by in-state assets, and they have very few interconnections to the rest of the grid. The electricity dispatch curve is priced on the margin, on the cost to operate the last-fired generator (natural gas), and ERCOT has moved to grow solar as a way to reduce prices.[0] ERCOT has also had a number of spectacular -- and costly -- failures. [0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electric_Reliability_Council_of_Texas#2023_shift_in_electricity_generation_mix https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electric_Reliability_Council_o...

Scoundreller 1y ago
What's their argument against interconnects though? Especially as you install more wind and solar, capturing (or sending) generation across a wider geographic area should regress-to-the-mean production and consumption better without turning on peaking plants that may be on for only hours a year. Or get natgas generation from areas where the natgas infra hasn't frozen solid.
- toomuchtodo 1y ago
  Avoiding federal regulatory oversight. https://www.ferc.gov/introductory-guide-electricity-markets-regulated-federal-energy-regulatory-commission https://www.ferc.gov/introductory-guide-electricity-markets-... ("ERCOT is not subject to federal (FERC) jurisdiction because its grid is not connected to those of other states. Thus, power sales in ERCOT are not considered sales in interstate commerce and not subject to federal (FERC) oversight. That said, ERCOT runs some electricity markets that have similarities to those described herein.") Edit: This is only up until recently; Texas is seeking to potentially interconnect with neighboring grids, forgoing FERC independence in the process. Texas Bill [H.B. 199] Opens ERCOT to Grid Interconnection - https://www.environmentenergyleader.com/stories/texas-bill-opens-ercot-to-grid-interconnection,85274 https://www.environmentenergyleader.com/stories/texas-bill-o... - July 25th, 2025 ("A completed interconnection—either synchronous or non-synchronous—would likely bring ERCOT under partial federal jurisdiction for the first time since its creation. Currently, ERCOT operates almost entirely within Texas to avoid triggering FERC oversight under the Federal Power Act.") Connecting Past and Future: A History of Texas’ Isolated Power Grid - https://www.bakerinstitute.org/research/connecting-past-and-future-history-texas-isolated-power-grid https://www.bakerinstitute.org/research/connecting-past-and-... - December 1st, 2022 Why Texas Has Its Own Power Grid - https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2003/08/why-texas-has-its-own-power-grid.html https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2003/08/why-texas-has-it... - August 18th, 2003

cogman10 1y ago

Yup, my home state of Idaho also has a shockingly green energy portfolio. All of the PNW is like that because it's on a shared grid that has been primarily powered by hydro for as long as I've been alive. And still, we've seen a massive amount of green energy installed here. Both windmills and solar farms.

kixiQu 1y ago
For what it's worth Oregon and Washington are pretty much at the bottom of new renewable installs: https://www.propublica.org/article/oregon-washington-green-energy-bonneville https://www.propublica.org/article/oregon-washington-green-e...
- cogman10 1y ago
  Yup, Idaho's on that list as well. But when you look at a grid map you pretty quickly understand why that's the case. https://app.electricitymaps.com/map/zone/US-NW-IPCO/live/fifteen_minutes?countryC=&wind=true&solar=true&lang=vi https://app.electricitymaps.com/map/zone/US-NW-IPCO/live/fif... Right now, about 6% of my power comes from natural gas. That's the only fossil fuel power I'm currently using. Everything else is solar/hydro/wind. Not sure why nuclear isn't listed, I thought we had an active plant here. But you get the picture. For my grid, new solar or wind is simply not needed so why would we be anywhere near the top of installation? Batteries is what we actually need. There is a point where it's a bad idea to install more renewables.
kitten_mittens_ 1y ago
Idaho Power’s local generation is quite clean. But…during the summer in Idaho, almost a third of energy comes from Wyoming and Utah where coal is still a substantial part of generation.
- cogman10 1y ago
  Idaho power has been working at installing batteries across the state I believe for this very reason. They have a plan to be 100% renewable by 2030 and I believe they'll actually hit that target given how close they already are.