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The Problem Facing Texas’ Power Grid Is Much Deeper Than Politics – Forbes

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4 years ago

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Last week’s massive winter storm that crippled much of Texas, killing dozens and leaving millions without power and water for days, exposed critical flaws in the state’s infrastructure. People across the state were told they would lose power temporarily, for minutes or maybe hours as electricity providers conducted rolling blackouts in an attempt to balance energy supply with demand. Yet, as some of the coldest recorded temperatures in the state’s history began forcing an increasing number of power generation facilities offline, hours quickly turned into days. Compounding the lack of heat was the lack of water. Thousands of municipal water systems lost power during the blackouts. In some cases, backup generators failed to kick in due to the cold. Without heat, electricity or water, residents in some of the largest, fastest-growing cities in the country—Houston, Austin, Dallas, San Antonio—were left fighting, literally, for survival.

As with most crises, particularly natural disasters, the quest to assign blame began almost immediately, and long before power began returning to Texas families struggling to stay warm in structures designed to keep heat out rather than in. A handful of Republican politicians blamed wind turbines, which account for over 20 percent of the state’s electricity. Others blamed the bureaucratic nature of the now infamous Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT), which oversees electrical transmission across most of state. Some blamed the independent nature of the Texas power grid, which isn’t part of the two main electrical grids that serve the eastern and western regions of the continental United States. A few blamed the deregulated power market in Texas, which allows consumers to choose from various retail electric providers who buy and resell wholesale energy from producers. Others focused blame on local water utilities, which seemed ill-prepared and ill-equipped to prevent and rapidly respond to the crisis. The list goes on.

The problem with all of these culprits is that none qualify as a dispositive inherent root cause of the crisis. Wind turbines, as we know, were not really the driver of the outages. The failure of some Texas wind turbines had nothing to do with the technology itself, but the fact that turbines in Texas are typically not equipped with the weather proofing packages required to protect them from freezing temperatures. ERCOT, while bureaucratic, is largely an intermediary that oversees coordination between parties in the value chain and has no immediate or direct ability to force power generators to take action. The independence of the Texas power grid also isn’t intrinsically negative. More autonomy and less regulation could—and perhaps should—enable the Texas power industry to be more innovative and forward-thinking. Deregulated electricity markets exist in dozens of other states across the country and while misaligned incentives and motivations of various parties may have contributed to the result, a more traditionally regulated market would not have necessarily prevented this crisis. Many local water systems were debilitated by the sheer number of pipes that froze and subsequently burst across their networks, leaving those systems without adequate pressure to deliver water. Others encountered distribution problems when backup generators for the pumps that move water into the system froze and failed to start.

None of these factors, however, can really be cited as a single or sole cause of the systemic and cascading crisis that ensued last week. It’s true that all of these parties and systems share culpability and there were many actions that could have been taken at every level to prevent or at least limit the severity of the outages. Plenty of alarms were sounded prior to the storm. None seem to have been taken as seriously as they should have. A push for winterization was made after a 2011 storm that caused widespread outages across Texas, but clearly insufficient action was taken. Yet, few expected the type of prolonged winter conditions that Texas endured last week. Remember, this is a state that averages 60 degree daytime temperatures in February. This week, a week after the storm, cities across the state will see near 80 degree temperatures. The biggest problem isn’t the structure of the Texas power market or the bureaucratic nature of its oversight bodies or the technologies it does or does not employ in its generation mix. The biggest problem is that the risks posed by climate change were not and have not been taken seriously.

Admittedly, it is more politically efficacious and expedient to identify a single perpetrator who can be sued, unseated or recalled, but the truth is much more nebulous and dissatisfying. The fundamental, underlying culprit in this latest climate-related disaster is not ultimately political, but psychological and sociological. The real problem isn’t ideological agendas or technological debt, although those factors come into play. The real problem is the pervasive normalcy bias that continues to impede a more aggressive posture to believing, understanding and addressing the threat of climate change.

Normalcy bias is a cognitive bias that leads people to assume the future will unfold similar to the past. It’s the “I’m sure it’ll be fine” bias, the “the way it’s been is the way it’ll always be” bias, the “this time will be just like the last time” bias. It’s the bias that causes us to not take seriously the very real changes occurring in the world around us, and as a result fail to evolve and adapt to those changes. They’re not real changes. They’re merely anomalies, one-offs, here-today-gone-tomorrows. We won’t have such extreme heat and drought next year. We won’t have this many hurricanes next season. We won’t see another winter like this again in our lifetime. These events are unusual. They’re not normal. They’re unlikely to happen again because they have rarely or never happened before.

This normalcy bias is hindering our willingness to ensure our infrastructure, and the communities that depend on it, are more resilient in a more uncertain future. It is the reason too many public and private sector leaders continue to ignore the threat of climate change. It’s why warnings, both general and specific, about the risks of climate change and associated extreme weather events have not been taken seriously in Texas, California and elsewhere. It’s also why many individual citizens don’t feel the need to stockpile bottled water, canned food and generators. Indeed, preppers are often mocked and derided for their alarmism, and certainly paranoia can be taken to an unconstructive extreme. Nevertheless, there is a degree of imagination, foresight and future-scoping that is necessary to prepare for increasingly likely unlikely events, no matter how extreme. After all, if the last twelve months have taught us anything, it’s that we are living in an age characterized by extremes. Such “extreme” events, particularly those that are climate or environment related, cannot even be rightly labeled black swan events. They are predictable, even if unprecedented, but require infrastructure leaders to recognize that climate change, by definition, suggests the future will not be like the past. The way things have been will not be the way they will be.

While it’s true that some people exhibit what social psychologists call system justifying behavior wherein they actively attempt to rationalize their worldview over and against alternatives even when it’s harmful to themselves or others to do so, I do not believe this to be a prevalent phenomenon among infrastructure and municipal leaders based on my many interactions with such leaders in cities across Texas. I have, however, encountered rampant normalcy and status quo bias that causes leaders of all political affiliations to base their predictions of the future based on the patterns of the past. For some, the only logical way to predict what might happen is to assess what has already happened. This logic succeeds as long as the surrounding environment or context remains static. When the macro-environment—be it the planet, an industry, a marketplace or a culture—changes, however, conventional wisdom and common sense are often unable to keep up. They’re predicated on the experiences of yesterday, not the exigencies of tomorrow.

Some experts, such as Texas water infrastructure thought leader and former George H. W. Bush administration official Richard Seline, have rightly called for greater infrastructure innovation as a solution to these crises, and I agree that new approaches and technologies are essential. Unfortunately, the motivation to find and fund these innovations won’t exist until more decision makers start taking the need for them more seriously. The sooner we shed our normalcy bias, the sooner we can begin the hard task of preparing our critical infrastructure for the climate risks of the future, and hopefully, meet the uncertainty and unpredictability of this century with the agility and resilience we will need in the era of the unprecedented and the age of extremes.

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‘Disgraceful:’ N.S. Tory leader slams school’s request that military remove uniform

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5 days ago

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November 8, 2024

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HALIFAX – Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston says it’s “disgraceful and demeaning” that a Halifax-area school would request that service members not wear military uniforms to its Remembrance Day ceremony.

Houston’s comments were part of a chorus of criticism levelled at the school — Sackville Heights Elementary — whose administration decided to back away from the plan after the outcry.

A November newsletter from the school in Middle Sackville, N.S., invited Armed Forces members to attend its ceremony but asked that all attendees arrive in civilian attire to “maintain a welcoming environment for all.”

Houston, who is currently running for re-election, accused the school’s leaders of “disgracing themselves while demeaning the people who protect our country” in a post on the social media platform X Thursday night.

“If the people behind this decision had a shred of the courage that our veterans have, this cowardly and insulting idea would have been rejected immediately,” Houston’s post read. There were also several calls for resignations within the school’s administration attached to Houston’s post.

In an email to families Thursday night, the school’s principal, Rachael Webster, apologized and welcomed military family members to attend “in the attire that makes them most comfortable.”

“I recognize this request has caused harm and I am deeply sorry,” Webster’s email read, adding later that the school has the “utmost respect for what the uniform represents.”

Webster said the initial request was out of concern for some students who come from countries experiencing conflict and who she said expressed discomfort with images of war, including military uniforms.

Her email said any students who have concerns about seeing Armed Forces members in uniform can be accommodated in a way that makes them feel safe, but she provided no further details in the message.

Webster did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

At a news conference Friday, Houston said he’s glad the initial request was reversed but said he is still concerned.

“I can’t actually fathom how a decision like that was made,” Houston told reporters Friday, adding that he grew up moving between military bases around the country while his father was in the Armed Forces.

“My story of growing up in a military family is not unique in our province. The tradition of service is something so many of us share,” he said.

“Saying ‘lest we forget’ is a solemn promise to the fallen. It’s our commitment to those that continue to serve and our commitment that we will pass on our respects to the next generation.”

Liberal Leader Zach Churchill also said he’s happy with the school’s decision to allow uniformed Armed Forces members to attend the ceremony, but he said he didn’t think it was fair to question the intentions of those behind the original decision.

“We need to have them (uniforms) on display at Remembrance Day,” he said. “Not only are we celebrating (veterans) … we’re also commemorating our dead who gave the greatest sacrifice for our country and for the freedoms we have.”

NDP Leader Claudia Chender said that while Remembrance Day is an important occasion to honour veterans and current service members’ sacrifices, she said she hopes Houston wasn’t taking advantage of the decision to “play politics with this solemn occasion for his own political gain.”

“I hope Tim Houston reached out to the principal of the school before making a public statement,” she said in a statement.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 8, 2024.

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

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Saskatchewan NDP’s Beck holds first caucus meeting after election, outlines plans

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6 days ago

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November 8, 2024

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REGINA – Saskatchewan Opposition NDP Leader Carla Beck says she wants to prove to residents her party is the government in waiting as she heads into the incoming legislative session.

Beck held her first caucus meeting with 27 members, nearly double than what she had before the Oct. 28 election but short of the 31 required to form a majority in the 61-seat legislature.

She says her priorities will be health care and cost-of-living issues.

Beck says people need affordability help right now and will press Premier Scott Moe’s Saskatchewan Party government to cut the gas tax and the provincial sales tax on children’s clothing and some grocery items.

Beck’s NDP is Saskatchewan’s largest Opposition in nearly two decades after sweeping Regina and winning all but one seat in Saskatoon.

The Saskatchewan Party won 34 seats, retaining its hold on all of the rural ridings and smaller cities.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 8, 2024.

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

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Nova Scotia election: Liberals say province’s immigration levels are too high

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6 days ago

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November 7, 2024

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HALIFAX – Nova Scotia‘s growing population was the subject of debate on Day 12 of the provincial election campaign, with Liberal Leader Zach Churchill arguing immigration levels must be reduced until the province can provide enough housing and health-care services.

Churchill said Thursday a plan by the incumbent Progressive Conservatives to double the province’s population to two million people by the year 2060 is unrealistic and unsustainable.

“That’s a big leap and it’s making life harder for people who live here, (including ) young people looking for a place to live and seniors looking to downsize,” he told a news conference at his campaign headquarters in Halifax.

Anticipating that his call for less immigration might provoke protests from the immigrant community, Churchill was careful to note that he is among the third generation of a family that moved to Nova Scotia from Lebanon.

“I know the value of immigration, the importance of it to our province. We have been built on the backs of an immigrant population. But we just need to do it in a responsible way.”

The Liberal leader said Tim Houston’s Tories, who are seeking a second term in office, have made a mistake by exceeding immigration targets set by the province’s Department of Labour and Immigration. Churchill said a Liberal government would abide by the department’s targets.

In the most recent fiscal year, the government welcomed almost 12,000 immigrants through its nominee program, exceeding the department’s limit by more than 4,000, he said. The numbers aren’t huge, but the increase won’t help ease the province’s shortages in housing and doctors, and the increased strain on its infrastructure, including roads, schools and cellphone networks, Churchill said.

“(The Immigration Department) has done the hard work on this,” he said. “They know where the labour gaps are, and they know what growth is sustainable.”

In response, Houston said his commitment to double the population was a “stretch goal.” And he said the province had long struggled with a declining population before that trend was recently reversed.

“The only immigration that can come into this province at this time is if they are a skilled trade worker or a health-care worker,” Houston said. “The population has grown by two per cent a year, actually quite similar growth to what we experienced under the Liberal government before us.”

Still, Houston said he’s heard Nova Scotians’ concerns about population growth, and he then pivoted to criticize Prime Minister Justin Trudeau for trying to send 6,000 asylum seekers to Nova Scotia, an assertion the federal government has denied.

Churchill said Houston’s claim about asylum seekers was shameful.

“It’s smoke and mirrors,” the Liberal leader said. “He is overshooting his own department’s numbers for sustainable population growth and yet he is trying to blame this on asylum seekers … who aren’t even here.”

In September, federal Immigration Minister Marc Miller said there is no plan to send any asylum seekers to the province without compensation or the consent of the premier. He said the 6,000 number was an “aspirational” figure based on models that reflect each province’s population.

In Halifax, NDP Leader Claudia Chender said it’s clear Nova Scotia needs more doctors, nurses and skilled trades people.

“Immigration has been and always will be a part of the Nova Scotia story, but we need to build as we grow,” Chender said. “This is why we have been pushing the Houston government to build more affordable housing.”

Chender was in a Halifax cafe on Thursday when she promised her party would remove the province’s portion of the harmonized sales tax from all grocery, cellphone and internet bills if elected to govern on Nov. 26. The tax would also be removed from the sale and installation of heat pumps.

“Our focus is on helping people to afford their lives,” Chender told reporters. “We know there are certain things that you can’t live without: food, internet and a phone …. So we know this will have the single biggest impact.”

The party estimates the measure would save the average Nova Scotia family about $1,300 a year.

“That’s a lot more than a one or two per cent HST cut,” Chender said, referring to the Progressive Conservative pledge to reduce the tax by one percentage point and the Liberal promise to trim it by two percentage points.

Elsewhere on the campaign trail, Houston announced that a Progressive Conservative government would make parking free at all Nova Scotia hospitals and health-care centres. The promise was also made by the Liberals in their election platform released Monday.

“Free parking may not seem like a big deal to some, but … the parking, especially for people working at the facilities, can add up to hundreds of dollars,” the premier told a news conference at his campaign headquarters in Halifax.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 7, 2024.

— With files from Keith Doucette in Halifax

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