Experts in the News

Could last week's power crisis prompt a broader reckoning about the limits of Texas' anti-government, low-regulation philosophy? Not if its leaders' political ambitions and desire to differentiate themselves from the Biden administration are factors, said fellow Mark Jones. “Any time that Mr. Biden gives in to the left wing of his party, those will be opportunities for [Gov. Greg] Abbott,” said Jones.

"You might say, 'We lost a week. What's the big deal?' But my worry is the stakes are high because of new variants now permeating the U.S," said health policy fellow Peter Hotez of Texas' winter storm, which slowed the state's COVID-19 vaccination rate.

While the Texas GOP's role in last week's statewide power outage has drawn a lot of negative attention, their “one saving grace” is they won’t have to face voters again until November 2022, said political science fellow Mark Jones. “Much will depend on how long people’s memories are — and what else occurs in the interim.”

Electricity grids and infrastructure must be better equipped for a changing climate or they can have deadly consequences. The crisis gripping Texas' power grid "illustrates the need for our energy systems to be more resilient to extreme weather," Baker Institute faculty scholar Daniel Cohan stated.

The state’s unique electrical system worked well for decades — but it wasn’t ready for unexpected cold, writes Center for Energy Studies nonresident scholar and energy historian Julie Cohn.