by am_Unition

Unlike most other states that safely endured the February 2021 storm, Texas had stubbornly declined to require winterization of its power plants and, just as critically, its natural gas facilities. In large part, that’s because the state’s politicians and the regulators they appoint are often captive to the oil and gas industry, which lavishes them with millions of dollars a year in campaign contributions.

TL;DR - Texas ain't winterized shit since last year.

And wouldn't you know it?:

ERCOT projecting high electricity demand during Texas cold snap next week - The grid operator has projected nearly 73 gigawatts of demand on Feb. 4, nearing levels seen during the 2021 winter storm.

It's pathetic that not only do I have to plan for a possible days-long electricity outage, I've now drawn up plans to possibly leave the state for weeks, if the grid fails completely. Just spent a few hours gaming it out, figuring out what I'll need and where I'll go.

Meanwhile, Texas Governor Greg Abbott Is Inviting Bitcoin Miners to Stabilize Electrical Grid:

The governor is depending on Bitcoin miners to pause operations when ordered to do so—particularly when energy demand surges.

The honor system! I'm sure the crypto mining companies will sacrifice millions in shut down and start up costs because they really care about their fellow Texans... just like the oil and gas companies.

Unless things are truly winterized, somehow, I guess magically, the grid will eventually fail completely. Maybe in a few days. (But probably not, honestly, because the polar votex is not predicted to extend a big tendril toward Houston.)

Regardless, our leaders and energy CEO's are essentially gambling with other peoples' money and lives, and if they really, really lose, the only consequence is that they might not get re-elected. Might not.