Texas Power Grid: A Legal Fandango with a Hydrogen Chaser

Remember February 2021? The lights went out, the pipes froze, and Texas became an impromptu ice sculpture garden. All thanks to the Texas power grid, a technical marvel… when it works. But let's face it, folks, that 2021 fiasco wasn't a technical glitch. It was a legal tango gone rogue.

See, in Texas, electricity generation companies are like the prima ballerinas of the grid. They sashay in and out of the market as they please, with no legal obligation to pirouette through a blizzard. Why bother? It's cheaper to jet off to the off-market Bahamas (or Cancun) for a few days than sweat it out in the cold with the rest of us huddled under blankets.

Meanwhile, industry experts were doing the Macarena in the corner, urging the state and ERCOT to invest in energy storage. "Backup dancers for wind and solar!" they cried. "Without them, this whole ballet is a disaster waiting to happen!"

But what did we get? A measly 4.9 GW of storage for our 19.4 GW of solar and 38.3 GW inst.cap. of wind? That's like trying to fuel a rocket to Mars with a single birthday candle. It's not just insufficient, it's downright insulting.

So, what's the solution? Lithium batteries? Please, those are the champagne flutes of energy storage, expensive and good for short bursts. We need something with the stamina of a Texas two-step, something that can tango with the wind and waltz with the sun, even when the temperature drops like a tequila shot.

Enter hydrogen, the silent disco king of energy storage. With that free wind energy we have during off-peak hours, we can generate hydrogen, the fuel that keeps the party going long after the early winter sun sets. Hydrogen storage is like a bottomless margarita bowl (and I mean not that cheap HEB margarita mixes!), ready to pour sunshine on even the darkest winter nights.

Sure, it needs some R&D and fine tuning, but hey, Texans are no strangers to a good two-step. Let's invest in hydrogen, ditch the legal limbo, and give the Texas power grid the energy tango it deserves. Because let's be honest, another winter fiasco is about as appealing as a lukewarm Lone Star beer.

P.S. This is just the first verse of our energy cha-cha-cha. Let's keep the conversation going! Share your thoughts, your ideas, and your favorite dance moves for a more resilient Texas grid. I'm gonna do the same buzz for Oklahoma, my business is there (but my heart stays with Texas, partners!)