There Should Never Be Another Blackout

Last week a severe weather event cascaded into multiple failures of Texas infrastructure. Millions of Texans lost power while enduring freezing temperatures. Water systems failed, at one point putting over half of Texans on a boil water notice or, worse, without any water at all. Hospitals and nursing homes had to be evacuated. At least 32 Texans are dead, and the economic recovery will take months.

"This was a climate event that Texas was unprepared for," said Chair Erin Zwiener (D-Driftwood). “Our members have already been working on climate adaptation, climate mitigation, and grid reliability and resiliency. We're ready to lead on making sure nothing like this ever happens again."

"This was a man-made disaster," said Second Vice Chair Jon Rosenthal (D-Houston). "We weren't prepared, and our failures exacerbated a severe weather event. If Texas wants to remain the energy leader of the world, we must restructure our energy markets and harden our transmission systems so that Texas families and businesses can count on our electric grid."

"Climate change predicts more frequent extreme weather events, like this Texas Freeze," said Secretary Gina Hinojosa (D-Austin). "Texas is the largest contributor to greenhouse gas emissions in the nation, and if we want to protect our communities, we must tackle carbon emissions and prepare for the changes that are already happening."

"Texas is the ninth-largest economy in the world," said First Vice Chair Ron Reynolds (D-Missouri City). "For business in Texas to continue to prosper, we must reestablish confidence in our infrastructure. Texas has underinvested for too long, and climate change has only made it more urgent to invest in our infrastructure now."

Members of the Texas House Caucus on Climate, Environment, and the Energy Industry have filed or at work on several bills to address these challenges. Highlights include: Agency Preparedness for Climate Variability by Rep. Jasmine Crockett (HB 1949), Establishing the Texas Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation Commission by Rep. Rafael Anchia (HB1044), Requiring Gas Capture plans for Oil and Gas Wells by Rep. Hinojosa (HB 1913), Establishing a Tax on Flared and Vented Natural Gas by Rep. Vikki Goodwin (HB 1494), Increasing ERCOT Power Reserves by Rep. Ron Reynolds (to be filed), Modern Infrastructure Act by Rep. Zwiener (to be filed) to invest in grid resiliency improvements, Weatherization for Electricity Generation by Rep. Rosenthal (to be filed).

The Texas House Caucus on Climate, Environment, and the Energy Industry was established in January of 2021. The purpose of the caucus is to raise awareness of and serve as a clearinghouse for scientifically-backed information on environmental issues across the state including climate change, environmental justice, green workforce development, modernizing the energy industry, pollution, and open space.