Texas' independent ERCOT power grid has seen some challenges.
Three years ago the system -- which supplies about 90% of the state's electricity -- largely failed during a massive snow storm, resulting in rolling power outages that resulted in more than 200 deaths, according to the Texas Department of State Health Services. And summer heat routinely prompts calls for energy conservation to help the grid keep up with demand.
Still, state officials say ERCOT's independence from other power grids across the U.S. keeps intrusive federal regulation at bay and prices down for consumers.
This week, though, Democrats in Congress introduced a bill to force Texas to connect to power grids in other states.
Sponsors U.S. Rep. Greg Casar of Austin and U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York says the move will ensure the reliability of Texas grid by allowing it to draw power from other states in case of emergency. That, they say, could save lives. They also tout the bill as a way to ensure the nation uses more clean energy like wind and solar, thus helping fight climate change. Texas leads the nation in renewable energy production and other states could buy excess electricity if connected to ERCOT.
Sounds good -- on the surface.
We have been critical of ERCOT in the past. And our view remains that if Texas wants to keep an independent power grid, the state must be willing to spend the money to keep infrastructure and operations up to date and reliable. Lawmakers in control of the state's pocketbook haven't always lived up to that responsibility.
But if forced to connect to other grids, Texas would lose overall control of its electricity to federal oversight. That means more immediate and endless future federal regulations. That would certainly drive up costs for consumers.
Texas should keep ERCOT's independence. We cannot support any move to force a connection to a "nation" power grid -- but only as long as state officials recognize and follow through on their responsibility to Texans to make and keep ERCOT as reliable as possible, even under extreme circumstances.