Rolling blackouts, my behind.
Last week, the Electric Reliability Council of Texas shut off power in various areas 30 minutes at a time to help conserve energy and provide to those who need it.
These rolling blackouts weren’t thought out — or so it seems — and we’re partly to blame.
It seems ironic, but during this cold weather, ERCOT, the agency that controls the state’s power grid, asked us to cut back on utility usage until the cold snap was over. Instead, the overuse caused those temporary blackouts.
A lady called into the radio and said she experienced two rolling blackouts while at her husband’s bedside. He was on dialysis at the time, she said.
The rolling blackouts put his life in danger.
Parts of my town actually experienced more than a seven-hour electricity loss. True, I could’ve gone someplace warmer, but my driveway is slanted. I couldn’t get out.
But it seems those rolling blackouts took priority over fixing the real problems and caused bigger problems with those who had electricity.
Yes, we Texans can’t handle cold weather. There’s no surprise there. But our lack of conserving energy caused ERCOT to possibly rearrange their priorities.
Winter isn’t over yet. February is just beginning. Texas weather is unpredictable. That’s obvious.
But all it takes is turning out the lights when they’re not in use or minimizing the number of times doors are opened and closed. The little things do make a difference when a community comes together and performs them.
Plus, it’ll save you money. If not enough heat is an issue, be sure to wear warm clothes and wrap up in blankets.
Every action has a consequence. And every action affects someone around you.
Last week, we saw a bunch of small actions that caused multiple consequences.
If ERCOT could focus more on fixing those with long-term power outages instead of creating controlled rolling blackouts, it wouldn’t have risked someone’s life.
Think about that next time there’s a cold snap. Turn out the lights. Light some candles instead. It’s that simple.
