Blackouts in Texas put a light on how to make energy choices

The Arctic cold snap that shut down power sources has forced Texans to rethink their own role in electricity supply.

Record cold temperatures in Texas that left millions of people without power have also sparked a heated debate over the state’s energy future. At first, the debate was merely finger-pointing. Why didn’t private utilities plan ahead for the Arctic snap? Could the state’s grid operator have demanded more electricity capacity? Did Texas rely too much on wind turbines (that froze up) or on natural gas (whose pipelines also froze)?

But...