FORBES: Renewable Energy Is The Solution To Texas’ Blackouts, Not The Cause
Earlier this year, the state of Texas faced freezing temperatures without any power. Over 70 residents froze to death, farms were destroyed and on February 16th, at least 4.5 million Texans were without power.
As I scrolled through Twitter that week, I saw a lot of finger-pointing. Many blamed the federal administration for not providing aid, some shamed Ted Cruz, as he jetted off to Cancun and many blamed renewable energy and clean technology infrastructure, spreading claims that the windmills and solar panels simply froze and stopped working. Reliable news publications, both national and local, such as APNews, NBC, and Texas Monthly tried to refute the claims that renewable energy was to blame for such a major power outage and yet when reading the comments, it’s clear that many Americans still don’t trust renewable and off-grid technology.
The truth is, new technology, including new sources of power, can be scary. In the early 1800s when trains first were invented, many people were terrified. We laugh now, but to many, horses were that much more reliable than a big box of steel. The way many perceive off-grid solutions to power infrastructure is no different.