How the Energy Problem in Texas Failed Houston in February

H-Town has a climate problem—and Bun B says the only solution is switching from red to blue

Photograph by Todd Spoth

The weather in Texas this month has been more than just wintry—it’s been deadly. The calamities began in the state’s northern region on February 11, when Fort Worth temperatures dropped to the mid-twenties, freezing the I-35W expressway and causing a 100-vehicle collision. Several people died; dozens more were hospitalized. The crash was only the beginning of a hellish couple of weeks that left Houston — conditioned for average February lows in the forties — without electricity, gas, or water. Some locals went without power for several hours. More went without for several days.

Houston hasn’t been colder since 1989, when record lows hit seven degrees. The difference in 2021 is that the city’s current energy grid is privatized — separate from the national energy grid. Thus, when extreme weather collapsed the grid a couple weeks ago, there was no backup relief. Ultimately, Houstonians literally lost the roof on their homes, froze to death, or perished from carbon monoxide intake while seeking warmth in their vehicles, all because of political interests to keep millionaires rich. The majority of the population survived, but tens of thousands now have to drive around daily…