By AndrewAmundson
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American Consequences writer Andrew Amundson recently sat down with Cactus Schroeder, wildcatter and president of Chisholm Exploration, an oil and gas development and exploration company. Cactus has been drilling oil for more than 35 years.
ANATOMY OF A TRAGEDY Texas is not part of the national power grid, in the most Texas move imaginable – a bit of energy secession to avoid federal regulation. But this electric independence means that it can’t import energy from neighboring states like Oklahoma. This assistance would have been convenient for a once-in-a-decade winter storm thrashing through Dallas and Houston, claiming the lives of more than 30 residents. The other fundamental issue is that none of these power plants, green or thermal, were winterized. For decades, the powers-at-be balked at these upgraded measures as too costly and irrelevant. I mean, when does it ever snow in Texas, right? The Right blamed green energy while the Left came after fossil fuels. But beyond the political hackery seeking ideological scapegoats... two core reasons emerged for Texas’ frozen nightmare...
Right around Valentine’s Day, Texas went dark... Millions of residents suffered without heat, power, and electricity for days on end – a full-on humanitarian crisis amid a pandemic that underscored institutional incompetence and partisan divisiveness writ panoramic. Or, as wildcatter Cactus Schroeder put it, “I was freezing my ass off.” Hospitals evacuated patients while people burned their furniture to stay warm, as federal, state, and corporate entities seemingly abandoned most Lone Star State residents. Texas Congressman Ted Cruz jetted off to Cancun. Local mayor Tim Boyd posted his tone-deaf message to Facebook, “It’s not the local government’s responsibility to support you during trying times like this.” Politically, the too-familiar sound bites poured out from the expected pundits – the Right blamed green energy while the Left came after fossil fuels. But beyond the political hackery seeking ideological scapegoats... two core reasons emerged for Texas’ frozen nightmare.
Photo: Wildcatter Cactus Schroeder beams by an oil rig as the sun shines down on Texas before the frost swept in and tragedy claimed his home state.
American Consequences
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