WHEN THE LONE STARWENT DARK
“But, you know, I’m also old-school. So I may sound like an old, decrepit idiot. That’s just the way I see it.” Next, he mentions something positively new- school . “So I always thought that those natural gases we had... people would convert their vehicles into running on that. Buenos Aires and Argentina, every taxi runs on natural gas. Even here in Texas, we had a Democratic governor – Ann Richards back in the early ‘90s – she converted all of the buses in Austin to run on natural gas. She saved them a fortune. And I always thought that that would catch on... “ Cactus likes to say he’s a “results guy.” But he’s also the kind of guy that wants the most sensible thing. Green energy doesn’t hack it yet for him – but he’s still a man who waxes admirably about Argentinian taxis running on natural gas. Imagine. WHEN THE MERCURY BREAKS When asked about the need to winterize Texas’ power plants, Cactus agrees it’s urgent, but he’s unsure how many plants will need winterization efforts. If this process commences, he’s confident they’ll start with those closest to metropolitan areas: Houston, Dallas, San Antonio, and El Paso. Regarding the timeline for winterizing Texas’ plants, Cactus doubts they’ll finish by next year. But he acknowledges the need and sees where his home state failed – at least four million people’s homes went dark, about 15% of all Texans. But when it comes to paying for
Cactus likes to say he’s a “results guy.” But he’s also the kind of guy that wants the most sensible thing. Green energy doesn’t hack it yet for him – but he’s still a man who waxes admirably about Argentinian taxis running on natural gas. Imagine. “It’s just a harsh reality that if the wind doesn’t blow, the wind turbine blades don’t turn. And if the sun is down or behind clouds, then solar’s not going to work. I think it would be great if they find ways of storing it – if they have a breakthrough with a battery that can store and supply lots of electrical energy. I’m having a tough time seeing it in my lifetime – maybe my kids will see it.” And then, the signature Cactus self- effacement... they cut through like jam. They never shut anything down.” Cactus doesn’t seem to be anti-green energy, but rather more of the mind that the tech just isn’t ready . “I don’t know what it’s going to be going forward, but we found that we cannot depend solely on green energy. With Biden in as president, they’re going to push a lot of wind and solar. We have to ensure that the gas, coal, and nuclear can produce electricity to the entire state if and when solar gets shut down.
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March 2021
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