Interesting article on why Texas might decline to participate in that proposed interconnect grid. If we did participate, we might have to give up independent oversight to various federal bureaucracies.
The article contains a couple of notable ironies:
- Because there’s only one regulatory commission to deal with, it’s much easier to get “alternative energy” (solar, wind, etc.) projects approved. Never mind that a goodly portion* of the alt-energy crowd are in favor of greater regulation of just about everything, a short-sighted strategy on par with their disdain for nuclear power.
- Because of that lack of federal red tape, some heavyweight corporate sponsors (Intel, Microsoft, etc.) have gotten together to put together a think-tank in…the notoriously pro-regulation environs of Austin.
*Not all. I have one friend who drives a Honda hybrid, and another whose car is fueled by liquefied natural gas (a vehicle we cheerfully refer to as “the Hindenburg”), both of whom are small-government, pro-gun, pro-nuclear types.
(Hat tip to Instapundit.)