Texas: all hat no cattle?

[Xan]

Hey, I know this is in the politics section -- I do lurk at times.

The Texas thing -- one specific aspect caught my eye. Everything I hear makes it sound like Texas disconnected itself at some point in the past from the more "national" interconnected grid.

Is this true, and if so, why? Doesn't make senseto unless it was crazy expensive or something? If you can still source your electricity from California or Illinois, for example, if you lost part of your generating capability, but the power lines were still intact.

My understanding is it was more of a choice to decline to participate in a more national grid in the first place. Federal regulations were a lot stiffer if your power crossed state lines than if it didn't. But, that doesn't stop the feds from being the raw milk police, so who knows.

[vnatale]

Hey, I know this is in the politics section -- I do lurk at times.

The Texas thing -- one specific aspect caught my eye. Everything I hear makes it sound like Texas disconnected itself at some point in the past from the more "national" interconnected grid.

Is this true, and if so, why? Doesn't make senseto unless it was crazy expensive or something? If you can still source your electricity from California or Illinois, for example, if you lost part of your generating capability, but the power lines were still intact.

Part of the "independent, secessionist" ethos of Texas not to be subject to federal regulations.