I hate that ERCOT gets the heat for rolling blackouts and outages. They're just the grid operator, running the grid according to the rules of the Public Utility Commission, which is appointed by the governor.

Ultimately they were given a nigh impossible task of keeping the grid up without making really deep cuts. There is plenty wrong with the Texas grid, and the PUC didn't force the implementation of better winterization and grid control. But given the rules and levers they were given, ERCOT followed their mandate and keeping us out of grid black start territory. Scapegoating them is a dodge that lets Abbot and his appointees off the hook.

ERCOT and the Texas state government had no role in these recent power outages. Unlike 2021, where there were significant generation and transmission problems on a statewide level, the 2023 power outages in Austin were a result of local infrastructure - managed by the city itself through the municipally-owned utility Austin Energy - not being adequately maintained to deal with extreme weather. In particular, tree trimming programs were scaled down for over a decade due to public complaints, and that ended up being a big problem when those tree branches fell onto power lines and knocked out power for significant chunks of the city for days.