[aquila48]

“Texas is about as free from regulation as possible. The only regulated part is transmission. Generators bid the energy they sell, and retailers bid what they sell. In such a market, can you really ‘demand’ a generator limit the amount of product they sell?”

Not free enough. It doesn’t allow “free trade” of electricity with the other states because it has its own closed grid. I’m not sure whose bright idea that was, but I got a feeling they’ll rethink that.

If they had been able to import electricity, the problem would have been much milder. Not only that, but, from what I understand, because Texas has so much wind power capacity it often happens that the spot price of electricity drops to almost zero, even NEGATIVE!

https://slate-com.cdn.ampproject.org/v/s/slate.com/business/2015/09/texas-electricity-goes-negative-wind-power-was-so-plentiful-one-night-that-producers-paid-the-state-to-take-it.amp?amp_js_v=a6&amp_gsa=1&usqp=mq331AQHKAFQArABIA%3D%3D#aoh=16137503824686&amp_ct=1613750409346&referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com&amp_tf=From%20%251%24s&ampshare=https%3A%2F%2Fslate.com%2Fbusiness%2F2015%2F09%2Ftexas-electricity-goes-negative-wind-power-was-so-plentiful-one-night-that-producers-paid-the-state-to-take-it.html

If it was connected to the outside grids that over capacity could be sold to the other states, making things better for everyone.

[beancounter13]

I disagree with your baseline assessment.

Arguing with we can have ‘free trade’ with providers in other states is like arguing we can have ‘free trade’ with a communist country like China.

Other states have regulated electricity markets just has China regulates all of its market.