Posted on 02/21/2021 12:24:12 PM PST by USA Conservative
President Joe Biden declared a major disaster for only 77 of Texas’ 254 counties in order to focus on the “hardest hit” parts of the state, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Sunday.
Biden’s disaster declaration, issued last Friday, offers much less than what Texas officials had requested.
Gov. Greg Abbott had asked for a declaration that covered the entire state, as Texans reel from a winter storm that knocked out power and heat across the state, and left millions without safe drinking water.
The declaration Biden signed late Friday covers much of the Texas population, including Dallas and neighboring counties, and the counties that include Houston, San Antonio and Austin. But it falls far short of what Texas officials sought. The assistance can include grants for temporary housing, home repairs, and low-cost loans.
“This partial approval is an important first step,” Abbott said on Saturday.
Biden signed it late Friday, after telling reporters earlier that he would do so as soon as the Federal Emergency Management Agency put the request on his desk. The White House and FEMA offered no explanation for withholding the major disaster declaration from the rest of Texas.
“I thank President Biden for his assistance as we respond to impacts of winter weather across our state,” Abbott said in a statement. “Texas will continue to work with our federal partners to ensure all eligible Texans have access to the relief they need. The funds provided under the Major Disaster Declaration may provide crucial assistance to Texans as they begin to repair their homes and address property damage.”
If President Trump had refused to provide disaster relief for 177 counties the Texas Tribune would be in each county sharing the stories of average Texans struggling to stay warm, feed their families, and pay their bills. Since Biden refused to provide relief: silence.
This news comes after Biden’s administration didn’t allow Texas power plants to operate at 100% capacity during the polar vortex resulting in massive power outages.
Biden’s DOE refused Governor Abbott’s request and instead offered to allow certain power generation facilities a waiver if they raised the prices they charged to Texans to more than $1,500/MWh resulting in massive statewide power outages and a failure of the grid.
Images below:
The truth is that the federal government controls how Texas generates electricity – the mix of sources and the capacity of each. The DOE requires that Texas’ fossil fuel power generators operate far below their maximum output.
Gov. Abbott knew that if the EPA would allow our natural gas and coal power plants to operate at peak efficiency they could meet 110% of the demand the state faced last week. The EPA refused.
Sadly, Biden’s acting EPA chief, David Huizenga, is not an expert at power generation but instead an expert with nuclear waste management. When Gov. Abbott received the EPA’s refusal he knew Texas was in trouble and there was nothing he could do about it.
To put the DOE’s actions in context their demand that generators sell their additional capacity at $1500/MWh is like telling gas stations they can sell gas to consumers at $1500/gallon – it was a price so high it was basically saying, “no, you can’t increase capacity”
While Texas lost much of our renewable supply (wind and solar) Texas natural gas and coal are required to operate at 60% capacity to reduce emissions. They CAN operate at 100% if they get a waiver from the federal government as Abbott requested but Biden refused.
“This news comes after Biden’s administration didn’t allow Texas power plants to operate at 100% capacity during the polar vortex resulting in massive power outages.“
Fake news!
” ... it wasn’t making sense to me that Biden could just decree this disaster and the governor would obey. “
Read it again.
And then again. Try to follow the sequence:
The Federal government , as is their wont, was via the EPA already restricting Texas electricity generation for ‘Green’ bullsheit.
Biden didn’t do anything, which is a good thing for him because he wouldn’t have figured it out before the next 100yr freeze event.
Biden killed people!@
The President’s action makes federal funding available to affected individuals in the counties of Angelina, Aransas, Bastrop, Bee, Bell, Bexar, Blanco, Brazoria, Brazos, Brown, Burleson, Caldwell, Calhoun, Cameron, Chambers, Collin, Comal, Comanche, Cooke, Coryell, Dallas, Denton, DeWitt, Ellis, Falls, Fort Bend, Galveston, Gillespie, Grimes, Guadalupe, Hardin, Harris, Hays, Henderson, Hidalgo, Hood, Jasper, Jefferson, Johnson, Kaufman, Kendall, Lavaca, Liberty, Madison, Matagorda, Maverick, McLennan, Montague, Montgomery, Nacogdoches, Nueces, Orange, Palo Pinto, Panola, Parker, Polk, Rockwall, Sabine, San Jacinto, San Patricio, Scurry, Shelby, Smith, Stephens, Tarrant, Travis, Tyler, Upshur, Van Zandt, Victoria, Walker, Waller, Wharton, Wichita, Williamson, Wilson, and Wise.
Our power company followed the directive the first couple days. Then they decided to follow their own path. The long hours of cold wasn’t fun for anyone but it was much more tolerable once they were cycling on and off every couple hours. The company was also able to send water down stream to help out other hydro power stations.
Heads should roll at ERCOT. Abbott may not see another term. Not much can be done to Biteme for another long, long 4 years.
This is unbelievable.
Went according to their plan to cripple Texas during the freeze.
That’s what I thought.
Notice only the big cities got relief. The rest of us in rural areas get nada. Agenda 21?
The government is our friend and is looking out for our well being . . . . said no thinking person ever.
Fredericksburg representative files bill moving toward vote on Texas independence - House Bill 1359, or the Texas Independence Referendum Act.
https://freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/3929389/posts
“Why didn’t Gov.Abbott simply order all Texas power generation facilities to operate at peak efficiency”
Amen to that. Just let the federal government try to stop him and see where that would have got them.
Amen to that. Just let the federal government try to stop him and
see where that would have got them.
************
There is more involved in the electric supply system besides
generation.
There is the Transmission system and then the local distribution system.
Freezing causes problems in in both of them that isn’t cured with the
flip of a switch.
Isn't that an old Soviet Union saying.
This was one story Alex Jones broke yesterday which was correct. He can get snookered sometimes but not this time.
I don’t think it is that simple. I would bet the restrictions are laws and regulations tied to environmental issues. Those generally have very serious penalties for non-compliance. Huge fines, lawsuits, possible impact on licenses, tied to federal funding
The socialist/communist environmental wackos have been decades entrenched in land, utility, agriculture power in this country. By now they wield a big stick.
If Texas had simply defied them there may have been ways for them to shut down those utilities not in compliance. I would be surprised if they don’t have the power to do that. Shutting down and bankrupting the utility companies in the name of saving the environment would not have helped.
“If somebody wants to build a coal-fired power plant, they can. It’s just that it will bankrupt them.” Obama, 2008
And now it seems to also apply if you want to run your plant at 100% capacity for a week.
Don’t see Taylor County. Abilene was without power and water for quite awhile.
“I would bet the restrictions are laws and regulations tied to environmental issues. Those generally have very serious penalties for non-compliance. Huge fines, lawsuits, possible impact on licenses, tied to federal funding”
Captain Obvious?
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