A pumpjack is obscured by the heat as it operates on dry farmland with large windmills Friday, July 8, 2022, near Midland.

Electrical lines are seen, Tuesday, Aug. 3, 2021, in Humble.

Sen. Charles Schwertner speaks about several energy bill in the Senate to help Texas grid issues alongside Lt Gov. Dan Patrick and Sen. Phil King at the Texas State Capitol, Austin, TX Wednesday March 9, 2023.

CenterPoint's temporary generators, explained

A hammer thinks a nail is the solution to every problem, while the screwdriver begs to differ. An experienced carpenter chooses the right tool for the job.

Texas lawmakers are trying to improve the state's electric grid, deciding how much we’ll spend on transmission lines, energy efficiency, natural gas plants and renewable energy. They will need the wisdom of Solomon to navigate the male bovine droppings that lobbyists are spreading in Austin.

The stakes are high: Hundreds of people died during the 2021 blackouts during the coldest nights in a generation. Political futures ride on preventing another outage. Billions of consumer dollars will flow to those who twist the energy markets in their favor.

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The trouble begins with defining the problem. How much electricity will we need, how many miles of new transmission lines are necessary and should the state dictate how electricity is generated?

The Electric........

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