The natural gas plants at NRG’s WA Parish power plant in Richmond.

A battery storage yard Tuesday, Sept. 12, 2023, at the Blue Jay solar and storage plant in Iola. Local opposition to utility-scale projects is cropping up, potentially threatening Texas’ ability to meet fast-growing power demand and decarbonize.

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

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.

When blackouts strike the state again because the grid cannot produce enough electricity, Texans will have a handful of politicians to blame for pushing new laws that benefit their cronies.

The Texas Legislature is up to old tricks four years after Winter Storm Uri killed hundreds of people and left millions without power for days in sub-freezing temperatures. State senators are proposing laws that would hobble electricity generation to boost natural gas usage.

Unfortunately, the natural gas power industry can’t possibly meet the grid’s growing electricity demand, setting the stage for blackouts.

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State Sen. Phil King, R-Weatherford, is a repeat offender when running up electric bills to benefit his........

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