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‘I’d Be Worried’: Energy Expert Warns on Texas Governor Greg Abbott’s Political Future After Fatal Power Outages
Republican Gov. Greg Abbott received widespread scorn after falsely claiming the Green New Deal was responsible for the Texas blackouts. But his misdirection is not the key political lesson to learn from this week’s catastrophe in The Lone Star State, an energy expert explained on Saturday.
Dr. Leah Stokes, a political science professor at the University of California Santa Barbara, explained the lesson that should be learned in a thread posted to Twitter.
Stokes is the author of the book, Short Circuiting Policy: Interest Groups and the Battle Over Clean Energy and Climate Policy in the American States.
Here is the analysis she posted:
For my book, I interviewed Texan Republicans, Democrats, oil guys + clean energy pioneers. Texas was once leading in wind energy, with GOP support. Now we get lies, from the Gov on down on renewables. What happened?
Lessons from Short Circuiting Policy https://t.co/KtxaBci5oC 🧵 pic.twitter.com/lXGXR70CoG
— Dr. Leah Stokes (@leahstokes) February 20, 2021
Gov. Bush was so proud of Texas’ leadership on wind energy, that he campaigned on it when running for President in 2000.
The "bill he signed in 1999 will make Texas the country’s largest market for renewable energy by 2009."https://t.co/T4dKZ5qGnA pic.twitter.com/MMFHqrGVDT
— Dr. Leah Stokes (@leahstokes) February 20, 2021
With Gov. Abbott going on TV this week and lying, blaming the boogeyman “Green New Deal” and wind turbines for Texas’ current crisis, GOP leadership on renewables feels like ancient history.
What happened over the past 15 years?https://t.co/jp3EqyORuu
— Dr. Leah Stokes (@leahstokes) February 20, 2021
Fossil fuel interests they are extremely big donors to the Republican party.
They maintain GOP discipline by threatening Republicans who support renewables or climate action with lost money and primary challengers. Over time, this shifts the party.https://t.co/W8L5yqDgOJ
— Dr. Leah Stokes (@leahstokes) February 20, 2021
There are lessons for Texas from California. But it’s not about renewables. It’s about the political effects of blackouts.
In the early 2000s, California faced severe power outages. As a result, Gov. Gray Davis lost a recall election. If I were Gov. Abbott, I'd be worried.
— Dr. Leah Stokes (@leahstokes) February 20, 2021
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