On Wednesday, March 24th, Discourse in Democracy and the Texas State University Common Experience hosted energy expert and sustainability advocate James Cargas, J.D. (founder of New Energy LLC) to provide his insights into the causes of the 2021 Texas Blackout. Mr. Cargas served as Houston’s Senior Assistant City Attorney for Energy from 2008-2019. Prior to that, he had served in the White House on President Clinton Council on Sustainable Development, in the Department of Energy, and as Deputy Director of the North American Energy Standards Board.
Mr. Cargas spoke via Zoom to an audience of over 120 students and faculty. His remarks expanded on his widely acclaimed Washington Monthly article on the blackout.
Drawing on his expertise in energy law, national and local policy, and energy markets, Mr. Cargas’ talk explored he dynamics of energy procurement, the causes the Texas blackout, and the role played by human failures. The major cause of the blackout, he contended, was not frozen wind turbines, the Electrical Reliability Council of Texas’ (ERCOT) independence from federal regulation and neighboring grids, or the 2002 Texas deregulation of electricity markets. Rather, it was the lack of weatherization by the natural gas industry, poor preparedness and forecasting by the grid operator, and the lack of coordination between state natural gas and electricity regulators. The blackout, he concluded, was “a terrible tragedy that was foreseeable and preventable.”
Most of the audience’s questions focused on the future of renewables, deregulation, and careers in green energy. Regarding renewables, Cargas observed that “Texas is the sixth largest generator of wind in the world and the largest in the United States” and is about to expand its use of wind further. ERCOT already has a significant number of wind and solar farms scheduled to connect to the Texas grid in 2021, and zero new coal plants. Given the size of the state, the shift to renewables has taken some time but is finally becoming a significant source of power.
In closing, Mr. Cargas offered advice for people currently working within the oil and gas industry who want to transition to the renewable industry. They will find the oil and gas sectors generally have higher salaries but also tremendous volatility which result in hiring and firing booms. By comparison, the renewable industry is an emerging market for career growth with more modest salaries but greater job security. Applicants, he suggested, “should find ways to ‘green up’ their resume through volunteer work with environmental groups, planting trees, or river clean-up. Green energy companies want to see that an applicant cares about the environment and climate change.” These companies want to know that a person’s heart is aligned with the mission and goals of the company’s culture.
One undergraduate student said of the event “I always find it helpful to hear from others much further along in their careers, especially when they are in and helping Texas. I feel more confident after this event because it brought me one step closer to familiarizing myself with the language and world of energy.”
Dr. Marc Wallace, a member of the political science department, moderated the discussion. Dr. Wallace and Mr. Cargas attended The American University in Washington, DC at the same time and have remained friends for nearly three decades.
This lecture is available to watch on MediaFlo!
Follow this link to read Cargas’ Washington Monthly article.
