As the crisis ofrolling blackout in Texasunfolds this week , some of the state ’s loudest Republican politicians arefalsely puff “ frozen breaking wind turbines”as the cause . But behind every wind energy blot by a Texas politician is a dizzying amount of money add by the fogy fuel industry .
Earther look at whose money is behind the loudest anti - wind spokesperson this week . We used OpenSecrets data as well as single political contribution log with the Federal Election Commission website to attend at donation for Sen. Ted Cruz , Rep. Dan Crenshaw , and Sen. John Cornyn – three of the Texas politician sitting in Washington , D.C. , who have been most outspoken in their criticism of wind energy ’s supposed “ role ” in the blackouts .
All three have proceed to scapegoat renewables throughout the week , and search at their giver , it ’s no surprise . Union campaign finance data show more than 30 companies in the oil and flatulence manufacture , from transnational name like Exxon and Chevron to local power players like Texas Transeastern and Wildhorse Energy , yield tens of thousands of dollars to Cornyn , Cruz , and Crenshaw over the retiring class . That includes thousands from individuals employed by those company as well as largesse from their corporate PAC .
Photo: Chip Somodevilla (AP)
https://gizmodo.com/the-real-reason-for-texas-rolling-blackouts-1846279110
Cornyn , who was reelected last fall , was a big recipient of manufacture money . Between 2019 and 2020 , Cornyn rake in more than $ 50,000 from Marathon Petroleum ’s PAC and $ 25,000 from instinctive gas substructure company Sempra Energy ’s PAC , as well as $ 25,000 from utility behemoth NextEnergy and $ 40,000 from Koch Industries . He also did well with oil and gaseous state magnate players on an individual basis : chief operating officer or other key executive of Western Refining , Hunt Oil Company , Chief Oil and Gas , Walter Oil and Gas , Magnolia Oil and Gas , Occidental Petroleum , Cox Oil , Hilcorp Ventures and Kinder Morgan alldonated $ 50,000 or more eachto PAC associated with Cornyn ’s campaign in the last election bike .
Crenshaw , who run for reelection in the House , also made out handsomely from the industriousness last hertz . The oil and gas industry overalldonated$453,247 to Crenshaw last year ( $ 311,947 from individuals , $ 141,300 total from PACs ) . oil colour and gas was hislargest industriousness donorby PAC money , including $ 10,000 each from Energy Transfer , Valero Energy , Occidental Petroleum , and Marathon Petroleum .
Cruz was n’t up for reelection last year , but the industriousness did n’t blank out about him . He still bag $ 14,000 from Chevron ’s PAC and $ 10,000 from Exxon’s — a little outlay money , we guess — as well as tens of thousands of dollars in individual contributions from employee of 30 oil and gaseous state companies . All tell , these three Texas Republicans alone snagged more than $ 1.1 million from the industry in the 2020 election cycle .
But it was n’t just these three Texans in the nation ’s capital doing dirty employment for fossil fuels . On Tuesday , as millions in his body politic suffered through the cold and without power , Gov. Greg Abbott made an visual aspect on Sean Hannity where he pull into renewables . The blackout “ shows how the Green New Deal would be a virulent deal for the United States of America , ” AbbotttoldHannity . “ Our lead and our solar got close down , and they were together with more than 10 % of our index power system , and that thrust Texas into a site where it was lacking great power on a statewide basis … .It just show that fossil fuel is necessary . ”
And let ’s not forget Lt . Gov. Dan Patrick , who just last week was busypreparing a billthat would blacklist businesses base on their friendliness to fossil fuels . For Texas ’ two head gaffer , we used individual contributions pluck from state - level data point log on the land site Transparency USA , and found some real Easter eggs from the industry .
Abbott and Patrick ’s political action committee share a caboodle of big case-by-case dodo fuel donors . Syed Javaid Anwar , the CEO of Midland Energy , wasAbbott ’s top donorbetween 2019 and 2020 , giving a amount of $ 1,617,500 to his PAC . The chief operating officer also have liberally to Patrick , kicking his PAC just under $ 250,000 over that same time period . Douglas Scharbauer , an heir to a West Texas oil , ranching , and subspecies horse fortune , gavea sum of $ 350,000to the lieutenant regulator ’s PAC in 2019 , while another oil successor , Ray Lee Hunt , alsopitched in generouslywith donations of $ 500,000 to the PACs of Abbott and $ 250,000 to Patrick . ( Hunt also gave more than $ 63,000 to Cornyn ’s PAC . ) Not to be outdone , Kelcy Warren , CEO of Energy Transfer Partners , kicked$500,000 to Abbott ’s PAC and $ 200,000 to Patrick ’s in the same time geological period . Warren ’s business firm is behind the Dakota Access Pipeline , andhe has saidtalking about the pipeline is “ like talk about my son . ”
What ’s happening in Texas right now is a perfect violent storm of poor planning , dotty atmospheric condition , and a widespread government failure to prepare the electrical power system . Fossil fuel had a big part to play in how this catastrophe snuff it down as born gun and ember beginning failed at multiple points , from muscularity sources themselves freeze to grapevine shutting down . The Texas grid ’s terrible apparatus — a lack of consolidation with other State Department to assure a consistent powerfulness supply , remand weatherization update , predatory pricing habits — can’t be tied to one origin , but politicians like Crenshaw , Cruz , and Abbott are choose to hammer down on renewables while blessing fogey fuels , similar to how they ’ve reacted during California ’s blackouts in recent years . While it ’s impossible to say why , their donations tell a pretty damnatory story here — andresearch has showndonors make it rain on politicians who do their bidding .
The fogey fuel industry has also made it exculpated that it sees wind major power in Texas as a threat to its business . A panel on Texas windpower convened at the wind instrument diligence ’s key summit in 2019 addressed this issue directly . “ People are expend millions of dollars to hobble the idle words industry , ” moderator Chris Tomlinson , a Houston Chronicle columnist , suppose at the panel , claiming that there are lobbyist in Austin who have been told to spend well-nigh half their clip contradict the idle words industry .
When such a large - scale screw up like this happens — when lives are lost and hoi polloi suffer — we have to essay what those in control of the status quo have to misplace , and what changes they are urge . The fogy fuel diligence is fighting to keep its command over a quickly changing energy landscape , and part of their scheme is giving as much as potential to those in charge , especially Republicans . Even though experts across the circuit card agree that we need a clean energy grid that ’s reliable and have even created apopular design for how to get there , cautious politician with loud platforms are blocking serious word , have alone action . The longer the industry go along the political organisation captured and the more these citizenry lie , the more likely it is we ’ll see even more demise and pandemonium forward .
Dhruv Mehrotra impart report to this firearm .
Chevron CorporationEnergyEnergy developmentEnergy industryFossil fuelSustainable energy
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