I wish I could look a little bit more into it but I don't have enough time. However, I do think that it is important for us to look at some of the data to get an idea of what's happening and not rely on the fake news media! All the data (hourly) is available via U.S. Energy Information Administration. Some key points:

• Typically, Energy demand during the winter is low compared to the summer. The energy demand in the last few days peaked at about 70 GW. That's almost as high as the peak demand in the summer (75 GW). Without blackouts, that demand would probably be higher. ("Demand" doesn't take into account how much energy the customers need; it's the demand that can be fulfilled by net generation in the balancing authority's electric system and by interchange with a directly connected BA) The week before, peak demand was under 50 GW.
• Starting February 9th, the demand forecast is way off, sometimes about 10 GW. An accurate demand forecast is important for a stable energy grid.
• Wind energy is notoriously volatile. Peak generation was at about 9 GW compared to the 22 GW the week before.
• Electricity from natural gas made the biggest jump. Peak output almost doubled (about 44 GW), compared to the week before.

So, what actually happened?

Freezing wind turbines really suck when the energy is needed, but that's actually not the problem. Everything is bigger in Texas, except when it comes to the electric grid. Texas isn't able to handle the increase of 20-30 GW in demand during winter. Renewable energy is a part of the problem but the big issue is the Obama-era policy. When the amount of renewable energy increases in an electric grid increases, the demand for conventional power plants is NOT decreasing. Renewable Energy generation (for the most part) depends on the "availability" of wind and sun. Conventional energy generation (from coal, natural gas, ...) is oriented on the demand, and thus, isn't a problem for the electric grid. Conventional power plants are always needed as a backup (i.e., for the current situation in Texas), but its ability to balance the load in an electric grid is equally important.

What can we learn from this?

• Politicians are unqualified. They make policies after they listen to activists. The activists themselves are unqualified.
• Energy companies are getting bullied by activists and they suck when they want to make their case for conventional power plants.
• Conservatives need to go out there and ask the tough questions before the blackouts happen. And stop listening to MFers on podcasts who think they know anything...

One important point at the end: No, nuclear power isn't a solution (yet). Yes, they are safe. Yes, they are cheap. Yes, they don't emit CO2. But they don't offer the operational flexibility we need (maybe in the future).