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This Election Day, Texas voters will decide whether or not to open up billions of dollars to support natural gas power plants.
Proponents of the measure tout it as a way to improve the state’s electric grid — which infamously failed in a massive winter storm in February 2021, leading to the deaths of 246 people, or over 750 by one investigation.
“After Winter Storm Uri, it was clear for all to see that Texas needed more reliable dispatchable power because renewable energy sources failed to keep the lights on for millions of Texans,” Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick (R) said in a statement earlier this year.
Opponents argue that it’s a taxpayer giveaway to the polluting fossil fuel industry, and they raise doubts about whether it will actually improve reliability.
The measure, known as Proposition 7 or “Prop 7” creates the “Texas Energy Fund.”