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Following a summer of increased household energy costs in the aftermath of last year's catastrophic winter power outages, most Texans favour improvements to make the state's electricity grid more stable, according to a recent polling firm research.
The survey, conducted in early September by the progressive research firm Data for Progress, discovered that immigration and grid reliability are among the most important issues for Texas voters, among other social and economic challenges.
Still reeling from the consequences of Winter Storm Uri, the study found that a majority of voters across the party spectrum believed state officials did not effectively safeguard them from rising prices caused by the storm.
According to a study of 700 likely voters, nearly seven out of ten Texans indicated their home energy bills are currently higher than they were a year ago. The survey was carried out in both English and Spanish, including text and web page responses.
"These higher residential energy expenditures are lowering Texas voters' quality of life," wrote Danielle Deiseroth, lead climate strategist at Data for Progress, in the research, adding that increased energy bills have contributed to behavioural change.
Around 60% of respondents indicated they had reduced their leisure activities, and nearly half said they now use less air conditioning and switch off fewer lights at home. In the survey, recreational activities included dining out, travelling, and going to the movies.
Respondents also reported spending less on necessities like food and medications (30%) and shifting political parties in midterm elections (19%).
Some survey respondents blamed President Joe Biden, Governor Greg Abbott, the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, or other electricity firms for increasing residential energy rates. After being reminded that the Texas power system is not subject to federal oversight, more respondents blamed Abbott and ERCOT, the Texas grid's operator, rather than Biden.
Still reeling from the consequences of Winter Storm Uri, the study found that a majority of voters across the party spectrum believed state officials did not effectively safeguard them from rising prices caused by the storm.
According to a study of 700 likely voters, nearly seven out of ten Texans indicated their home energy bills are currently higher than they were a year ago. The survey was carried out in both English and Spanish, including text and web page responses.
"These higher residential energy expenditures are lowering Texas voters' quality of life," wrote Danielle Deiseroth, lead climate strategist at Data for Progress, in the research, adding that increased energy bills have contributed to behavioural change.
Around 60% of respondents indicated they had reduced their leisure activities, and nearly half said they now use less air conditioning and switch off fewer lights at home. In the survey, recreational activities included dining out, travelling, and going to the movies.
Respondents also reported spending less on necessities like food and medications (30%) and shifting political parties in midterm elections (19%).
Some survey respondents blamed President Joe Biden, Governor Greg Abbott, the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, or other electricity firms for increasing residential energy rates. After being reminded that the Texas power system is not subject to federal oversight, more respondents blamed Abbott and ERCOT, the Texas grid's operator, rather than Biden.
A majority of respondents, however, felt that state officials are failing to serve people in terms of planning for climate change and other extreme weather occurrences. Almost 90% of Democrats polled believe their state leaders are not doing enough.
"Winter Storm Uri left a permanent impact on Texans' thoughts," Deiseroth observed, "as they now manage their lives without trust that the grid will supply reliable service."
The freezing temperatures in February 2021 caused blackouts across the state, and more than 200 Texans died as a result of the intense cold and power shortages.
"With grid dependability difficulties and high energy prices dramatically impacting their lives," the strategist said, "Texas voters want their leaders to prioritise resolving the power grid."
According to Brent Bennett, policy director of the Texas Public Policy Foundation's Life:Powered energy initiative, the state's system was unprepared for the storm due to a lack of resources. He stated that the market "was indicating investment for greater wind and solar at the time." TPPF is an Austin-based nonprofit conservative think organisation.
"It's not their fault — it's not that the generators failed or anything," Bennett said of the grid's capacity during the winter storm. "It's just that the resources weren't available."
When it comes to improving grid stability, poll respondents support a number of initiatives, including updating electric transmission lines, increasing energy efficiency, and expanding the use of innovative energy technology.
Furthermore, approximately 64% of respondents stated that they would favour paying consumers during periods of high energy demand in order to incentivise them to minimise their energy use.
Nearly two-thirds of respondents said they favoured greater regulations on energy providers in order to maintain electricity more affordable and reliable. The Public Utility Commission of Texas is in charge of overseeing the state's electrical programmes, including ERCOT.
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