That Texas and California have been hardest hit makes clear that simplistic ideological explanations are often wrong. California also has a power market, but it requires power producers to maintain excess capacity that can be called upon in emergencies. “Coal plants and gas plants have problems in both heat and cold,” said Mr. Last August, several power plants fired by natural gas stopped generating electricity as Californians were cranking up air-conditioners because equipment at the plants malfunctioned in the hot weather. Short of power just as demand was peaking, the California Independent System Operator, which manages the state’s grid, ordered utilities to conduct rolling blackouts until the system achieved balance.

Source: New York Times February 18, 2021 18:28 UTC