On Monday’s broadcast of the Fox News Channel’s “Faulkner Focus,” Rep. Jodey Arrington (R-TX) stated that the energy problems in Texas are due to bad planning, there needs to be a recalibration of the balance between safeguards and regulations and free markets, and “there are needs for certain safeguards and consumer protections. And in this case, there’s a gap in requiring utilities to make this investment.”
Arrington said, “Well, this is poor planning. We should have had winterization. We should have had power reserves that were adequate. We should have had a smarter rolling blackouts sort of curtailment of power plan and none of the above happened.”
He added, “Look, we shouldn’t be a no government conservative party. We should be a limited government party. And there are needs for certain safeguards and consumer protections. And in this case, there’s a gap in requiring utilities to make this investment. If you don’t, then they won’t. Because it cuts into their margin. And so, here — this is an example of where you have to balance some level of requirements, safeguard, and regulation with an otherwise free and open market that will serve the customers the best. So, it’s just recalibrating that.”
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