Washington, D.C. – Unlocking America’s Future today released a new research report calling out Texas lawmakers for neglecting disaster preparedness in the face of escalating severe weather events due to climate change. The report, which explores the human impact and financial cost of recent extreme weather events in Texas, reveals the growing disconnect between the state’s lawmakers and their constituents.
Despite the prevalence of catastrophic weather events in Texas in recent years, state infrastructure is largely underprepared to handle the additional strain caused by extreme weather.
The report spotlights how Texas lawmakers are costing the state and putting citizens at risk including:
- In the face of extreme heat, Texas lawmakers continue to drag their feet when upgrading existing electricity grids, causing many generators to curtail, leaving citizens without power needed to stay safe and a loss of billions each year in costs.
- The state has failed to invest in air conditioning systems for all Texas schoolchildren or develop heat protection standards for outdoor workers.
- As winter conditions continue to cause problems across the state, including Winter Storm Uri, which caused over $195 billion in damages and resulted in 500,000 insurance claims, lawmakers have deprioritized efforts to ensure energy facilities are winterized, including passing legislation that actually incentivizes some not to.
- Despite solar outperforming projections during Winter Storm Uri and renewables providing low-cost energy to the grid, Texas legislators have taken every chance to penalize them, whether by increasing the cost for clean energy developers to connect generation to the grid or by proposing stringent siting laws to wipe out the wind and solar industries throughout the state.
Instead of directing state funds and policy efforts into fortifying necessary infrastructure, Texas legislators are busy attacking responsible investing by passing anti-ESG laws SB13 and SB19, which have cost the state nearly $700 million in lost economic activity. Since the laws went into effect in 2021, Texas public entities have been forced to divest from financial institutions that practice responsible investing, resulting in a loss of over 3,000 full-time, permanent jobs.
“This new research makes clear that Texas lawmakers are prioritizing politics and the interests of greedy billionaires over the safety and wellbeing of Texas citizens in the face of escalating climate hazards,” said Kyle Herrig, spokesperson for Unlocking America’s Future. “Texas lawmakers must protect the safety and economic security of their constituents. Texas voters overwhelmingly recognize that the self-serving politicians leading this extreme policy agenda are working on behalf of their billionaire campaign donors and neglecting the real issues impacting the state.”
The new extreme weather report is part of Unlocking America’s Future’s larger Texas campaign, which aims to educate voters on the consequences of the state’s extremist policies. A recent Unlocking America’s Future poll revealed that 72% of Texas voters believe leaders in Texas have become less focused on fixing real problems and more focused on pushing an extreme conservative agenda.
You can read the full report here.
