In a move disconnected from his complaints about windmills and the Green New Deal, Texas Republican Governor Greg Abbott has banned Texas fossil fuel companies from selling natural gas to any out-of-state entity, Bloomberg reports.
Claiming he has the authority because of an emergency declaration he signed February 12th, Abbott’s order cuts off the freedoms of Texas companies to enjoy the profits of a free market, even as more than three million people in Texas struggle because they don’t have power or electricity.
“I hereby mandate that all sourced natural gas be made available for sale to local power generation opportunities before leaving the state of Texas, effective through Feb 21, 2021,” Abbott said to the Texas Railroad Commission, which for some reason is the state’s energy regulator “I ask that you immediately take all reasonable and necessary steps to ensure that this mandate is carried out.”
Abbott has come under harsh criticism for his administration’s handling of the winter storm and the spotlight it has shined on his state’s poorly-operated power grid. The privately-run state-licensed corporation that oversees power distribution announced rolling blackouts on Sunday night, but they turned into complete blackouts that have lasted for days.