The Disconnect: Power, Politics and the Texas Blackout

KUT & KUTX Studios
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The Disconnect: Power, Politics and the Texas Blackout

Millions of Texans lost power during a winter storm in February 2021. Hundreds may have died. And people wondered: “How could this happen in the energy capital of the U.S.?” To understand how we got the electric grid we have in Texas today, you have to understand the electric grid we had up until a little more than 20 years ago — and how a group of power companies, environmentalists, cities and state lawmakers hatched a plan to completely remake it. Did the experiment fail? Hosted by Mose Buchele and produced at KUT & KUTX Studios.

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  1. EPISODE 1

    The Long Con

    Hear the story of a con man and a group of hardscrabble East Texas farmers who uncovered the biggest oilfield in U.S. history — and how that discovery forced an obscure state agency to confront the destructive forces of unrestrained oil drilling.

    31 min

  2. EPISODE 2

    The Bar Fight That Changed the World

    We tell the story of how the National Guard descended on the East Texas oilfield, the chaos that followed, and how a bar fight in Austin helped establish a new system of energy regulation.

    37 min

  3. EPISODE 3

    The Bull of the Brazos

    As the Texas Railroad Commission falls from global oil dominance, the energy crisis of the 1970s strikes and one gas company cuts power to millions. What comes next brings plenty of political intrigue, and sets up a divided system of energy regulation in Texas unlike anywhere else in the country.

    36 min

  4. SEASON 3 TRAILER

    The Disconnect Season 3: Coming Feb 12

    In this season of The Disconnect: Power, Politics and the Texas Blackout, we explore the history of Texas oil and gas regulation, how the industry — with the help of state officials— became largely self-regulating and what that means for energy reliability in Texas.

    2 min
See All Season 3 (4)

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Millions of Texans lost power during a winter storm in February 2021. Hundreds may have died. And people wondered: “How could this happen in the energy capital of the U.S.?” To understand how we got the electric grid we have in Texas today, you have to understand the electric grid we had up until a little more than 20 years ago — and how a group of power companies, environmentalists, cities and state lawmakers hatched a plan to completely remake it. Did the experiment fail? Hosted by Mose Buchele and produced at KUT & KUTX Studios.

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