Utilities that rip you off may be a thing of the past. Cities across the United States are adopting Community Power programs supposedly based on cleaner energy to shift power to local groups rather than investor-run companies. Everything sounds wonderful until you consider the case of Texas in 2020. Because of environmental regulations, the DOE informed ERCOT they chad to import power and could not increase their own production during a deadly winter storm in February. A recent UT Austin report found that natural gas companies had actually been paid as part of the ERCOT ERS program to shut down systems right around the time of the storm to save power, which resulted in shortages and death. Texas companies are also able to alter the power usage in your home through smart thermostats. One may wonder what happens when power is shifted into the hands of local cadres who have the power not only to overcharge and under-deliver, all based on green initiatives, but that get to decide how much power you can have based on your social standing.

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