Why Are Texas Republicans Trying to Slow Down AI Development?
Over the last few years, the Texas power grid has been a problem for the southern state, with sensitivity to cold causing massive blackouts for residents.
This is the primary reason for the new bill. Texas Republicans are concerned that the additional power needs could cause problems for Texans, either in the form of blackouts or increased energy costs for individuals and small businesses.
“These industries understand they will have to supply their own power needs and are diligently working toward that goal so costs are not disproportionally shifted onto residential and small business customers.” – Dan Patrick, Texas lieutenant governor
Even worse, Texas is essentially the only state in the US that could handle this kind of investment, with states like Wisconsin and Wyoming initially vying for the project but eventually realizing that they were simply not set up to handle the energy commitments.
