Deregulated energy markets accelerate solar adoption

Emissions vs. Renewable Capacity

• Several commenters argue that absolute renewable buildout (e.g., Texas’s wind/solar) is the wrong metric; the key outcome is emissions reduction.
• Disagreement over how to measure “success”: total emissions, per‑capita, per‑kWh, or trends vs. baseline. Some say Texas looks bad in total emissions; others note that holding emissions roughly flat while population and GDP grow is still progress.
• Comparisons to California are contested: some say California wastes less energy and has cleaner power; others point to official data showing substantial California power‑sector decarbonization but not a dramatic total‑emissions plunge either.

Texas, Deregulation, and Reliability

• Supporters say Texas’s “deregulated” (de-integrated) market lets the cheapest generation win, which currently favors renewables and batteries and limits stranded fossil assets.
• Critics emphasize the 2021 Texas power crisis as proof that this design underfunds capacity, weatherization, and reserves; they argue a capacity market or stronger rules are needed.
• Distinction is made between “deregulated” as in separated generation/retail vs. transmission (still heavily regulated) vs. political efforts to tilt markets back toward gas.

Enron, Market Design, and Spot Markets

• Some think any pro‑deregulation piece should grapple directly with Enron and the California crisis, where market manipulation and badly designed spot markets hurt reliability.
• Others say Enron’s core failure was accounting fraud, though there is pushback noting its active role in gaming deregulated markets.

China, Trade, and Industrial Policy

• Large subthread on China’s huge renewable buildout, ongoing coal use, and whether it will reach high renewable shares faster than the US.
• Debate over US tariffs on Chinese solar/EVs: one side calls them a major drag on US decarbonization and energy security; the other sees them as essential to avoid strategic dependence on a rival and to protect domestic manufacturing.
• Disagreement whether Chinese solar prices are mainly due to subsidies/dumping or genuine manufacturing efficiency.

Markets, Privatization, and Basic Needs

• Skepticism that “markets for essentials” align incentives with public welfare; concerns about price gouging, oligopolies, and long adjustment times.
• Others argue markets work well when properly regulated, with rules used to align incentives (e.g., capacity payments, interconnection reform).

Demand-Side, Housing, and Efficiency

• Some highlight poor building insulation (especially in parts of California and the US generally) as a big, underused lever: better envelopes and load shifting make high-renewable grids easier and cheaper.
• EVs plus rooftop or workplace solar are cited as a practical way to absorb cheap daytime power without separate storage.

Critiques of the Article’s Framing

• Commenters question the causal claim that deregulation “accelerates” solar: no control for geography/insolation, weak definition of “regulated vs. deregulated,” and cherry‑picked examples (TVA, Texas).
• Concern that focusing on absolute solar GW in Texas ignores efficiency, storage share, and percentage of renewables in the mix.