TF
TruthOrFake
Fact Check: Renewable energy blamed for blackout is 'fake news', officials say.

Fact Check: Renewable energy blamed for blackout is 'fake news', officials say.

Published June 17, 2025
by TruthOrFake AI
✓
VERDICT
True

# Fact Check: "Renewable energy blamed for blackout is 'fake news', officials say." ## What We Know During the February 2021 blackouts in Texas, whic...

Fact Check: "Renewable energy blamed for blackout is 'fake news', officials say."

What We Know

During the February 2021 blackouts in Texas, which left millions without power amid extreme winter weather, claims circulated that renewable energy sources, particularly wind and solar, were primarily responsible for the outages. However, officials and experts have clarified that these claims are misleading. According to the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT), failures in natural gas, coal, and nuclear energy systems accounted for nearly twice as many outages as those caused by frozen wind turbines and solar panels (AP News). Specifically, ERCOT reported that of the 45,000 megawatts of power that were offline, about 30,000 megawatts were from thermal sources (natural gas, coal, and nuclear), while only 16,000 megawatts were from renewable sources (AP News).

Additionally, the narrative that renewable energy was to blame has been characterized as a common scapegoating tactic, particularly in the context of increased extreme weather events that challenge existing energy infrastructure (T Gonzalez & J Knox). Experts emphasize that while renewable energy systems can face challenges during extreme weather, the overall reliability of the energy grid is contingent on a diverse energy mix, including fossil fuels (AP News).

Analysis

The claims that renewable energy was primarily responsible for the Texas blackouts have been thoroughly debunked by multiple credible sources. The AP News report highlights that the majority of outages were due to failures in traditional energy sources, particularly natural gas, which faced significant operational challenges during the cold snap. This assertion is supported by ERCOT's data, which clearly delineates the contributions of different energy sources to the outages.

Moreover, the narrative surrounding renewable energy's unreliability is not only misleading but also reflects a broader trend of misinformation. The report by Gonzalez and Knox discusses how renewable energy is often unfairly blamed in the aftermath of grid failures, despite evidence showing that fossil fuels are frequently the culprits in such scenarios (T Gonzalez & J Knox). This pattern of scapegoating can distract from necessary discussions about infrastructure improvements and energy policy reforms.

The reliability of the sources used in this analysis is high. The AP News is a well-respected journalistic organization known for its fact-based reporting, while the academic insights from Gonzalez and Knox provide a scholarly perspective on the issue, further reinforcing the conclusion that the claims against renewable energy are unfounded.

Conclusion

Verdict: True
The assertion that renewable energy was to blame for the Texas blackouts is indeed "fake news." The evidence clearly indicates that traditional energy sources, particularly natural gas, were primarily responsible for the outages. The claims against renewable energy are not only misleading but also part of a larger narrative that seeks to undermine the credibility of renewable energy sources in the face of increasing climate challenges.

Sources

  1. Texas blackouts fuel false claims about renewable energy | AP ... - AP News
  2. The Scapegoating of Renewables After Grid Failures
  3. New Report Refutes 33 False Claims About Solar, Wind and Electric ...
  4. Avoiding blackouts with 100% renewable energy
  5. Renewable energy faces misinformation by GOP. Experts say that's a ...
  6. Fact check: Could an 'experiment' with renewables have ...
  7. Fact check: Did wind and solar really cause Portugal and ...
  8. Fakes about the causes of the blackout in Spain and Portugal. What ...

Have a claim you want to verify? It's 100% Free!

Our AI-powered fact-checker analyzes claims against thousands of reliable sources and provides evidence-based verdicts in seconds. Completely free with no registration required.

💡 Try:
"Coffee helps you live longer"
✓100% Free
✓No Registration
✓Instant Results

Comments

Comments

Leave a comment

Loading comments...

More Fact Checks to Explore

Discover similar claims and stay informed with these related fact-checks

Fact Check: Senate proposal guts renewable energy tax credits while boosting fossil fuel subsidies.
True
🎯 Similar

Fact Check: Senate proposal guts renewable energy tax credits while boosting fossil fuel subsidies.

Detailed fact-check analysis of: Senate proposal guts renewable energy tax credits while boosting fossil fuel subsidies.

Jun 24, 2025
Read more →
Fact Check: The Inter-American Development Bank (IADB) is pioneering a plan to use taxpayer-funded development banks to buy existing loans to renewable energy projects in developing countries, which could unlock billions of dollars in private sector investment.
True
🎯 Similar

Fact Check: The Inter-American Development Bank (IADB) is pioneering a plan to use taxpayer-funded development banks to buy existing loans to renewable energy projects in developing countries, which could unlock billions of dollars in private sector investment.

Detailed fact-check analysis of: The Inter-American Development Bank (IADB) is pioneering a plan to use taxpayer-funded development banks to buy existing loans to renewable energy projects in developing countries, which could unlock billions of dollars in private sector investment.

Jun 17, 2025
Read more →
Fact Check: Avinash Persaud, a special adviser on climate change to the president of the Inter-American Development Bank (IADB), stated that a new plan could drive tens of billions of dollars in investment for renewable energy in developing countries within a few years and could provide the bulk of the $1.3 trillion in annual climate finance promised to these countries by 2035.
True
🎯 Similar

Fact Check: Avinash Persaud, a special adviser on climate change to the president of the Inter-American Development Bank (IADB), stated that a new plan could drive tens of billions of dollars in investment for renewable energy in developing countries within a few years and could provide the bulk of the $1.3 trillion in annual climate finance promised to these countries by 2035.

Detailed fact-check analysis of: Avinash Persaud, a special adviser on climate change to the president of the Inter-American Development Bank (IADB), stated that a new plan could drive tens of billions of dollars in investment for renewable energy in developing countries within a few years and could provide the bulk of the $1.3 trillion in annual climate finance promised to these countries by 2035.

Jun 17, 2025
Read more →
Fact Check: 60% of energy vanished in just five seconds during blackout.
True

Fact Check: 60% of energy vanished in just five seconds during blackout.

Detailed fact-check analysis of: 60% of energy vanished in just five seconds during blackout.

Jun 17, 2025
Read more →
🔍
Partially True

Fact Check: There is no question Mark Carney is a brilliant business man and has a very impressive resume. But does he give a shit about you, and for that matter other Canadians? I didn't know anything about Mark Carney a couple of weeks ago and yesterday, I decided to do a little research project. This is what I discovered with about 1 hour of research. Lets take a bit of a dive in… Mark Carney is the UN special envoy on climate change pushing governments around the world to adopt “clean energy”. A great position, no? Interestingly, right up until he entered the Liberal leadership race, he also conveniently sat on the board of Brookfield Asset Management at the same time as he sat in this position with the UN. Brookfield owns $1 trillion in assets under management and many of their portfolios are across renewable power & infrastructure. Hmm, sounds a little conflicty? He has directly profited off of the shutting down and blocking of fossil fuel projects in Canada which he advised Canada to do (and other nations) while making sure so called “green energy” options are pushed and approved, which line his own pockets with green. One of Mark's acts as Chair of the board was to move the head office of Brookfield from Toronto to New York, because of the impending tariff war. Sounds like he has a lot of faith in his ability to put Canada first...and then he lied about the whole situation claiming that he was not chair when Brookfield moved. Maybe true, but he approved the move and voted for it at the first hint of tariffs from Trump, while he was still chair… Let’s look further at Mark’s role with Brookfield though. While he was doing all this “good work”, or rather making western governments do all this good work while he profits off of them, he was also directing Brookfield to act completely contrary environmentally when it suits the firm and their shareholders. While Brookfield manages green companies, they also acquire and invest in “dirty” fossil fuel projects and “carbon releasing” in other parts of the world. “One of Brookfield's collection of assets was 267,000 hectares in Brazil. producing soybeans, sugar, corn and cattle. between 2012 and 2021 Brookfield's subsidiaries deforested around 9,000 hectares on eight large farms in the Cerrado region of Brazil, a vast area bordering the Amazon rainforest. The report estimates that 600,000 tonnes of CO2 was emitted by deforesting these areas, the equivalent of 1.2 million flights from London to New York. A spokesperson for Brookfield said: "Brookfield made limited investments in Brazil's agriculture sector during the last decade. The decision to sell these businesses was taken several years ago because the fund they were held in was reaching the end of its life, and we therefore had an obligation to return capital to investors." Global Witness claims that this decision to sell clashes with public statements subsequently made by Mr. Carney as a global leader on climate policy, which call upon companies not to sell off climate-damaging assets, but to hold onto them and either clean them up or close them down”. - Ben King, BBC 15, Dec, 2022 They cut 9000 hectares of prime forest on the border of the Amazon to expand their GMO farming operations. Wow! How about the $16 billion acquisition of Inter Pipeline by Brookfield”? An oil pipeline, yes. Just two of the many "CO2 emitting" actions that Mark Carney has directed Brookfield on as Chair to the Board while he pushes green energy where it benefits his own books… A 2023 report on Brookfield by “Private Equity Climate Risks” paint a pretty bleak picture. "The combined current fossil fuel investments of Brookfield and Oaktree emit an estimated 159 million metric tons (mt) of CO2 equivalent (CO2e) annually. This is an order of magnitude more than the 11.8 million mt CO2e disclosed in Brookfield’s sustainability reports". So… will Carney be good for Canada? Well all of the above makes me think he is a wolf in sheep's clothing and let’s keep in mind he has been a close financial advisor to Trudeau since 2020. All of the great results of Trudeau’s tenure are the direct result of Carney. Doubling of house prices Record inflation Doubling of Canadians in the line of the food bank Our now crippling national debt and $60 billion deficit One of the biggest red flags for me is that Mark refuses to disclose his own personal financial situation. A guy who just a couple of months ago sat on 20 different corporate boards, including many American companies, promises he has a lot to gain by becoming PM. He is an ultra elite globalist who is 100% a part of the decisions that have led to Canada’s downfall and left us so vulnerable and if he remains as PM for any length of time, I feel Canada may end up bankrupt. The media will tell you that Mark is the guy to take on Trump, but the truth is not hard to uncover if you just do a little digging. Centrum

Detailed fact-check analysis of: There is no question Mark Carney is a brilliant business man and has a very impressive resume. But does he give a shit about you, and for that matter other Canadians? I didn't know anything about Mark Carney a couple of weeks ago and yesterday, I decided to do a little research project. This is what I discovered with about 1 hour of research. Lets take a bit of a dive in… Mark Carney is the UN special envoy on climate change pushing governments around the world to adopt “clean energy”. A great position, no? Interestingly, right up until he entered the Liberal leadership race, he also conveniently sat on the board of Brookfield Asset Management at the same time as he sat in this position with the UN. Brookfield owns $1 trillion in assets under management and many of their portfolios are across renewable power & infrastructure. Hmm, sounds a little conflicty? He has directly profited off of the shutting down and blocking of fossil fuel projects in Canada which he advised Canada to do (and other nations) while making sure so called “green energy” options are pushed and approved, which line his own pockets with green. One of Mark's acts as Chair of the board was to move the head office of Brookfield from Toronto to New York, because of the impending tariff war. Sounds like he has a lot of faith in his ability to put Canada first...and then he lied about the whole situation claiming that he was not chair when Brookfield moved. Maybe true, but he approved the move and voted for it at the first hint of tariffs from Trump, while he was still chair… Let’s look further at Mark’s role with Brookfield though. While he was doing all this “good work”, or rather making western governments do all this good work while he profits off of them, he was also directing Brookfield to act completely contrary environmentally when it suits the firm and their shareholders. While Brookfield manages green companies, they also acquire and invest in “dirty” fossil fuel projects and “carbon releasing” in other parts of the world. “One of Brookfield's collection of assets was 267,000 hectares in Brazil. producing soybeans, sugar, corn and cattle. between 2012 and 2021 Brookfield's subsidiaries deforested around 9,000 hectares on eight large farms in the Cerrado region of Brazil, a vast area bordering the Amazon rainforest. The report estimates that 600,000 tonnes of CO2 was emitted by deforesting these areas, the equivalent of 1.2 million flights from London to New York. A spokesperson for Brookfield said: "Brookfield made limited investments in Brazil's agriculture sector during the last decade. The decision to sell these businesses was taken several years ago because the fund they were held in was reaching the end of its life, and we therefore had an obligation to return capital to investors." Global Witness claims that this decision to sell clashes with public statements subsequently made by Mr. Carney as a global leader on climate policy, which call upon companies not to sell off climate-damaging assets, but to hold onto them and either clean them up or close them down”. - Ben King, BBC 15, Dec, 2022 They cut 9000 hectares of prime forest on the border of the Amazon to expand their GMO farming operations. Wow! How about the $16 billion acquisition of Inter Pipeline by Brookfield”? An oil pipeline, yes. Just two of the many "CO2 emitting" actions that Mark Carney has directed Brookfield on as Chair to the Board while he pushes green energy where it benefits his own books… A 2023 report on Brookfield by “Private Equity Climate Risks” paint a pretty bleak picture. "The combined current fossil fuel investments of Brookfield and Oaktree emit an estimated 159 million metric tons (mt) of CO2 equivalent (CO2e) annually. This is an order of magnitude more than the 11.8 million mt CO2e disclosed in Brookfield’s sustainability reports". So… will Carney be good for Canada? Well all of the above makes me think he is a wolf in sheep's clothing and let’s keep in mind he has been a close financial advisor to Trudeau since 2020. All of the great results of Trudeau’s tenure are the direct result of Carney. Doubling of house prices Record inflation Doubling of Canadians in the line of the food bank Our now crippling national debt and $60 billion deficit One of the biggest red flags for me is that Mark refuses to disclose his own personal financial situation. A guy who just a couple of months ago sat on 20 different corporate boards, including many American companies, promises he has a lot to gain by becoming PM. He is an ultra elite globalist who is 100% a part of the decisions that have led to Canada’s downfall and left us so vulnerable and if he remains as PM for any length of time, I feel Canada may end up bankrupt. The media will tell you that Mark is the guy to take on Trump, but the truth is not hard to uncover if you just do a little digging. Centrum

Mar 24, 2025
Read more →
Fact Check: The bill adopted by Mali’s Council of Ministers will revise the Transition Charter to grant the Head of State a five-year renewable mandate starting in 2025.
True

Fact Check: The bill adopted by Mali’s Council of Ministers will revise the Transition Charter to grant the Head of State a five-year renewable mandate starting in 2025.

Detailed fact-check analysis of: The bill adopted by Mali’s Council of Ministers will revise the Transition Charter to grant the Head of State a five-year renewable mandate starting in 2025.

Jun 16, 2025
Read more →
Explore All Fact Checks
Fact Check: Renewable energy blamed for blackout is 'fake news', officials say. | TruthOrFake Blog