Steve Cortes, President of the League of American Workers, expressed criticism towards current Democratic climate initiatives, describing them as “overblown and wasteful.” His remarks were made during an interview.
“Note to Sylvia Garcia,” said Cortes. “summer is hot. It always has been. Stop the climate hysteria. and stop insisting we waste billions in borrowed money on your supposedly ‘green’ boondoggles.”
According to the National Weather Service Houston/Galveston, Southeast Texas experienced its hottest summer on record in 2023, with several cities reporting maximum temperatures of 109 °F and average nighttime lows near 76 °F. Texas now has daily and hourly data from over 18 major stations—including Houston, Austin, Dallas/Fort Worth, and Corpus Christi—with consistent records spanning from 1961 to 1990 to the present, maintained as of January 10, 2025, whereas early 20th‑century coverage was limited to only a few scattered federal and cooperative sites. The agency notes a substantial rise in both daytime and nighttime heat records compared to previous years.
A 2024 analysis by the Energy Alliance estimates that federal, state, and local subsidies for wind and solar energy contributed approximately $20 billion to the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) electricity system between 2014 and 2023. These costs are reflected in the average utility bills paid by Texas consumers. The analysis highlights a sharp rise in renewable subsidy expenses over the past decade.
In February 2025, a report from the Texas Public Policy Foundation via the Life: Powered campaign identified that intermittency in wind and solar generation led to $788 million in ancillary grid services costs in 2023. Texans are covering these system reliability expenses. Total hidden reliability expenses are estimated at over $2 billion annually and may increase if stricter reliability standards are applied. The report provides detailed breakdowns of how integrating renewables affects grid operations and consumer expenditures.
Rep. Sylvia Garcia was born and raised in Houston, Texas. Before her political career, she worked as an attorney and served as a Harris County commissioner and state senator. First elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2018, Garcia focuses on healthcare, immigration, and environmental justice issues, including federal climate-related funding. She represents portions of Southeast Texas while serving on several House committees.