Texas Blackout

The Bar Fight That Changed the World

We tell the story of how the National Guard descended on the East Texas oilfield, the chaos that followed, and how a bar fight in Austin helped establish a new system of energy regulation. Then we talk about World War II, and how the deal struck between Texas regulators and oil companies positioned the US to run the world of energy in the post-war era.

Written, reported, produced and co-hosted by Mose Buchele
Co-hosted and produced by Audrey McGlinchy
Produced and edited by Matt Largey
Production help from Rene Chavez and Jake Perlman

The Disconnect: Power, Politics and the Texas Blackout is a listener-supported production of KUT & KUTX Studios in Austin, Texas. You can support our work by becoming a sustaining member at supportthispodcast.org.

Introducing Season 3 of The Disconnect: Power, Politics and the Texas Blackout

The Disconnect: Power, Politics and the Texas Blackout is back for a third season, and Growth Machine host Audrey McGlinchy will be co-hosting some of the episodes with Mose Buschele.

In this season of The Disconnect: Power, Politics and the Texas Blackout, the podcast explores the history of oil and gas regulation, how the industry became essentially self-regulating — with the help of compliant state regulators — and how some Texas officials continue to see natural gas as the future of electricity production, despite the rapid rise of renewable sources like solar and wind.

In the first episode, you’ll hear the story of a con man and a group of hardscrabble East Texas farmers who uncovered the biggest oilfield in U.S. history — and how that discovery forced an obscure state agency to confront the destructive forces of unrestrained oil drilling.

Listen and Subscribe to The Disconnect: Power, Politics and the Texas Blackout

The Long Con

Hear the story of a con man and a group of hardscrabble East Texas farmers who uncovered the biggest oilfield in U.S. history — and how that discovery forced an obscure state agency to confront the destructive forces of unrestrained oil drilling.

The Disconnect Season 3: Coming Feb 12

One of the main causes of the 2021 blackout in Texas was the failure of natural gas infrastructure. Still, that industry has avoided increased oversight to protect against future failures.

In fact, natural gas remains one of the least regulated parts of our energy system. In this season of The Disconnect: Power, Politics and the Texas Blackout, we explore the history of Texas oil and gas regulation, how the industry — with the help of state officials— became largely self-regulating and what that means for energy reliability in Texas.