The evidence I saw points to a state failure, rather than a private sector failure. The private sector will gladly winterize all power generation equipment if the customers/state are willing to shoulder the price.
Based on what I read, households that insulated their homes and installed rooftop solar coupled with energy storage were largely immune to blackouts and freezing cold. Insulation is equally useful in hot weather as it is in cold weather, so there is no argument to skimp on it. Yet too many households do and will continue to do so until the state intervenes.
Why should the customer bear the brunt of providing electricity It should be the responsibility of electric provider to have extra capacity and they should be mandated by law for the right to sell electricity in the state as simple as that.
That is an outright excuse to gouge the customer base and to deflect the need to provide spare capacity. I work long enough in power industry to know that almost all electric provider have base capacity(natural gas, oil, nuclear GS) and there are peaker(Gas Turbine GS) that is there to provide extra capacity in emergency only. But the state, ERCOT are in cahoots with private electric provider and they don't mandated the extra power without charging extra to client base. As simple as that.
Solar energy is not cost effective for average home owner with average usage of 1000 wats. It never pay for itself and it is vulnerable to hail and storm damage. And typical composite roof that need replacement every decade or so It just nightmare to do it with solar panel. Insulation does not help when the temperature below zero you must be kidding yourself.
My neighbor bedroom is now dry up and he got Chinese plumber to fix the leaky pipe good for him. I am glad I can help him because he just a kid born in California but went back to Taiwan and now returning to state with his grandfather to keep him company and clueless what to do . My wife help them yesterday