Texas regulators want to prepare the stateโs electricity grid for extreme weather. But thatโs a moving target in a warming world.
The state plans to use past weather data to craft rules for power plant upgrades. Scientists warn that the accelerating effects of climate change make relying on old data alone insufficient.
Gov. Greg Abbott nominates new chair to Public Utility Commission after power crisis resignations
Gov. Greg Abbott on Monday named Peter Lake the new chair of the Texas Public Utility Commission, the public board that regulates the stateโs power grid operators and saw all three of its members resign in the wake of Februaryโs deadly winter storm.
Electricity repricing bill hits wall in House, marking first major schism with Senate this session
Dan Patrick and marked the first major schism between the two chambers this legislative session. โThe Texas Senate stood for individuals, and Iโm proud of you,โ Patrick told senators. โThe House stood for big business.โERCOT is a nonprofit entity that manages the power grid and controls the prices power generators charge to retail electric providers, such as power companies and city utilities. Outgoing ERCOT CEO Bill Magness and PUC Chair Arthur DโAndrea say the cap was necessary to incentivize generators to send power to the grid. Still, the rift emerging between the House and Senate marks the most visible difference yet between the two chambers, which have largely avoided open conflict this session until now.
Texas Senate scrambles to advance bill that would force ERCOT to reprice energy charges from winter storm
Senate Bill 2142, sponsored by state Sen. Bryan Hughes, R-Mineola, had not even been filed when the day started Monday โ and the full Senate hadnโt been scheduled to convene. But the bill was quickly read on the Senate floor and referred to the Senate Jurisprudence Committee for a hearing on Monday morning. PUC and ERCOT leaders say the prices were intentionally left high to incentivize generators to send power during widespread outages. The PUCโs sole serving member, Arthur DโAndrea, told the state Senate last week that he does not have the authority to retroactively adjust prices. The other two spots on the PUC are vacant because their prior occupants resigned after the winter storm.
Just one Public Utility Commission member remains after another resignation in aftermath of winter storm
Many residents experienced power outages due to the winter storm that rolled through Texas. (Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune)Public Utility Commissioner Shelly Botkin has resigned in the aftermath of the deadly Texas winter weather crisis that left millions of people without power. Botkin's exit comes a week after the chairwoman of the commission, DeAnn Walker, submitted her resignation under pressure from Lt. Gov. With Botkin's resignation, the commission is now down to just one member. Walker testified in front of lawmakers before resigning and D'Andrea spoke publicly about issues over the power outages after being elevated to commission chair.
Public Utility Commission of Texas, ERCOT hold meetings Friday to discuss winter storm response
The Public Utility Commission of Texas will have an open meeting on Friday morning to discuss the Electric Reliability Council of Texas and other topics related to electricity and water following last monthโs deadly winter storm. The PUC meeting is scheduled to take place at 9:30 a.m. According to PUC, the meeting will touch on electric reliability, the electric market development, ERCOT oversight, cost recovery in areas outside of ERCOT, and electric reliability standards and organizations arising under federal law. According to Potomac Economics, an independent market monitor for the PUC, ERCOT kept the price of power too high after the outages ended. His outrage has not extended to the stateโs PUC, which oversees ERCOT and is led by Abbott appointees.
Texas utility regulator to investigate indexed retail electric providers following massive electric bills
(Credit: Jordan Vonderhaar for The Texas Tribune)After hearing reports of some Texans receiving massive electrical bills, the stateโs utility regulator said itโs investigating companies that offer their customers rates that fluctuate based on the spot price of wholesale electricity. The Public Utility Commission of Texas on Wednesday announced the probe into what are known as indexed retail electric providers. Griddy passes wholesale electricity rates directly to customers, who in turn pay the company $10 a month. The utility commission on Sunday temporarily barred Texas electric providers from cutting power to residents who donโt โ or canโt โ pay and from sending out bills. AdThe announcement Wednesday is the latest in a flurry of investigations into the events that caused widespread power outages and left millions without running water.