The latest Greg Abbott news from The Texas Tribune.
Texans are reporting receiving exorbitant electric bills despite not having power during the storm. One Texan, according to The New York Times, received a $16,752 electric bill. Full Story
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From a new mom in Pflugerville who struggled to keep her baby warm to a Houston teacher worried about her students, listen to what some Texans endured in the weekend edition of The Brief podcast. Full Story
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When the lights went out this week and Texans lost access to power and clean drinking water, the Texas Division of Emergency Management failed to provide accessible and life-saving updates on outages and inclement weather. Full Story
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Abbott will be joined by emergency officials for his update from Austin. Many Texans remain without power, and water access has been disrupted for millions across the state. Full Story
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Texans face a cascade of frustrations and expenses as the state tries to recover from the storm. Insurance companies are bracing for claims rivaling those after major hurricanes, and homeowners are trying to find plumbers and electricians. Full Story
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The Texas government's failures in the face of a winter storm have been very hard on Texans, and could do lasting damage to the state's reputation. Full Story
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Abbott also blasted the Electric Reliability Council of Texas for its handling of the recent winter storm. Full Story
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Texas officials knew winter storms could leave the state’s power grid vulnerable, but they left the choice to prepare for harsh weather up to the power companies — many of which opted against the costly upgrades. That, plus a deregulated energy market largely isolated from the rest of the country’s power grid, left the state alone to deal with the crisis, experts said. Full Story
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Green energy has been a political punching bag for Texas Republicans like Gov. Greg Abbott throughout the winter storm. Experts say that politicians never take responsibility for natural disasters when it comes to preparedness. Full Story
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Abbott said he hasn’t been told which parts of Texas should expect power to return. Nearly 12 million Texans are also living under boil-water notices — and that number is expected to increase. Full Story
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ERCOT's CEO and president told reporters Wednesday he's optimistic that the state's grid will start to see some of the power it has lost return as temperatures warm up. Full Story
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As Texans struggle with terrible winter weather, electric utility failures affecting more than 4 million households, a pandemic and a botched vaccine rollout, a natural question arises: Do state leaders know what they're doing? Full Story
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Texas residents said the storm — and ensuing partial collapse of the state's power system — sapped what mental reserves they had left after eleven months of a global health crisis that has cost thousands of jobs and claimed more than 40,000 lives in the state. Full Story
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“The Electric Reliability Council of Texas has been anything but reliable over the past 48 hours,” Gov. Greg Abbott said in a statement. Full Story
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Some utility companies that deliver electricity to Texans are telling customers to expect power outages through Monday night and potentially into Tuesday. Full Story
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Gov. Greg Abbott urged Texans to stay alert as the National Weather Service issued winter storm warnings or watches for most of the state. Experts fear that electricity demand during the frigid temperatures could cause power outages. Full Story
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What gets the state’s unusually subdued lieutenant governor to stand up and take notice? Not playing the national anthem at Dallas Mavericks games, as it turns out. The first culture clash of the 2021 legislative session is underway. Full Story
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People pushing for the move say they are hopeful they'll get legislative approval this year. If not, one executive said, it's "inevitable" in the future. Full Story
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While COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations are trending downward, the numbers are higher than when Abbott initially announced restrictions on businesses. Full Story
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Multiple federal courts have found Texas' cash bail practices discriminatory against poor people. The governor has said his priority bill will instead focus on keeping "dangerous criminals" in jail before they're convicted. Full Story
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