The latest energy news from The Texas Tribune.
An independent market monitor for the Public Utility Commission of Texas wrote in a letter that the power grid operator kept market prices too high for nearly two days after widespread outages ended. Full Story
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State Rep. Craig Goldman and state Sen. José Menéndez talk with Texas Tribune CEO Evan Smith about the Texas Legislature's next steps following the February winter storm and the impact on the energy industry. Full Story
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Bill Magness is the latest official to depart following the winter storm catastrophe. Full Story
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Arthur D'Andrea replaces DeAnn Walker, who resigned earlier this week as chair of the Public Utility Commission. The governor appoints commissioners to lead the PUC, which oversees the state’s grid operator, the Electric Reliability Council of Texas. Full Story
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A subcommittee chair wrote in a letter to the Electric Reliability Council of Texas that the grid’s failures were “costly” and disproportionately affected low-income communities and communities of color. Full Story
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Griddy claims it billed some customers tens of thousands of dollars due to skyrocketing wholesale electricity prices. Meanwhile, Brazos Electric Power Cooperative Inc. filed for bankruptcy protection on Monday calling those price increases "devastating." Full Story
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Griddy made headlines for sending massive bills to customers after a winter storm sent wholesale electricity skyrocketing. Full Story
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Texas lawmakers have questioned and criticized the Electric Reliability Council of Texas for days about the near-collapse of the state’s power grid last week. Full Story
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Lawmakers will continue asking a litany of officials and executives how last week's power outages happened. Legislators in both chambers spent more than 12 hours investigating the disruptions Thursday. Full Story
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Who are the major players and how do they manage the power grid in Texas? Full Story
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Lawmakers grilled public regulators and energy grid officials about how power outages happened and why Texans weren't given more warnings about the danger. Full Story
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Lawmakers and analysts say it is too soon for an exact estimate, but the financial damage from the storm has left state lawmakers scrambling to account for the storm in the middle of the 2021 legislative session. Full Story
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While these plans are allowed under state law, the Texas Public Utility Commission said that “an influx of complaints into our Customer Protection Division has caused concerns that questionable business practices might be exacerbating the situation.” Full Story
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In the power grid operator’s first board meeting since Texas’ power outages, a sixth ERCOT board member confirmed his resignation, and new details show that a shortage of natural gas fuel was a bigger problem last week than in 2011. Full Story
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On this week's TribCast, Matthew talks with Ross, Alana and Erin about the political fallout from the winter storm and what the state might do to prevent future widespread power outages. Full Story
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"Tragic does not even begin to describe" the suffering Texans endured, Abbott said Wednesday evening. Full Story
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For lack of heat and water, people died last week — in the great state of Texas and in their own homes — who would be alive right now, had the state taken heed of recommendations made after past winter storms and blackouts. Full Story
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Five board members, including the chair, who do not live in Texas will resign. A candidate for another position on the board has withdrawn his application. The vacancies will not immediately be filled. Full Story
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A Chambers County resident filed a class-action lawsuit against electricity retailer Griddy on Monday, accusing the provider of price gouging customers during last week’s freeze. She is seeking $1 billion in relief for affected customers. Full Story
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In the latest episode of our podcast about the Texas Legislature, Evan Smith talks to University of Texas at Austin professor Michael Webber about the state’s failure to prepare for a brutal winter storm, the fragile electric grid we depend on, and whether the future of energy is bright or bleak. Full Story
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