Posted on · The Texas House and Senate both approved negotiated versions of Senate Bill 2 and Senate Bill 3, the two sweeping bills to change the state’s power grid and the people who oversee it.
Posted on · ERCOT doesn’t have the power to mandate major changes. That’s the job of the Public Utility Commission (PUC), which oversees ERCOT and regulates the grid, as well as the Railroad Commission, which regulates the natural gas sector. The Texas legislature oversees all of the organizations, and its efforts to mandate weatherization have stalled.
Posted on · The state’s grid operator warned of a possible energy emergency on the grid Tuesday. It said slightly warmer-than-expected weather was part of the problem, but it was really the fact that coal, gas and nuclear power were offline all at once.
Posted on · The grid operator issued an alert Tuesday, warning that electricity demand on the grid was close to surpassing supply.
Posted on · The majority of the deaths are associated with hypothermia, according to the Texas Department of State Health Services.
Posted on · Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick said the House "stood for big business" after Speaker Dade Phelan signaled skepticism about reversing billions of dollars in charges for wholesale electricity during last month’s winter storm.
Posted on · Senate Bill 2142, sponsored by state Sen. Bryan Hughes, R-Mineola, had not even been filed when the day started Monday, but lawmakers suspended their rules to hastily push it through the Senate.
Posted on · The Electric Reliability Council of Texas CEO Bill Magness was removed from his post Wednesday. He informed the organization he will not accept his $800,000 severance.
Posted on · Bill Magness is the latest official to depart following the winter storm catastrophe.
Posted on · 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.
Posted on · "Tragic does not even begin to describe" the suffering Texans endured, Abbott said Wednesday evening.
Posted on · A cascading series of events could have left Texas in the dark for weeks — if not more.
Posted on · 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 A candidate for another position on the board has withdrawn his application.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.
Posted on · The PUC decision could allow two companies that already hold more than 70% of the market share to scoop up even more consumers, which experts worry will stifle competition and raise prices for everyone in the unregulated market in the long term.
Posted on · In 2011, Turner filed a bill requiring the Electric Reliability Council of Texas to have adequate reserve power in order to prevent blackout conditions. That bill did not get a hearing.