Texas officials on Saturday announced investigations into the causes of widespread blackouts in the state and a spike in energy bills after the state’s winter storms.
Why does it matter: Millions of Texans lost energy and water during last week’s storms. As a result, wholesale energy prices have risen from about $ 50 per megawatt hour to $ 9,000, reports the WFAA – noting that some Texans have faced bills of up to $ 17,000 so far this month.
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What is happening: Governor Greg Abbott (R) said in a statement after an emergency meeting with members of the state’s Republican and Democratic legislature that it is “unacceptable that Texans who suffered for days in the freezing cold without electricity or heat are now hit by energy costs. fired. “
- The Texas Public Utility Commission (PUCT), the state’s utility regulator, announced on Saturday that it opened an investigation “into the factors that have combined with the devastating winter weather to interrupt the flow of energy to millions of homes in the Texas “.
“The Commission has also unanimously approved a series of measures to protect retail electrical consumers who feel the financial effects of the ERCOT event.”
– PUCT declaration
Of importance: Abbott called the Texas Electric Reliability Council (ERCOT) “kind of opaque, in the way it works.
What to watch: Abbott said in his statement that he is working with lawmakers and the state’s deputy governor “to develop solutions that ensure that Texans are not trapped in excessive increases in their energy bills”.
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