The Texas utility manager rejected calls on Friday to fix $ 16 billion in excessive charges that occurred amid power cuts caused by last month’s winter storm.
Arthur D’Andrea, chairman of the Texas Public Utility Commission, suggested during a committee meeting on Friday that the error would be very difficult to correct, the Austin American-Statesman reported.
“It is almost impossible to unscramble this type of egg,” he said, according to the media.
D’Andrea added that any actions designed to help clients could have unintended consequences due to private transactions out of sight, The Wall Street Journal reported.
“You think you are protecting the consumer and you end up bankrupt a cooperative or a city,” said D’Andrea.
The comments come after the outsourced market monitor Potomac Economics, which the state hired, concluded that the Texas Electric Reliability Council (ERCOT) charged in excess of $ 16 billion for electricity during the winter storm.
During the storm, ERCOT implemented controlled blackouts across the state to prevent damage to the power grid. ERCOT CEO Bill Magness told The Texas Tribune last month that the decision was made to prevent the network from falling.
ERCOT set prices at a limit of $ 9,000 per megawatt-hour during blackouts. However, the monitor said prices should have been reset after the controlled blackouts ended.
Texas is still dealing with the aftermath of the winter storm that caused dozens of deaths, and ERCOT’s handling of the situation is under intense scrutiny.