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.
Winter Storm 2021
As Texas faced record-low temperatures in February 2021 and snow and ice made roads impassable, the state’s electric grid operator lost control of the power supply, leaving millions without access to electricity. As the blackouts extended from hours to days, top state lawmakers called for investigations into the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, and Texans demanded accountability for the disaster. The Texas Tribune covered the impact of the storm in real time and continues to bring accountability coverage as officials address the issues exposed by the storm.
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Coronavirus in Texas
In first visit, President Joe Biden commits to being “true partners” with Texas through storm recovery, vaccination effort
Biden was joined by Gov. Greg Abbott and U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, among other officials.
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Winter Storm 2021
Another ERCOT board member resigns as lawmakers criticize power grid operator for massive electricity outages
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.
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Winter Storm 2021
Texas schools still tallying storm costs, and some won’t reopen soon
School districts report flooded classrooms and gyms, and teachers have lost supplies and learning materials. The damage is further disrupting a school year already upended by the pandemic.
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Winter Storm 2021
Plumber shortage and supply chain issues are delaying storm recovery efforts in Texas
A longstanding shortage of plumbers and disruptions to the supply chain of plumbing materials delivered to the state have combined to delay pipe and water heater repairs.
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Winter Storm 2021
Catastrophic Texas power outages prompt finger pointing and blame shifting at legislative hearings
Lawmakers grilled public regulators and energy grid officials about how power outages happened and why Texans weren’t given more warnings about the danger.
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Winter Storm 2021
Many rural Texas counties currently left out of federal disaster aid eligibility for winter storm
Rural counties endured the same storm as big cities, but many haven’t fallen under President Joe Biden’s major disaster declaration. Officials say it’s because those counties lack data on damages.
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Winter Storm 2021
How Texas’ power grid works
Who are the major players and how do they manage the power grid in Texas?
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Winter Storm 2021
Winter storm could cost Texas more money than any disaster in state history
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.
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Winter Storm 2021
Gov. Greg Abbott, in statewide address, promises answers on winter weather disaster
“Tragic does not even begin to describe” the suffering Texans endured, Abbott said Wednesday evening.