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.
Energy
In-depth reporting on oil, gas, renewable power, and policies shaping the future of energy in Texas from The Texas Tribune.
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Winter Storm 2021
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton sues electricity retailer Griddy over exorbitant bills
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.”
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Winter Storm 2021
Griddy customers moved to other electricity providers after ERCOT boots it from Texas market
Griddy made headlines for sending massive bills to customers after a winter storm sent wholesale electricity skyrocketing.
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Winter Storm 2021
Watch live: Texas House and Senate holding hearings about last week’s winter storm
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.
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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
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
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.
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Winter Storm 2021
Texas utility regulator to investigate indexed retail electric providers following massive electric bills
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.”