Vistra Corp.’s Midlothian power plant. The Public Utility Commission of Texas is recommending changes to the state’s electricity market that aim to ensure a more reliable power supply during extreme weather events like the February 2021 winter storm that caused widespread power outages in Texas., our daily newsletter that keeps readers up to speed on the most essential Texas news.
If the idea is implemented, “this will be the first time … that the companies that sell power to households — who you send your check to when you pay your bill each month — this will be the first time they’re actually responsible for ensuring they can deliver that power,” said Peter Lake, chair of the Texas Public Utility Commission, the board that regulates the state’s power grid operators.
The early heat in May didn’t trigger widespread power outages. But just over a year earlier, a February winter storm sent the state power grid close to collapse when demand suddenly spiked, triggering power outages that left millions of Texans without power or heat for days in subfreezing weather. Hundreds of people died and the fallout from the storm caused a wave of reforms by state lawmakers, the PUC and the grid operator — including the current push to overhaul the state energy market.
State officials have worked to find a fix that would make the grid more reliable without further driving up consumers’ electricity bills. Out of several options analyzed by E3, a California consulting firm, the “performance credit mechanism” fix seemed to gain favor among a majority of members on the five-member commission Thursday.
Follow the money. It's coming out of my pocket and into the folks keeping Abbott and his cadre in power. 2nd verse same as the first
Hope all goes well, because too late, Abbott got re-elected. Nothing I'd guaranteed with him in office.
You can have cheap, unreliable power or more expensive, reliable power. No free lunch.
I never want to experience what we did in February 2021 again
Unexpected weather is now to be expected.
Sounds like bullshit to me, just join the nation grid.
Let's make this clear During the big freeze power plants did not go off line due to equipment failures at the location but they went off line as the demand increased to force the price up and when the price was at their desired level they came back on line to reap the rewards.
Texas seems to have more trouble keeping the power on than they have in Ukraine! Oh well, Texans clearly voted that they don't care about our infrastructure (or affordable health insurance, for that matter).
I understand that TX power is cheaper than any other state most times, but reliability is important. TX should have learned a lesson in 2021 cold and 2022 heat. What is comfort worth?
The answer is, whatever lets the providers can make as much money as possible.