The recent winter storm in Texas left dozens dead, with the death toll likely not being calculated for months. In addition, millions of people were left without electricity because the Texas power grid was never properly winterized despite warnings after the last major winter storm. After the disaster, many residents wondered what the state was planning to do to prepare us for the next storm. Here’s what’s going on in the already very busy Texan legislature.
The Senate will hold its first hearings on the disaster on Thursday and Friday. Governor Dan Patrick promises to make avoiding a similar fate a priority in future winters.
“I want to make it very clear. We want the right answers for industry. If you don’t send the people who can give the correct answers, we will summon these people, ”Patrick said in a press conference on Monday.
“When I see people dying of hypothermia or carbon monoxide poisoning, when I see the disruption in the business world, the people who don’t get a hot meal can’t get water – and we’re pretty far along this path and we’re working hard on it – but that can’t stand and we won’t let it stand. “
Patrick, who is responsible for setting the Texas Legislative Agenda, drew attention to the failure of all Texas power systems, including the frozen gas wellheads. The Texas House of Representatives’ Economic and Trade Committee will also hold hearings on February 25th and 26th, at which members of the public will be invited to submit written comments and questions.
One thing that is likely to be on the legislature’s agenda is the future role and power of ERCOT. The actions of the Board of Directors of Texas Power have been the subject of intense public scrutiny since the lights went out. Governor Greg Abbott has called for the leadership to step down, but while five ERCOT board members announced their resignation on Tuesday, it does not address the problem of poorly prepared power generators that have failed.
Rep. Michelle Beckley (D-Carrolton) wants to hold electricity companies accountable for failing to follow recommended winter hibernation corrections proposed in 2011. She revives the HB 2571, which died on the floor of the house in 2015 and was suggested by her predecessor, Eric Johnson. Current Texas House spokesman Dade Phelan (R-Orange) was one of those who voted against.
“For anyone who says that this current situation is not partial. You’re 100% wrong, ”Beckley said on Twitter. “Look at every single situation that has caused this since deregulation. I sit at home between failures and submit what I can before the cutoff so we can do something. “
The bill would use climatological projections to force businesses to follow recommended improvements, with the aim of using government resources to help businesses carry out costly infrastructure overhauls.
The future is also in the mind of Rep. Rafael Anchia, who has spoken loudly about the failures of the Texas system after the storm. In addition to his many pungent comments about passing Republican bucks in relation to ERCOT, he has filed HB 928. This would set up a Texas Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation Commission to investigate the ongoing effects of climate change on the state. Judah Cohen, director of seasonal forecasting at Atmospheric and Environmental Research, has argued that the severe winter storms we see in America are caused by the warming of the Arctic, which disrupts normal climate systems.
“Climate change is real and the greatest challenge of the 21st century,” says Anchia’s bill. “Climate change poses an immediate and long-term threat to the economy, sustainability, security and way of life of this state. Countless scientific studies have shown that greenhouse gas emissions are a major contributor to global warming and that combating climate change requires a two-pronged approach that reduces them of activities that contribute to global warming and adaptations to mitigate the effects of climate change on that condition. ”
Addressing the climatological root cause of the storm problems in Texas is likely to be a sticking point in the Republican-led state government. Shortly before the storm, Abbott released his budget, which made no mention of climate change.
The skyrocketing utility bills that hit some Texans after the storm is another major concern. Residents found that their bills had increased by thousands of dollars as vendors passed the cost of overruns on to consumers. The wholesale price for electricity increased with demand in the power grid and was $ 9 per kilowatt hour averaging 12 cents. The sudden spike in bills is a result of the deregulated Texas electricity market, which can pass savings on to customers when the price is low but does not protect them from power surges.
Abbott has named addressing these pricing issues a “top priority” as lawmakers begin the hearings. The governor has issued a temporary order at this point to prevent disruptions due to non-payment. However, the form of legislation to deal with the problem has not yet been determined. The only thing that is certain for now is that it will take a lot of work to prevent another incident of this magnitude.
