ERCOT CEO Defends Power Outages As Texas Lawmakers Probe Winter Storm Response
Bill Magness, CEO of the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, said widespread blackouts during last week’s winter storm were necessary to prevent grid failure.
February 25, 2021, 6:00 AM
Curtis Morgan, the CEO of Vistra Corp., at table left, testifies as the Committees on State Affairs and Energy Resources holds a joint public hearing to consider the factors that led to statewide electrical blackouts, Thursday, Feb. 25, 2021, in Austin, Texas. The hearings were the first in Texas since a blackout that was one of the worst in U.S. history, leaving more than 4 million customers without power and heat in subfreezing temperatures.
AUSTIN (AP) All the groceries spoiled and the water was out for days.[San Marcos, TX] [Hays County news] News San Marcos News, San Marcos Record [Texas State]
After a week of below-freezing temperatures, power outages and water shortages caused by Winter Storm Uri, many Central Texans faced a rude awakening when they received their latest electric bill.
Watch live, get live analysis as Texas lawmakers question ERCOT, energy regulators about power outages Madlin Mekelburg, Bob Sechler and Asher Price, Austin American-Statesman This is the largest train wreck: Texas senator questions ERCOT CEO about power grid
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Texas lawmakers have embarked on a series of hearings examining the power outages that swept the state amid a frigid winter storm, plunging more than 4 million people into darkness and leaving them without heat and in some cases, water for days.
There are two hearings happening at the Texas Capitol on Thursday, starting at 9 a.m. You can watch live video footage of both hearings here or continue below for live updates through the day and be sure to follow our reporters on Twitter: Asher Price, Bob Sechler, John Moritz and Madlin Mekelburg.
In their first effort at getting to the bottom of an energy calamity that left millions of Texans in the dark amid subfreezing temperatures last week and potentially contributed to dozens of deaths, state lawmakers Thursday heard from utility executives, grid operators and regulators and found fingers pointing in lots of directions.
With a dash of introspection all the players expressed sadness at the tragedy that unfolded in Texas, and some even hinted they bore some of the blame the exchanges between lawmakers and witnesses in simultaneous hearings by Texas House and Senate committees doled out plenty of criticism:
• An official with the state grid operator said the bulk of the outages came from the impact of the weather, and said there is currently no legal authority to force companies to winterize.