Texas electricity regulator under pressure to slash winter storm bills msn.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from msn.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
The nation's most deregulated energy economy was supposed to be a win for consumers, and for energy companies nimble enough to do business in a bustling, cacophonous market. But a cold snap shattered it last week.
Texas power firms scream foul over millions in blackout fees Commodities giant Freeport, eight others appeal for reprieve Consolidation may put over 80% of retail market with two giants
By Gary McWilliams
HOUSTON, Feb 26 (Reuters) - Retail power marketers in Texas are appealing multi-million dollar bills from last week s blackout that they say could cripple them and unravel Texas nearly two-decade-old experiment as the most deregulated U.S. electricity market.
Wholesale prices, which last year averaged $26 a megawatt hour, soared to $9,000 per MWh for days as grid operators tried to quench a severe shortage that left up to 4.3 million residents shivering in the dark last week. The state s total bill for electricity over seven days rose by $45 billion from the prior week, lawmakers said on Thursday.
Texas power crisis could cripple small marketers, unravel market deregulation reuters.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from reuters.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.