How Much Have Texas Republicans Cost US Consumers because they failed at their job?

ExpressLane said:
He is having those "cronies" investigated.
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He is investigating himself and Patrick? I think Not. Here is another tidbit for ya, around 10 years ago we had a similar incident where many homes lost power during a major Ice storm, after that ERCOT was given the task to study the issue, find the problems and recommend fixes, they did that, and guess what the Republicans did with those recommendations......Nothing. Abbott and Patrick loved talking about the Billions they had in a rainy day fund, while of course our schools were failing and the poor and elderly were not getting decent medical care, did they use that money to address those issues, did they use that money to properly upgrade our power system? How about Covid relief, Nope

https://houston.eater.com/2020/11/1...s-rainy-day-fund-to-bail-out-restaurants-oped
 
CASPER said:
He is investigating himself and Patrick? I think Not. Here is another tidbit for ya, around 10 years ago we had a similar incident where many homes lost power during a major Ice storm, after that ERCOT was given the task to study the issue, find the problems and recommend fixes, they did that, and guess what the Republicans did with those recommendations......Nothing. Abbott and Patrick loved talking about the Billions they had in a rainy day fund, while of course our schools were failing and the poor and elderly were not getting decent medical care, did they use that money to address those issues, did they use that money to properly upgrade our power system? How about Covid relief, Nope

https://houston.eater.com/2020/11/1...s-rainy-day-fund-to-bail-out-restaurants-oped
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A tidbit for ya . If Texas suffered the same storm as it had 10 years ago we would have been just fine. THIS STORM covered the ENTIRE state all 254 counties. That has NEVER happened before in recorded Texas weather history. This storm was unprecedented. Its hard to plan for an unprecedented weather event.

Also ECOT controls the electric grid. The Texas Railroad Commission controls natural gas production. The TRC is governed by 3 commissioners that are ELECTED by state wide election. The Governor does not control the TRC's actions. The vast majority of combined cycle natural gas electrical plants that went off line did so because of a lack of natural gas fuel. Gas production was crippled across the entire state due to the RECORD LOW temperatures and for the record length to the below freezing weather. East Texas experienced temps in the 5 degree range. That has never ever happened before. When is gets cold residential heating increases the use of natural gas. When pipeline pressure starts to drop they have to shut down gas fired electric production. AGAIN ERCOT is at the mercy of their gas suppliers . Those suppliers were not able to supply enough natural gas fuel. So ECOT could not provide enough electricity to meet demand. ERCOT does not have authority over its gas suppliers.
 
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ExpressLane said:
A tidbit for you . If Texas suffer the same storm as it had 10 years ago we would have been just fine. THIS STORM covered the ENTIRE state all 254 counties. That has NEVER happened before in recorded Texas weather history. This storm was unprecedented.

Also ECOT controls the electric grid. The Texas Railroad Commission controls natural gas production. The TRC is governed by 3 commissioners that are ELECTED by state wide election. The Governor does not control the TRC's actions. The vast majority of combined cycle natural gas electrical plants that went off line did so because of a lack of natural gas fuel. Gas production was crippled across the entire state due to the RECORD LOW temperatures and for the record length to the below freezing weather. East Texas experienced temps in the 5 degree range. That has never ever happened before. When is gets cold residential heating increases the use of natural gas. When pipeline pressure starts to drop they have to shut down gas fired electric production. AGAIN ERCOT is at the mercy of their gas suppliers . Those suppliers were not able to supply enough natural gas fuel.
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No we did not suffer a Statewide outage but here in North Texas it was nearly the same and I was without power for a week with below freezing temps, hence why I bought a 3500Kw and 10Kw generator and then later got a whole house emergency generator, with fuel to run them all for a week or longer. Yes the gas was Part of the problem but only a part of it, power generation stations in many cases had the gas available but could not run because their equipment was not winterized and could not supply the power required. It will get fixed before the elections next year count on it and plenty of people will get thrown under the bus, but the buck stops in Austin in the Governors office, defend him all you want but he has screwed up a bunch over the last 2 years and it will come back to haunt him. I noticed you ignored the rainy day fund, by the way estimates are it is around 10 Billion dollars.
 
CASPER said:
Who do you think puts the people running ERCOT on the board? The Governor and Republican Legislature have dirt on their hands and the People of Texas know it.
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Not correct. It is a 501 C . It is not run by pols. https://www.statesman.com/story/new...t-public-utility-commision-energy/4515522001/ 5 of the 16 board members do not even live in the state. It is an example of what happens when the energy companies regulate themselves. The board has so many high salaries.
 
CASPER said:
Who do you think puts the people running ERCOT on the board? The Governor and Republican Legislature have dirt on their hands and the People of Texas know it.
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Not correct. It is a 501 C . It is not run by pols. https://www.statesman.com/story/new...t-public-utility-commision-energy/4515522001/ 5 of the board members do not even live in the state. It is an example of what happens when the energy companies regulate themselves. The board has so many high salaries.
 
Nordberg said:
Only that is not the governor.. ERCOT has been on its own looting away for decades. The energy companies control the board.
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The ultimate control is with the State, as it should be with a utility. However, the state did not perform its oversight well at all, and even now is fucking things up:


Experts fear reversing electricity prices from winter storm could make things worse
It is unclear who would be helped or hurt — and by how much — if lawmakers try to revise electricity market prices charged during the winter storm.

The showdown over repricing took center stage at the Texas Legislature this week. The state Senate on Monday suspended its own rules and hastily ushered through Senate Bill 2142, which would force ERCOT to reverse billions in charges stemming from the winter storm. Included in the legislation was a deadline giving the grid operator until Saturday to act.
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https://www.texastribune.org/2021/03/19/texas-electricity-prices-winter-storm/

This is insanity.
 
CASPER said:
No we did not suffer a Statewide outage but here in North Texas it was nearly the same and I was without power for a week with below freezing temps, hence why I bought a 3500Kw and 10Kw generator and then later got a whole house emergency generator, with fuel to run them all for a week or longer. Yes the gas was Part of the problem but only a part of it, power generation stations in many cases had the gas available but could not run because their equipment was not winterized and could not supply the power required. It will get fixed before the elections next year count on it and plenty of people will get thrown under the bus, but the buck stops in Austin in the Governors office, defend him all you want but he has screwed up a bunch over the last 2 years and it will come back to haunt him. I noticed you ignored the rainy day fund, by the way estimates are it is around 10 Billion dollars.
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LACK OF GAS for power plants was the largest part of the problem. I have a 8000watt Generac that I converted to run on gas so I don't have to find gasoline during a power outage. I was in North Texas for the 2010 storm and we had a small issue with rolling black outs so I bought the generator and had a electrician wire in access to the breaker panel. 8000watts will power my kitchen minus oven , bedroom TV gas furnace blower and freezer. That's all I really need for a few days.
 
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The whole Texas problem is the energy companies stayed away from the big grids because they did not want to have regulations. They got that and the people suffered again. Of course, energy companies are charging enormous prices to energy consumers. They saved the cost of keeping up with national l standards. And they do not pay for the mess that their anti-regulation caused. Just make energy bills huge and it gets paid back quickly. No harm, no foul.
 
Nordberg said:
The whole Texas problem is the energy companies stayed away from the big grids because they did not want to have regulations. They got that and the people suffered again. Of course, energy companies are charging enormous prices to energy consumers. They saved the cost of keeping up with national l standards. And they do not pay for the mess that their anti-regulation caused. Just make energy bills huge and it gets paid back quickly. No harm, no foul.
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Nordberg as usual you do not know what you are talking about. The average cost in the US is 13.19 cents per kWh

The average cost of electricity in Texas is 11.87 cents per kWh the average cost in California is 20.45 cents per kWh. New York is 18.23 per kWh . California shut portions of their grid down to prevent forest fires from poorly maintained power lines even though they have Federal regulation..
 
Another thing that no one considers. In the North boilers and turbines are inside buildings but in Texas they are on the outside. Because of our HIGH summer temperatures they don't enclose the boilers and turbines so they can dissipate heat during the summers. The Northern states rarely have temps exceeding 100degrees for days on end like we have.
 
ExpressLane said:
ERCOT is tasked with the job of insuring Texans have enough power. Prior to the storm ERCOT said they were prepared. Many of the ERCOT board have resigned because of their failure.
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ERCOT exists because energy company investors and execs did not want regulation. There is a lesson to be learned, but rightys will not learn it.
 
ExpressLane said:
He is having those "cronies" investigated.
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Yes, Abbot is investigating himself, and his cronies... How much do you want to bet he clears himself? He will probably clear most if not all of his cronies. He might try to find someone who cannot turn on him, and make that person the fall guy.
 
Nordberg said:
ERCOT exists because energy company investors and execs did not want regulation. There is a lesson to be learned, but rightys will not learn it.
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Facts don't matter to Reichwingers like Express. He'll continue to make excuses for TX and support deregulation. It's what the Cultists do.

BTW, up here in the frozen north, many people have wood- or pellet-fired boilers to heat their houses. They are outdoors. Somehow no one manages to freeze to death. :rolleyes:
 
Walt said:
Yes, Abbot is investigating himself, and his cronies... How much do you want to bet he clears himself? He will probably clear most if not all of his cronies. He might try to find someone who cannot turn on him, and make that person the fall guy.
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Isn't that a bit like a fire marshal investigating a fire that he started himself?
 
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