AUSTIN, Texas – Texas Gov. Greg Abbott called an emergency meeting with lawmakers Saturday aimed at addressing the high energy bills being sent to some Texans after this week’s winter storm.
At the height of the storm, millions of Texans were left in the dark and cold by state-mandated blackouts after several power plants went offline because of the frigid weather.
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“It is unacceptable for Texans who suffered through days in the freezing cold without electricity or heat to now be hit with skyrocketing energy costs,” Abbott said in a written statement.
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According to Abbott, the meeting included Texas Lt. Gov Dan Patrick, Texas House Speaker Dade Phelan and members of various Texas Senate and House committees.
Abbott said he wants to “develop solutions to ensure that Texans are not on the hook for unreasonable spikes in their energy bills.”
After the meeting, Abbott called it productive and bipartisan.
“We are moving quickly to alleviate this problem and will continue to work collaboratively throughout this week on solutions to help Texas families and ensure they do not get stuck with skyrocketing energy bills,” Abbott said in a written statement released after the meeting.
According to Abbott, lawmakers will now begin the task of calculating the total cost of these energy bills and determine how the state can reduce the burden on customers.