Texas lawmakers question agency's ability to oversee $5 billion energy loan program after initial glitch
Lawmakers tasked the Public Utility Commission with overseeing the Texas Energy Fund, though the agency has no experience running a loan program.
Got an opinion on CenterPointโs response to Hurricane Beryl? Take this survey and tell them
CenterPoint Energy is being investigated by the state and also answering to the Texas Public Utility Commission (PUC) for its response to the historic number of power outages in the Houston area from Hurricane Beryl.
CenterPoint Energy to release new, improved online outage tracker by Aug. 1
After the energy giant faced scrutiny for getting rid of its online outage tracker, CenterPoint Energy says it'll be unveiling a new, online and cloud-based outage tracker as it works to improve communication with customers.
Houston area customers will get to voice opinions on CenterPointโs response to historic outages after Hurricane Beryl
The PUC is getting ready to launch an online public survey for residents and businesses.
CenterPoint CEO promises improvements as Texas scrutinizes companyโs Beryl response
Jason Wells told regulators the company will launch a new outage tracker by Aug. 1. It will also trim more tree limbs near power lines and hire an executive to focus on emergency response.
Attorney general investigating CenterPoint Energy after Hurricane Berylโs long-lasting power outages
The companyโs power outages in July have drawn the ire of state leaders. Hereโs what you need to know.
Texas governor criticizes Houston energy as utility says power will be mostly restored by Wednesday
The Houston areaโs main utility company says it expects to have power restored to most residents by Wednesday.
Abbott reprimands CenterPoint and calls for an investigation into the utilityโs response to Beryl blackouts
Abbott demanded that the utility company produce a plan by the end of July outlining how it will improve power reliability ahead of future storms.
CenterPoint exudes chaos, but also appears to be restoring power faster than it previously has
According to state filings, the utility is restoring power at a relatively quicker pace than after prior storms. Texans are still fed up.
Texas energy companies are betting hydrogen can become a cleaner fuel for transportation
Supporters say developing hydrogen as a fuel is critical to slowing climate change. Critics are concerned that producing it with fossil fuels will prop up the oil and gas industry.
Texas grid faces winter after failed attempt to get more power online
Industry experts continue to argue over whether the electricity market in Texas needs to change to make the grid more reliable in winter and summer.
U.S. Reps. Jodey Arrington, Roger Williams decline House speaker bid
Only one Texan, Rep. Pete Sessions, remains in the race for House Speaker. Republicans will hear from the candidates Monday night as they try to fill the job following U.S. Rep. Jim Jordanโs failure to win a majority.
How ERCOT is narrowly getting through an extreme summer โ and how experts say it could do better
Record-high power demand and faltering electricity sources have tested the grid in the past month, forcing the Electric Reliability Council of Texas to dig deep into its toolbox to keep power flowing.
Texas utility commission chair raises threat of summer power outages and pushes for more gas-powered electricity
Public Utility Commission Chair Peter Lake said renewable energy could be critical to preventing power outages this summer. Renewable energy supporters said the gridโs reliability doesnโt hinge on wind and solar.
Appeals court says state agency set electricity prices too high during 2021 winter storm
The actions by the Public Utility Commission led to billions of dollars of overcharges, the Austin-based court found. Itโs not yet clear if the ruling will affect consumers.
Electric company fined $1.7 million for sticking customers with inaccurate bills for thousands of dollars
The Texas Public Utility Commission is fining Texas New Mexico Power $1.7 million dollars for its failure to upgrade its electric meters before the 3G network it relied on was taken down.KPRC 2 Investigates has reported the problems caused by the outdated meters for months.
What you need to know about Texasโ complex โ but important โ electricity market reform plan
The idea, which still lacks some important details and could be changed by state lawmakers, would change how electricity is paid for in tight times. We explain it for everyday Texans.
KPRC 2 Investigates: Wrong electric bills for customers
Hundreds of electric customers in League City, Galveston, Alvin, and along the gulf coast are getting inaccurate, inflated electric bills. One woman called our KPRC 2 Investigates team when her electric company insisted she pays $2,000 she didnโt owe or get her power shut off.
State agency that oversees Texas power grid needs more money to do its job, Sunset Commission finds
The Public Utility Commission has about 200 employees but needs more to handle shoring up the state power grid and tackling an expanded list of regulatory duties, according to the state Sunset Advisory Commission.
Texas Supreme Court will decide whether ERCOT should be immune from lawsuits sparked by deadly winter storm
Many people and insurers sued the Electric Reliability Council of Texas after the 2021 freeze. The nonprofit says it shouldnโt be liable. The state Supreme Court has a chance to weigh in.
After underestimating power demand, Texas electric grid operator gets federal permission to exceed air quality limits
The U.S. Department of Energy granted permission for power plants to release more pollution than is normally allowed โ if grid conditions worsen.
Texas lawmakers ask state agency to delay power market redesign until after 2023 legislative session
In a Monday committee hearing, lawmakers questioned whether a Public Utility Commission proposal to redesign Texasโ electricity market would lead to the building of more natural-gas-fired power plants. Regulators say it would.
Texas grid still vulnerable to extreme winter weather, ERCOT estimate shows
Changes to Texasโ power grid have improved ERCOTโs ability to keep power flowing during major winter storms, but in an extreme scenario, the grid could still face rolling blackouts, a seasonal assessment shows.
State agency proposes changes to power market aimed at averting mass blackouts
The proposal is aimed at making sure power providers and electricity generators have enough power on hand in case of increased demand. But itโs not clear how it would hold up in unexpected weather, an expert said.
Gov. Greg Abbott touts Texas power gridโs readiness heading into fall, election season
The governor shared the favorable forecast โ which is normal for the fall months โ ahead of a competitive race in which the gridโs performance during last yearโs fatal winter storm may factor into Texansโ decisions at the polls.
โHe has total veto powerโ: Greg Abbott takes control over who will lead Texasโ troubled power grid, sources say
Locked in a potentially tight reelection race and facing criticism over the gridโs 2021 collapse, the governor is exerting unprecedented influence over what the state grid operator shares with the public โ and who will be its next CEO.
Phone bills are about to go up for some in Texas. Hereโs why.
The rate increase will help replenish a state fund to maintain and operate cellphone networks in rural Texas. A court determined the stateโs Public Utility Commission needed to restore $200 million in overdue money to the fund.
Why the High Plains turns off its turbines to limit wind production while the Texas power grid is stressed
While wind farms in the region could help power and lower energy costs for at least 9 million homes, significant infrastructure upgrades would be needed to supply electricity from the region to other parts of the state.
Texans face skyrocketing home energy bills as the state exports more natural gas than ever
The cost of electricity in Texas is tightly tied to the price of natural gas, which has more than doubled since Russia invaded Ukraine in late February.
Texas power grid leaders say theyโre confident the lights will stay on this summer
Texas Public Utility Commission Chair Peter Lake and ERCOT President Brad Jones said the power grid is prepared for record-breaking summer electricity demand.
Analysis: A power test for Texas voters
After last winterโs near-statewide electric blackouts, Texas lawmakers went after regulators they deemed responsible but tiptoed around the Texas Railroad Commission, which regulates oil and gas. Now voters have a chance, if they want it, to send the state a message.
Texas could connect to national power grids without losing autonomy, former grid regulator says
Texas has long refused to connect its decentralized grid to two national power networks, but Hunt Energy Network CEO Pat Wood said the state could do so without additional oversight โ and without state Legislature approval.
How Texasโ power grid failed in 2021 โ and whoโs responsible for preventing a repeat
In the stateโs power grid, electricity and natural gas are co-dependent. Hereโs how the winter storm last year broke the system.
A year after the electric grid failed, Texas focuses on reliability, not climate change
Transitioning sources of electricity to cleaner fuels is one of the best tools humanity has to fight climate change โ which brings severe weather that taxes the grid. But a year after the winter storm, Texas leaders arenโt talking about decarbonizing.
The 2021 winter storm caught Texans by surprise. Hereโs how to prepare this year.
With the height of the winter season approaching, here are some tips to prepare an emergency kit, protect your home and stay informed.
Gov. Greg Abbott intervened to put a positive spin on Texasโ power grid
He's been heavily involved in positive public messaging about the gridโs winter readiness, but the data aren't rosy โ and experts fear the grid could fail if there's another winter storm.
Officials say substantial improvements have been made to Texasโ power grid ahead of winter weather
Texans will not lose power if another winter storm strikes, like the one that crippled the stateโs power grid last February, according to the chairman of Texas Public Utility Commission Peter Lake.
Analysis: Betting a Texas election on a weather forecast
Gov. Greg Abbott says he can "guarantee" there won't be blackouts this winter in Texas after one that knocked out power for some people for four days last February. That's the kind of pre-election prediction that can make a weather forecaster more useful than a political poll.
Texas grid vulnerable to blackouts during severe winter weather, even with new preparations, ERCOT estimates show
The most severe scenario considered by ERCOT for this winter โ very high demand for power, extensive fossil fuel outages, and low renewable power production โ does not capture the amount of power lost during February.
Analysis: 2022 primary elections in Texas merit a severe weather alert
Next yearโs primary elections start a year after a winter storm knocked out power across Texas โ and the government response to that disaster could be on votersโ minds.
Power companies required to better prepare plants for winter in first phase of rule approved by Texas regulators
The state Public Utility Commission adopted a rule โ which experts first recommended a decade ago following a winter storm โ requiring power companies to use โbest effortsโ to ensure plants can operate in the winter.
Oil industry helped handpick members of Texas advisory group for electric grid reliability, emails show
Oil and gas industry groups provided a list of names to the Railroad Commission for appointment to a council formed in response to the February power crisis. All four of the industry's top choices were selected.
Texas regulators want to prepare the stateโs electricity grid for extreme weather. But thatโs a moving target in a warming world.
The state plans to use past weather data to craft rules for power plant upgrades. Scientists warn that the accelerating effects of climate change make relying on old data alone insufficient.
Texans not expected to lose power through the rest of the summer, regulators say
The stateโs electricity regulators said theyโre taking steps to assure a skeptical public that the power wonโt go out again if Texas experiences extreme weather this summer.
ERCOT will have to release information about power plant outages quicker โ but it may not detail what causes them
The Public Utility Commission said the state's main power grid operator will have three days โ instead of 60 โ to release some information about power plant outages. But that may not include why the electricity generators were offline.
Gov. Greg Abbott says power grid better than ever as Texans asked to cut back electricity use
A number of power plants were inexplicably offline at the same time that Texas was experiencing record June demand for electricity. ERCOT officials are still working to determine why.
Analysis: The Texas electric grid and the improvements that didnโt come
Texas lawmakers passed major bills in response to the winter storm power outages that killed hundreds of Texans in February. But thereโs still a lot to do.
Everyday Texans overlooked in state lawmakers' response to power outages during winter storm
While lawmakers took significant steps toward preventing another blackout, hardly any of the proposals passed during this legislative session will aid consumers in recovering from the February storm โ but theyโll see higher utility bills.
Texas Legislature close to approving billions to pay for winter storm financial fallout
Several billions of dollars in state-approved financing will be necessary to stabilize the stateโs distressed energy market after the winter storm. Texas approves more in finance bailouts for its utilities than any other state.
Texas House wants to go further than Senate to protect stateโs main power grid as time to agree on bills winds down
The Texas House could take up its proposal to better prepare for extreme weather as soon as Sunday. The chambers have a little more than a week to wrap up remaining work.
Texas Legislature approves bill to ban residential wholesale electricity plans โ the first major winter storm bill sent to the governor
Time is running out on a slate of other bills lawmakers are considering that stem from February's deadly winter storm.
Gov. Greg Abbott nominates new chair to Public Utility Commission after power crisis resignations
Thereโs no one left on Texasโ Public Utility Commission after final board member resigns at Gov. Greg Abbott's request
Greg Abbott has accepted Public Utility Commission Chair Arthur D'Andrea's resignation. Credit: Texas Public Utility CommissionPublic Utility Commission Chair Arthur D'Andrea has resigned, Gov. Greg Abbott confirmed Tuesday night. D'Andrea was the only remaining member of the three-seat commission that regulates the state's electric, telecommunication and water and sewer utilities. Ad"Texans deserve to have trust and confidence in the Public Utility Commission, and this action is one of many steps that will be taken to achieve that goal," Abbott said.
Public Utility Commission of Texas holds open meeting addressing top-of-mind topics like water and electricity
The Public Utility Commission of Texas, or P.U.C., held a meeting Wednesday with a number of items on their agenda pertaining to the failure of the Texas Power Grid. However, before the meeting kicked off, P.U.C. Commissioner Arthur C. DโAndrea stated the agencyโs commitment to serving Texas. Agenda Item 16 stated they would discuss the investigation into the winter storm fiasco. However, no details of any investigation were revealed, although, officials did discuss the plausibility of an audit of energy used and prices paid by consumers.