It was supposed to be priority #1 heading into the Texas legislative session. Now, it's the #1 concern heading into the summer.
The ERCOT power grid. Or better put, just ERCOT. It was supposed to be fixed. But it's not.
On the first semi-warm day of the spring? ERCOT asked asked customers to conserve energy, and raise their thermostats to 78 degrees.
This stunning announcement came after -two- bills were signed into law that Governor Greg Abbott said were "everything needed to be done to fix the power grid in Texas."
Jordan Davidson, who wrote about it in detail for The Federalist told KTRH, "Not a week later, everyone across Texas who has ERCOT as their grid is getting notifications that they have to turn their thermostats up."
Coincidence? Or is it maybe by design? If ERCOT fails again, Washington could come in and save the day, and take over the Texas power grid, further crippling the Lone Star state's independence.
Phil Barnett, an expert on the subject and owner of Barnett Energy, told KTRH it shouldn't be a surprise. "In this federal overreach, that is one thing that they think can do that will really subordinate Texas to the Fed" he said. "It's like the IRS says we're here to help you. Make no mistake, they're not here to help, and we just can't let that happen."
Another thing that happened, some Houston residents had their thermostats raised remotely by Texas power companies.
So now, Davidson says the push is on for Governor Abbott to again try to fix ERCOT during the special legislative session.
"A lot of communities and activist organizations are pulling together and asking the Governor to keep ERCOT and the power grid on the agenda" she said, It simply is not fixed, and it is not done."
As Jason Isaac of the Texas Public Policy Foundation told Davidson for her story, quote "Unfortunately, it's not a matter of 'if' Texans will lose power this summer. It's when."
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