Texas Electricity Bill Rises: Greg Abbott Promises Relief

Winter storm of February 2021

• When will my water return? How can I get water in the meantime?
  

  
  
  

  We do not know. State and city officials are asking for patience and telling jeans they have running water to boil it. Take the steps you need to prepare for several days without water. Austin officials, for example, said Feb. 19 that restoring water services would likely be a multi-day process for the entire city. We have some resources here, but the best option for finding free water is to check the local media.
  

• Will I receive a large energy bill?
  

  
  
  

  May be. People across the state have received large energy bills. One resident, according to the New York Times, received a $ 16,752 electric bill. Gov. Greg Abbott has said his office is working with lawmakers to cut bills. Not everyone will face big bill hikes. Austin, for example, has fixed base rates. If you are concerned, check with your utility provider. Read more here.
  

• How can I receive updates?
  

  
  
  

  Sign up to receive news by sending a “hello” text message to 512-967-6919 or visiting this page.
  

• I was powerless for over a day. Why do people call these interruptions?
  

  
  
  

  When on February 15, the state’s power grid operator began implementing continuous cuts at 1:25 a.m. (CT), they were intended to be a temporary measure to deal with an extreme winter event. Instead, some jeans run out of electricity for much longer, facing days without electricity instead of the 45 minutes originally planned at a time. The power grid was designed to be in high demand during the summer, when jeans began using their air conditioning at home. But some of the energy sources that power the grid during the summer are offline during the winter. Thus, when the jeans stayed home during Sunday’s storm and demanded a record amount of electricity, the state’s power grid could not keep up.
  

• Wait, do we have our own power grid? Because?
  

  
  
  

  Yes, Texas has its own power grid managed by an agency called ERCOT, the Texas Electric Reliability Council. The story is long, but the short version is: Texas has its own grid to avoid dealing with federal regulations. In 1935, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the Federal Power Act, which accused the Federal Power Commission of overseeing interstate electricity sales. But Texas utilities don’t cross state lines. ERCOT was formed in 1970, following a major shutdown in the Northeast in November 1965, and was tasked with managing the reliability of networks in accordance with national standards. Note that Texas is not on that same power grid. The Paso is on another grid, as is the upper Panhandle and a piece of East Texas.
  

• I read online that wind turbines are the reason we have lost energy. Is true?
  

  
  
  

  No. The loss of wind power represents only a fraction of the reduction in power generation capacity that has caused disruptions to millions of jeans. A Texas Electric Reliability Council official said Feb. 16 that 16 gigawatts of renewable energy generation, mostly wind generation, had no connection. Almost twice as much, 30 gigawatts, of thermal sources, including gas, coal and nuclear power, had been lost. “Texas is a gas state,” said Michael Webber, a professor of energy resources at the University of Texas at Austin. “Gas is failing in the most spectacular way right now.”
  

• How can I be hot? How can I help others?
  

  
  
  

  The National Weather Service encourages people to close blinds and curtains, gather in one room if possible and close doors to others and fill towels in the cracks under the doors. Wear layers of light, warm clothing. Eating snacks and staying hydrated will help warm up the body. Some cities offer heating and transportation centers as needed. Find local resources here. If you have the resources or can offer financial donations, look for non-profit organizations that help people here.
  

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