Texas lawmakers are seeking to hold the power companies and executives overseeing them accountable for the recent Texas energy catastrophe, which had fatal consequences. Millions in the state were left without heat and drinking water after the back-to-back winter storms.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton filed a lawsuit Tuesday against utility company Griddy Energy over huge energy bills suffered by some customers as a result of the storm. The bills would supposedly reach $ 9,000.
Griddy Energy charges $ 10 a month to allow residents to pay wholesale electricity prices instead of a flat rate. Wholesale prices rose as temperatures fell well below freezing as a result of winter storms, leaving customers with exorbitant bills.
“Griddy tricked the Texans and hired them to get services that, in a time of crisis, caused every Texan to lose thousands of dollars,” Paxton said in a statement Monday. “As the jeans struggled to survive this winter storm, Griddy worsened the suffering even further, as he charged outrageous amounts every day.”
The lawsuit accuses Griddy of violating Texas Misleading Business Practices and seeks relief from Griddy “to ensure that the jeans he serves will receive a true and accurate energy service in the future,” as well as court-ordered refunds to customers.
A Texan who received a high energy bill filed a $ 1 billion class action lawsuit against Griddy Energy last week. In court documents, the Harris County resident said her electricity bill was $ 9,340, when her monthly bills typically range from $ 200 to $ 250.
Griddy did not immediately respond to ABC News’ request for comment on either lawsuit, but dismissed the class action as “without merit” on Reuters last week.
According to its website, the company has had “no choice but to shut down.”
In a statement, the company pointed the finger at Texas Electric Reliability Council (ERCOT), saying it had asked for “emergency assistance” on Feb. 16 from the organization, which operates the state’s power grid. and that “they did not take action.” “
“It was not an option we made,” the statement said, adding that ERCOT has effectively shut down the company. ERCOT revoked its access to the state electricity market last week.
Another Texas utility company, Brazos Electric Power Cooperative, has filed for bankruptcy.
Brazos Electric, which was described as the “oldest and largest” power company in the state and serves more than 1.5 million jeans, introduced Chapter 11 to initiate a financial restructuring “to keep the stability and integrity of its entire electric cooperative system. ” according to a press release on Monday.
The filing was necessary to protect its customers from “unaffordable electricity bills,” Brazos Electric executive vice president and CEO Clifton Karnei said in a statement.
“We will give priority to what matters most to our member cooperatives and their retail partners, as we and they work to return to normalcy,” Karnei said.
In addition, the chairman of the Texas Public Utilities Commission, Deann Walker, has resigned following the aftermath of the power crisis.
On Monday, Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick called for Walker’s resignation and said in a statement that neither the commission, which oversees the state’s electrical, telecommunications, water and sewer services, nor ERCOT, they were properly prepared before the storm came fully strong. ”Texas Representative Jared Patterson tweeted Friday that Walker“ must resign, ”claiming he had“ zero confidence ”in her after his testimony during a hearing of the joint committee that took place that day.
Walker on Monday sent a letter of resignation to Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, according to the Texas Tribune, which obtained a copy of the letter.
In the letter, Walker wrote that the failure of the power grid was not caused by any individual group, but that the “interests of many people and businesses contributed to the situation we faced in the devastating storm.”
“I testified last Thursday in the Senate and the House and accepted my role in the situation,” Walker wrote. “I think others should present themselves with dignity and courage and recognize how their actions or inactions contributed to the situation.”
Walker was appointed by Abbott in 2017 and had a salary of $ 201,000, according to a Texas Tribune database.