2021 Texas Power Crisis
February 1st, 2022
I sent a letter to Secretary Vilsack of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) urging him to administer disaster relief aid programs that were approved by Congress last year.
December 16th, 2021
When Texas experienced an unprecedented polar vortex earlier this year, we identified vulnerabilities in our disaster response capabilities that should be addressed.
November 22nd, 2021
The outages could occur despite better preparations by power plants to operate in cold weather.
May 27th, 2021
Texas may soon approve a bill to require power generation companies to better prepare their facilities to withstand extreme weather.
May 5th, 2021
Whether we face subzero temperatures, gale force winds, or any other type of extreme weather, Texas’s electric grid must be able to withstand the impact. This bipartisan legislation is an outstanding start to ensure the life...
March 30th, 2021
The Texas Senate on Monday unanimously approved a sweeping bill that would overhaul the state’s electricity industry and infrastructure, including mandating that power plants prepare for extreme weather and outlawing risky...
March 22nd, 2021
The bills, which include mandating weatherization of power plants, reforming the ERCOT board and creating a state emergency communications system, are “a work in progress.”
March 11th, 2021
The 2021 Texas winter freeze and power crisis left hundreds of thousands of Texans with burst or leaking pipes, interior damage, and no running water in their homes and businesses.
March 2nd, 2021
Our grid was not ready for freezing weather. Specifically, wind turbines froze up and we also had problems with natural gas pipelines' capacity being impacted as well as power plants going offline.
February 25th, 2021
The historic winter storm wiped out most of South Texas' citrus crop and halted dairy processing in the Panhandle for days. Consumers will likely continue seeing short-term shortages, producers say.
January 21st, 2022
In the days ahead, forecasters anticipate wide swaths of the state could experience their coldest temperatures of the season, with lows dipping to — or below — freezing.
December 1st, 2021
Over the last year, Texas’ growers have faced a unique set of challenges from the pandemic and winter storms, and now due to the labor and supply chain shortages.
September 23rd, 2021
This funding will go a long way to support farmers as they recoup losses and fully restore their operations.
May 11th, 2021
It’s Becoming Clearer Who Profited From The Blackouts, And That’s Raising Questions Of Price Gouging
Until recently, companies that made a lot of money during the freeze have tried to keep a low profile about it. But quarterly financial reports have come due making that information harder to conceal.
March 31st, 2021
The City of Houston just got billed for its street lights during the freeze under its variable rate plan. Over $2 million when it normally runs $100,000 a week or so.
March 24th, 2021
In the face of hardship, I’m always in awe of the way Texans show up for one another.
March 11th, 2021
In Texas, agriculture production is critical for our economy and food supply. The RESTORE Act will go a long way to support our farmers during this tumultuous time as they work on restoring their operations.
March 4th, 2021
The Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) voted to terminate its CEO following the failures of the state’s electrical grid during the February winter storm. Millions of Texas were left in the dark and cold while...
March 1st, 2021
Plenty of Texans want to hire plumbers in the wake of February's crippling winter storm. But part of the problem is that too few Texans want to be plumbers.
February 24th, 2021
It is unacceptable that Texas’ power grid could not handle last week’s winter storm. Now, as a result of last week’s power outages and freezing temperatures, Texans are experiencing a plumbing supply crisis!