Texas Tribune by Isabella Zou June 8, 2021
Texas power generation companies will have to better prepare for extreme weather under bills Gov. Greg Abbott signed into law
Senate Bills 2 and 3 are aimed at overhauling the state’s power grid after the devastating winter storm in February and the widespread power outages that followed.
Gov. Greg Abbott signed into law Tuesday two bills meant to improve the state’s main power grid and change the governance of the agency that operates it.
Calls for sweeping changes to Texas’ power infrastructure have amplified since February, when a catastrophic winter storm left more than 4.8 million homes and businesses without power for days. The state reports that 151 people died, though a BuzzFeed News analysis found the number of fatalities may be 700.
The legislation written and finalized over the session addresses key areas of improvement, such as “weatherization” of power generators to prepare them for extreme weather, while neglecting other initiatives called for by experts, such as providing direct aid to consumers impacted by the storm.
Senate Bill 3 requires upgrades for power generators and transmission lines to make them better withstand extreme weather. According to Abbott, the Texas Railroad Commission and the Electric Reliability Council of Texas will conduct inspections of the facilities, and failure to weatherize may result in penalties of up to $1 million.
Senate Bill 2 changes the governance of ERCOT, the state’s main grid operator. It shrinks the number of seats on ERCOT’s board of directors from 16 to 11, and the state’s top politicians would have strong influence over the board. A selection committee would appoint eight of the 11 board members. The selection committee would be made up of three people — one appointed by the governor, one by the lieutenant governor and one by the speaker of the House. The committee would use an “outside consulting firm” to select the eight members.
More:
https://www.texastribune.org/2021/06/08/greg-abbott-texas-power-grid-ercot/
