The Texas Electrical Grid May Be An Unreliable Mess, But At Least Electric Rates Are Spiking!

[hatrack]

Texans are seeing skyrocketing home electric bills this spring and summer, with many customers paying at least 50% more than they did for electric bills at this time last year. And nobody seems to know when costs will go down. “I am worried people are going to be shocked,” said John Ballenger, vice president at Texas retail electric provider Champion Energy. “Realizing this is 50 or 60 or 70% higher than what they had paid before, I’m just not sure it’s real to people yet. If it’s not, it will be very, very soon when the bills hit this summer.”

The elevated utility bills have primarily been driven by the price of natural gas, which has shot up more than 200% since late February when Russia, a top gas-producing country, invaded Ukraine and upended the world’s energy market.

Since then, Texas, the leading natural gas-producing state in the U.S., has not been able to keep offering its own residents cheap energy. Since the war in Ukraine began, Texas has been exporting more natural gas than ever before, sending much of it to Europe as many countries try to wean themselves off Russian gas. Congress lifted a longtime ban on exporting U.S. oil and gas in 2015, which opened world markets to Texas oil and gas producers.

EDIT

The state’s main power grid operator, the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, has been managing the grid more cautiously since last February, when millions of people were without power for days in subfreezing temperatures after a combination of cold weather across the state and skyrocketing demand for energy shut down power plants as well as the natural gas facilities that supply them with fuel. Hundreds of people died. Public Utility Commission chair Peter Lake, appointed by Gov. Greg Abbott after the winter storm to lead the agency in charge of ERCOT, has said the grid operator is no longer prioritizing providing Texans cheap power. Instead, Lake said, its main focus is the grid’s reliability, especially during extreme hot or cold weather. But that has a price.

EDIT

https://www.texastribune.org/2022/07/05/texas-energy-bills-natural-gas-export/

[ProudMNDemocrat]

1. Just shared this on my FB timeline.

I have many friends in Texas. They need to be made aware of this. Some of them suffered interior damage when their water pipes froze when their power grid went down in February of 2021.

And the Texas legislature is thinking of leaving the US. I think not.

[mountain grammy]

2. Hey Texas!

Who cares about electricity now that the women are under control. Jesus take the wheel!!!!!!

[2naSalit]

6. +1

[TheRealNorth]

3. Abbott will blame it on Biden/inflation

Mark my words.

[LetMyPeopleVote]

4. Texans are paying the abbott tax in the form of higher energy bills

I paid an additional $70 last month in Abbotttax

Link to tweet

[usonian]

5. Skyrocketing home electric bills?

[2naSalit]

7. +1