Electric Reliability Council of Texas
Controversies
Controversies tied to this brand in public sources. A listing is not a finding of fault.
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2021
February winter-storm grid failure
A large generation shortfall led to emergency load shedding and prolonged outages affecting millions of customers. Investigations and reporting linked the crisis to failures involving generation readiness, natural-gas supply, market design, and oversight. The event caused deaths, property damage, financial disruption, leadership departures, and extensive litigation.
2021
ERCOT overcharge finding after winter storm
Issue disclosure
Potomac Economics, described as the independent monitor of the Texas electricity market, said ERCOT did not lower electricity prices after the widespread outage ended on February 17, 2021, and continued charging at the higher rate for 32 hours. It said the operator consequently overcharged consumers by $16 billion.
Source excerpt
波托马克经济咨询公司说，得克萨斯电力稳定委员会未从2月17日晚间起恢复先前电价，在此后32小时内继续按照高价计算电费，直到2月19日才下调电价。由于这番“操作”，这家电网运营商向民众多收电费160亿美元。
2021
Texas governor orders investigation into ERCOT
Investigation
Texas Governor Greg Abbott ordered an investigation into ERCOT following the winter storm and power outages.
Source excerpt
State governor Greg Abbott has ordered an investigation into ERCOT, and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission has also said it will probe the factors behind the power outages.
2021
Texas family sues Entergy and ERCOT over boy’s death during blackouts
Lawsuit filed
A Houston-area couple sued Entergy, alleging gross negligence after their 11-year-old son died of hypothermia during the Texas blackouts. The suit also alleges that ERCOT was responsible and seeks more than $100 million in damages from ERCOT and Entergy; these are allegations, not a reported court determination.
Source excerpt
The suit seeks more than $100 million in damages from ERCOT and Entergy, both of which offered canned public statements about being "deeply saddened by the loss of life in our community."
According to the nine-page lawsuit, Cristian "died because grid wasn't a priority, and the energy provider made decisions based on profits." Both Entergy and ERCOT (Electric Reliability Council of Texas), the latter of which manages the flow of electrical power throughout most of the state, are responsible for Cristian's death, the suit adds.
A Houston-area couple is suing Entergy, the utility company in charge of Texas energy, for gross negligence following the death of their 11-year-old son during the recent blackouts.
2011
Failure to adequately prepare for winter weather
The 2011 cold-weather outages prompted federal recommendations for winterization, but mandatory comprehensive preparation was not adopted before the 2021 storm. The episode became a major criticism of ERCOT and state reliability oversight.