Category Archives: Electric Deregulation
Feds: ERCOT needs more blackout authority
Although relatively rare in Texas history, rolling blackouts have now occurred twice since the state deregulated its electricity markets. The last occurred on Feb. 2, when 1.3 million customers suddenly lost power. Not surprisingly, questions have been raised. For instance, why did so many of the state’s power plants fail? During the most difficult point of the crisis more than 200 Texas generating plants … Continue reading
Poor Texans Pay Needlessly Because of Fund Loss
Criticism mounts over divergence of System Benefit Fund Tens of thousands of low-income Texans will pay higher-than-necessary electric bills this summer because a special fund to help them has gone largely untapped. That’s the word from several news outlets, which are reporting that only a small fraction of the state’s System Benefit Fund has been appropriated for its intended purpose. The SBF … Continue reading
Electricity Complaints Skyrocket under Deregulation
From a RechargeTexas.com press release issued 7/25: July 25, 2011 – Austin, TEXAS – Electricity complaints have skyrocketed under the Texas electric deregulation law — from fewer than 2,100 received each year by the state’s Public Utility Commission to an average of more than 12,000 under deregulation, according to an analysis by RechargeTexas.com. Texans have lodged more than 800 percent … Continue reading
Electric Deregulation Still Failing to Deliver For Texans
There’s a lot been made about the relationship between natural gas prices and how much we all pay for electricity. That’s because a large portion of the energy sold in the Lone Star State comes from gas-fired electricity plants. So when the price of natural gas goes down, so too does the price of electricity. We’ve witnessed that trend over … Continue reading
Nothing to brag about: Texans continue paying more for power than residents in neighboring states
Although electricity prices in Texas have decreased somewhat from a peak a few years back, they still remain higher than they were during the decade before deregulation. They also don’t compare so well to prices in neighboring states. Consider, for example, the year-to-date electric pricing information from February 2011, which is the last month for which the federal government has … Continue reading
Tale of Two Cities: Houston and San Antonio
Electricity still too expensive under Texas electric deregulation law That electricity rates have gone down in recent months is great news without a doubt. But that doesn’t mean that flaws in our state’s deregulated system have been corrected. Consider, for example, what residents in the state’s largest city with deregulation pay for electricity versus what residents in the state’s largest city without … Continue reading
TCAP Warning: New PUC Rule Anti-Competitive
Some Texans will be prevented from exercising choice in the deregulated electricity market under controversial new Public Utility Commission rules that took effect on Wednesday. The new rules have drawn opposition from the Texas Coalition for Affordable Power and other consumer groups. Under the rules, a retail electric provider can hold a Texan with past due electric bills as a … Continue reading
This week in the Texas Legislature
It’s that time of the legislative session. Bills are dying en masse, like lemmings dropping off a cliff. Many would have helped electricity consumers in Texas. But some pro-consumer bills still stand a good chance of passage. What follows is a quick (and partial) rundown of some bills of interest, and their fates so far. The 82nd Legislative Session ends May … Continue reading
Electricity market is complicated: Who’s really looking out for who?
What are the different ways cities and their citizens get their electricity? Does anyone oversee the complex deregulated electricity market? How are electric service areas defined? In a recent Q&A published by Texas Town & City, Texas Municipal League General Counsel Scott Houston attempted to answer these questions, and a lot more, surrounding the complicated Texas electricity market and the … Continue reading
New Legislation Makes Your Electric Bill More Transparent
Complexity of Texas electricity plans makes decision on electricity provider complicated and expensive DALLAS–House Bill 1006 and Senate Bill 948, currently pending in the Texas Legislature, would require all competitive electricity providers to offer a standard one-year, fixed-rate package, easing the confusion often associated with hidden fees and charges felt by many Texas consumers in the deregulated electricity market. Shopping … Continue reading