The Texas power grid is wiping out oil?

People pay $16 billion more in electricity bills

  The southern and central regions of the United States experienced a cold wave in February, and Texas was particularly affected.

Many Texas residents subsequently received sky-high electricity bills, tens of thousands of dollars at every turn, triggering public doubts.

A regulator said this week that the Texas power grid operator made a mistake in pricing when the cold wave hit, causing the public to pay an additional $16 billion in electricity bills!

  Reuters reported on the 5th that Potomac Economic Consulting Corporation, as an independent third party, is responsible for overseeing the Texas power market.

The regulator disclosed in a material this week that during the large-scale blackout caused by the cold wave in February, the grid operator Texas Electric Stability Board raised electricity prices, but did not lower the electricity price after the large-scale blackout ended on February 17, but Continue to collect electricity bills from the public at high prices.

  Potomac Economic Consulting Company said that the Texas Electricity Stability Board did not restore the previous electricity price from the evening of February 17, and continued to calculate electricity tariffs at the high price for 32 hours thereafter, and did not lower the electricity price until February 19.

As a result of this "operation", the grid operator charged the public an additional $16 billion in electricity bills.

  The cold wave in the United States in February killed at least 80 people, of which more than 10 people were suspected of freezing to death. Heavy snow and low temperatures caused millions of residents in Texas to cut power and water for several days.

An 11-year-old boy in Houston, the largest city in Texas, froze to death in a home that could not be heated after a power outage. His mother Maria Pineda filed a lawsuit on February 20, claiming US$100 million from the Texas Power Stability Board and the power company Entegi.

  Among the 48 states in the continental United States, Texas is the only state with an independent power grid.

Texas Power Grid prides itself on high corporate autonomy and less government supervision.

However, in the event of extreme weather, it is also difficult for the Texas Power Grid to obtain foreign aid, that is, to "borrow electricity" from other power grids.

  There are many electric power companies in Texas, and residents can freely choose which home appliance company to buy electricity from, and there are various power purchase packages.

During the cold wave in February, some residents' electricity bills even increased to 10 times their usual.

  Some senior executives of the Texas Power Department have recently stepped down under pressure.

Sally Talberg, chairman of the Board of Directors of the Texas Power Stability Board, and several directors announced their resignations on February 23, and CEO Bill Magnes was "fired" on March 3.

  International credit rating agency Moody's downgraded the Texas Electric Power Stability Board's credit rating from Aa3 to A1 on the 4th, with a negative outlook.

(Yang Shuyi) (Xinhua News Agency Special Feature)