Thread by @douglewinenergy

The @PUCTX meets @ 9:30CT today. The 1 Cmsr left is feeling lonely after a rough Senate hearing yesterday.

I'll post a link to agenda and video below but also want to focus on the need for the PUC and other agencies in TX to work with the public.

A thread
#txlege #txenergy

The video will be here at 9:30CT and the agenda is there, too.
texasadmin.com/tx/puct/open_m…

In @PUCTX proceedings, interested parties file comments. In Texas, #txlege set it up many years ago that anyone can file comments. In many states, you must have a lawyer. Not here
#txenergy

To view the comments, go to this site and enter the control number shown in the agenda:

interchange.puc.texas.gov

For example, for the filing by the Independent Market Monitor discussed so vigorously in both House and Senate yesterday, enter 51812 where it says control number

Most states have held dynamic, public facing proceedings on the evolving grid in recent years. Topics often include resiliency, cost, customer protection, etc.

They're detailed in a report "Public Utility Commission Stakeholder Engagement" by @NARUC here naruc.org/about-naruc/pr…

#Texas has no active process to solicit input from customers.

This should be part of Texas energy reform

It's not that hard but it does takes focus, intention, and a belief that the voices of people who don't know all the industry jargon matter, too.

#TexasBlackout #txlege

In the 1990s, then Chairman @patwood3 embarked on a process of deliberative polling. The @PUCTX educated customers on energy systems and then listened to what they wanted. The process is described here in a paper called "Listening to Customers"

nrel.gov/docs/fy03osti/…

This. Should. Be. Done. Again. Regularly.

If we think the public matters, if we're going to call it the PUBLIC Utility Commission, then open the doors to the public. Roll out the welcome mat. Actively ASK them what they want.

#txlege #txenergy

Legislators have acknowledged in recent days and weeks that we underfund the @PUCTX. I talked about that in the attached article. The Commissioners didn't even know in the week after the #TexasBlackout if they had money to do an investigation.
tpr.org/2021-02-19/pub…

Since then, I looked up the numbers.

PUC of Texas annual budget: $16.5m, 29m people

Michigan: $33m, 10m people

Nevada $16m, 3m people

Utah $26m, 3m people

You get what you pay for.

The @PUCTX are the regulators, the electric market police.

#txlege defunded the police.

So when you hear politicians calling for heads to roll, ask them what their role was.

I'd like to see a lot more leaders working to strengthen regulatory oversight and public participation going forward. They need to put their money--that is, our money--where their mouth is.

If and when the PUCT budget increases, they should have an Office of Public Engagement.

Less acronyms, more dialogue with non-insiders.

This kind of democratic engagement strengthens systems. It is *itself* a form of resiliency.

Let's make this happen. #txlege

Hearing starts in 20 minutes.

texasadmin.com/tx/puct/open_m…

More soon.

#txlege #TexasBlackout #txenergy

Tuned in a little late but a customer who was on @gogriddy plan says to @PUCTX "he fully understood the risk." Said his bill was $3000. Says the government mandated $9000 "left customers like me unprotected." He thinks indexed customers should be repriced to $1200.

#txlege

Chairman D'Andrea says repricing actually wouldn't help you but we're going to help you in other ways.

customer: How do I stay plugged in to those ways you're trying to help customers?

[If we had an Office of Public Participation this would be an easy answer!!!]

#txlege

Cont. from @PUCTX open meeting:

VP with a property management company starts.

In 2020 paid $9.3m for energy. $12m in that one week.

Not sure how this isn't price gouging by gas producers, pipelines, and generators.

#txlege #txenergy #TexasBlackout

(cont.) Says we get a notice during a hurricane for our hotels that we can't raise rates during the disaster.

Why can they?

#txlege

Chairman D'Andrea says @txag has opened an investigation into price gouging.

End public comment.

Chairman says project #51812 is the only one he'll talk about today.

It's here: interchange.puc.texas.gov/search/filings…

Says we need to do things more deliberatively now.

Says @PUCTX now has seven different projects open related to storm.

Says he got a letter from @VikkiGoodwinTX (my Rep!) who pointed to the @TLSC letter. (I'll find later and post)

@VikkiGoodwinTX also asked about people on life support who lost power during the storm. D'Andrea says "obviously that cannot happen."

Says they've opened 51888 is to make sure critical loads don't get cut.

It's here (nothing in it yet):
interchange.puc.texas.gov/search/filings…

Chair D'Andrea says: Usually, we wait 60 days to publish generator outage data. Some generators did not waive the 60 days. "I need as many eyes on this as possible." There are researchers @EnergyUT looking into this, he says. He will sign an order to make all that info public now

Says customers need to get on a deferred payment plan. Encourages people to call their retail electric providers.

Hate to be repetitive but an Office of Public Engagement sure coudl help with that.

#txlege #txenergy #TexasBlackout

@PUCTX staff lays out 7 areas they'll pursue in response to #TexasBlackouts
1) Generation weatherization
2) Essential generation load ("need to work our way up their chain" to look at those drawing electric power to keep power running)

3) Essential customer load (e.g. people with medical equipment need to "identify absolutely everybody" with critical needs)
4) "how can we make rolling outages more granular" we want to explore reducing load on the system from commercial buildings

5) ERCOT operations: how do they implement NERC protocols
6) Communications: how do we ensure Texans get the information they need.
7) Market settlements:

Also, wholesale market design (e.g. pricing mechanism) and the retail market (the types of products and disclosures, customer protections including in a disaster)

That's 9, I think some of those were combined.

Disappointed building weatherization is not on there. @PUCTX needs to look at energy efficiency to ensure demand doesn't get to the insanely high level it reached (77GW) and that people don't die in their homes bc they aren't insulated properly.

@PUCTX staff also reports there will be an audit performed delivered to the #txlege before the end of the session.

Staff says they'll have a Winter Storm page on the website to help customers. An Office of Public Engagement would be better. Just sayin'.

End meeting.