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21 Jul, 7 tweets, 5 min read
Does anyone have an update to the @TXAG investigation of price gouging? Four months ago, the AG said: "I am expanding the scope of my investigation to include the natural gas industry." Are there any results from this investigation? #txlege #txenergy 1/
texasattorneygeneral.gov/news/releases/…
Section 17.46(b)(27) of the Bus. & Comm. Code defines deceptive trade practices to include: "(A) selling or leasing fuel... at an exorbitant or excessive price; or (B) demanding an exorbitant or excessive price in connection with the sale...of fuel..." 2/
statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/BC/htm/BC…
Natural gas prices were 100-300x normal prices in Feb. I don't know whether that meets the legal standard for price gouging but it's worth discussing. Look at this tweet and the next couple from a House hearing following the storms #txlege #txenergy 3/

Most post-storm focus has been on ERCOT, PUC, and the power grid--and there should be focus there--but NOT only there. The gas supply system was the source of most problems and the increased costs. This matters not only for Feb but to prevent a repeat. 4/ fortune.com/2021/07/09/gas…
Texas policymakers have the power to regulate intrastate gas commerce. Texas is one of few states that both produces AND consumes a lot of gas. Most states do one or the other, or neither. To prevent a repeat of Feb we must address the gas market 5/ energyathaas.wordpress.com/2021/03/01/to-…
Most gas prices were ~$400 compared to $3-4 earlier in the month. Denton Utilities' CEO testified he was quoted $1100. Who quoted him that price? Wouldn't that qualify as price gouging? The results of the AG's investigation are needed. Anyone have an ETA? 6/
#txlege #txenergy
To be clear for all following along: the Texas PUC and ERCOT do not have regulatory authority over gas. That's the Railroad Commission for instrastate and @FERC for interstate gas trading. @TXAG has enforcement authority. Their investigations are incredibly important. 7/7 #txlege

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More from @douglewinenergy

Doug Lewin Profile picture
22 Jul
There are big changes coming to #ERCOT. Are they the right changes? Are they enough? And what do we know about it so far? @PUCTX and @ERCOT_ISO held a press conference today. Some thoughts on the presser and other recent events below. #txlege #txenergy 1/
statesman.com/story/news/202…
Been a busy month: The presser today, along with a 7/1 PUC work session and 7/13 Senate hearing, And another @PUCTX workshop this Monday on transmission planning and how rotating outages/load shedding are done. Agenda & presentations were posted today 2/ interchange.puc.texas.gov/Documents/5226…
Additionally, the ERCOT Roadmap with 60 action items (aka the 60 points of light) was released last week plus @EnergyUT's report on causes of the Feb outages. Whew. 3/

energy.utexas.edu/ercot-blackout…
ercot.com/content/wcm/li…
Read 19 tweets
Doug Lewin Profile picture
17 Jul
Texas' energy woes will persist, and costs will be higher, unless demand side resources like #energyefficiency and #demandresponse, #solar and #storage, are deployed at scale. Alison Siverstein wrote a great piece in @UtilityDive about this. A quick 🧵

utilitydive.com/news/fix-texas…
Silverstein is a former FERC & PUC staffer w/ decades of energy experience. She wrote that Texas policymakers and the @PUCTX and @ERCOT_ISO need to "shore up grid reliability by aggressively managing electricity demand, not just throwing money at supply-side measures." #txenergy
She writes that over the last decade TX population increased 16% while energy use increased 20%. Much of that increase is driven by inefficient homes & buildings. We have #energyefficiency programs in Texas that deliver savings at 1 penny per kWh. Try to buy energy for that!
Read 7 tweets
Doug Lewin Profile picture
3 Jun
This meeing is underway. Can be viewed here.

Chairman Lake says the meeting today is a venue for discussion, a forum for consideration of ideas, not for taking action, which will stay in the more formal open meetings.

More updates soon on this thread.

texasadmin.com/tx/puct/open_m…
Commissioner McAdams agrees that this is a good way to discuss things before decisions are made which gives the public more chance to weigh in.

Public comment begins.
Rita Robles, a resident of Denver Harbor, a Houston neighborhood, addresses the commissioners. Says many people in her neighborhood had busted pipes. One neighbor still hasn't been able to fix her pipes nearly four months later.
Read 38 tweets
Doug Lewin Profile picture
31 May
#hb4492 in the Senate.

@RolandForTexas asks Chairman Hancock for a commitment to pursue a ratepayer assistance program. He commits. Bill passes 26-5.

Patrick says he wants this on the special session call.

#TxLege #txenergy
Patrick says he will only work on these things if we're helping ratepayers. Great.

He's indignant about House not taking ratepayer assistance program which was only brought up in the last few days. It's been 100 days since the storm. Where was this proposal in April/early May?
It makes sense to help ratepayers. The Senate had #SB243 to increase #energyefficiency programs which helps customers to save money AND make their homes more resilient. Never got out of committee. The House had #HB3460, the Power Act, to give direct payments to Texans

#txlege
Read 7 tweets
Doug Lewin Profile picture
30 May
🚨Hold the phone, there's an outside the bounds section (not in either the House or Senate versions) on p. 63-66 that appears to finance ratepayer assistance through a utility tax that would otherwise go to GR.

More soon...

#txlege #txenergy

lrl.texas.gov/scanned/87ccrs…
it appears in the side by side starting on p. 63 but does NOT appear in the Conference Committee report bill text. There is no Subchapter O in the bill text.

Is this a drafting error? Could be some high drama tonight on this. House rules are clear you can't amend a CCR. #txlege Image
At the bottom of the section of Subchapter O in the side-by-side page 66, it says this will be funded by a utility tax which I'm told raises $300m year. So they'd bond and then pay back bonds with a utility tax. however... (cont)

#txlege #HB4492 Image
Read 4 tweets
Doug Lewin Profile picture
30 May
#SB3 and #HB4492 conference reports are filed. I'll add thoughts to this 🧵as I go through them over the next hour or so.

#txlege #txenergy
#SB3 Headlines:
- Weaker gas regs (House version) are IN the bill.
- Most egregious anti-renewable language is OUT of the bill.
- one minor #demandresponse provision kept IN the bill
- #energyefficiency and most local power gen/storage backup OUT of the bill.
more details soon
Conf report kept House language that required gas supply to be mapped by the Electricity Supply Chain Mapping Committee before any regs are created. Cmte report due 1/1/22, @txrrc rules 6 months later. There will be no gas regulations required before this coming winter.

#txlege
Read 13 tweets

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