CORRECTION, 4:15 p.m., Aug. 19, 2020: This story has been corrected to show that that Pedernales Electric Cooperative is not in bankruptcy, as an earlier version incorrectly stated.
The Watchdog has a lot of interests, including secret meetings of power brokers, AT&T customer disservice, text scams and getting action from federal regulators. Here’s what I’ve studied in the past week:
Electricity ‘reformers’
I hope you didn’t miss two significant stories by Austin bureau reporter Phil Jankowski about the remaking of Texas’ electricity system. What he found is important because, at least to The Watchdog, it symbolizes everything wrong with our state government.
Turns out a secret committee of energy power brokers (some are campaign donors, too) are working a backroom deal. All of this is fine for the state’s top leaders because they appointed the members. We’re talking about Gov. Greg Abbott, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and House Speaker Dade Phelan, who each appointed four members to the 12-member panel.
And how many consumer members are on this State Energy Plan Advisory Committee?
None.
There are members from Oncor, ERCOT, NRG Energy, Energy Future Holdings, ConocoPhillips and Pedernales Electric Cooperative. The panel has only had two meetings.
It’s amazing they get away with this. In a rational world, there’d be a rep looking out for tens of millions of Texas electricity customers.
The thick report coming from the committee could be a starting guide for the Texas…
