Texas power shortages

[DeadNutz]

Here is an interesting read and the DOE had a hand in this fiasco with their EO.

https://www.energy.gov/sites/prod/files/2021/02/f82/DOE%20202(c)%20Emergency%20Order%20-%20ERCOT%2002.14.2021.pdf

[DeadNutz]

Maybe this will make people second guessing on a move to Texas.

https://townhall.com/tipsheet/bethbaumann/2021/02/20/texans-are-being-being-slapped-with-electric-bills-as-much-as-17k-n2585059

[slip knot]

Thats not the actual truth. SOME people are going to get sky high power bills because they go cheap and buy power from a wholesaler and usually they get cheaper power until the SHTF. Then the wholesaler has to purchase power from the retail market and pay out the ass for it. that cost gets passed along to the consumer. Most Texans wont notice much difference in their bill. Mine will probably be about normal. I did run a lot of supplemental lighting for heat but it was only for 4 days and half that time the power was off.

Part of the de-regulation of electric power here allows you to buy power from any one. you still have to pay the local electric provider for line usage so the cost of the power must be dirt cheap. I belong to an electric co-op. I'm an owner/member of this co-op. we own the power plants (2) and all of the distribution system IIRC there are about 40'000 customers. our bill covers operations/maintenance/overhead and debt service.

Back in the 40s large parts of Texas didn't have access to electrical power. The power companies determined it was too expensive to service those customers. So they formed co-ops and built their own power grids and plants. My mom was a member for 50 years, I've been a member for 30. We recently voted to start an Internet service thru the co-op for the same reason, no-one wants to service folks out in the boonies.

[Barks]

There's a power seller called, Griddy, that has a monthly subscription fee, and they sell you juice a essentially wholesale rates.  Great deal most of the time.  However, wholesale prices go both ways and when juice is short, the price spikes.  So, these Griddy customers who have had a great deal for awhile are now learning how the power business works.  They're lucky the state caps the wholesale rate or they would be bankrupted every once in awhile.  Cry no tears for those who thought they were smarter than the larger retailers.

[goodfellow]

Deregulation and competition is a great thing, but there are may pitfalls. Personally I'm all for co-ops and/or a firm state controlled utility system because the current systems in many states are just too fraught with pitfalls. I'm a firm believer that most of these problems are directly attributed to ENRON lobbying the Clinton administration in the late 1990's for deregulation. ENRON dominated the power generation and distribution market in the west and had put in place business practices that were dubious at best, and downright illegal at the worst.

In most cases consumers don't read or understand the fine print and just shop on price alone. It seems that's what happened with many of these outrageous consumer utility bills that we hear about in the news today.

[walrus]

Deregulation and competition is a great thing, but there are may pitfalls. Personally I'm all for co-ops and/or a firm state controlled utility system because the current systems in many states are just too fraught with pitfalls.

Maine has a Public Utilities Commission that regulates our 2 electric utilities. Deregulation  has meant higher bills and worse service. My provider is CMP, voted the worst Electric company in the US. I'm wondering if you look at outages per capita if Maine has been worse off than Texas twice this winter, probably not and we are so used to it, most of us have at least small gennies to keep heat on, generally oil here not gas.  No one wants their  electric bill to go up but if was for better lines, less outages etc would it be worth it? I'm thinking yes if it was a small %.

The other thing that has happened here is Mini Split heat pumps, the electric companies have been giving rebates for folks to install these. I have one, it works great in the shoulder seasons but no way am I dependent on it for all of my heating needs. They are still pushing the mini splits like crazy, so what happens when grid goes down now? At some point ignoring everything for the sake of a smaller invoice at the end of the month is gong to hurt.

[DeadNutz]

This class action lawsuit was bound to happen as the Giddy users may of failed to read the fine print on their agreement to use the service. I would be pissed though if they emptied my bank account over the price of electricity while I was blacked out and had no electricity.

https://abc11.com/texas-9000-electricity-bill-griddy-energy-electric-lawsuit/10372508/

[slip knot]

I was talking with a guy yesterday that said his daughter was on one of those crap plans. He said they have a charge plan that every time the bill owed gets to $250 they make a withdrawl for the account. They dont want to get hung with a unpaid bill. He told me thats why they dont allow credit card payments either. Too easy to get stuck with an unpaid bill. The energy company tagged his daughters account twice before she ran out of money.

This will be interesting to see how it plays out. The governor already said he wasn't going to allow any of those exorbitant bills but if you got a contract I dont see how they can stop it.