Texas Legislature approves bill to ban residential wholesale electricity plans — the first major winter storm bill sent to the governor
Beth Garza, director of ERCOT’s independent watchdog from 2014-19, said the volatility around these plans can be a serious challenge.
“They can get so high,” Garza said of the potential price of electricity when power is scarce. “But even with them getting so high, if you can manage that volatility you will pay less money on your electric bill. The problem is, most of us can’t manage or don’t want to manage those kinds of swings.”
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A plan to subsidize power plant upgrades for extreme weather, however, could begin to address critical needs after the storm. But Garza said an enforcement mechanism and clear weatherization standards need to be in place in order for there to be real impact.
“Just telling people to weatherize is meaningless,” Garza said.
