Texan Lt. Governor Dan Patrick blames constituents for giant electric bills: "Read the fine print"

Again, I never debated thev contract alone, never. I guarantee The good people of Texas never read a contract that stated, “ power does not come on in cold weather.” You keep wanting to go away from that.

 

Texans care. They are being overcharged when their power was interrupted because of cold weather. Think about it. It’s the most incompetent s state regulated utility company in the US. Why ?
You think it’s ok when your power goes out when it gets cold ? Rediculous.

 

Variable rates were clearly spelled out.

 

https://www.forbes.com/sites/robert...ays-from-the-texas-blackouts/?sh=31ac346e2b18

 

So the contract clearly states that electric power wouldn’t be available when it’s cold outside ?

 

Most service providers have a “acts of god” or “unavoidable service interruption” clause.

Fairly standard.

What is sad is that we are approaching almost third world levels of infrastructure. The richest nation on Earth and we have people freezing to death in their homes while their political leaders jump on jets to fly to tropical climates.

It’s a travesty

 

Except that, everywhere else, cold weather does not cause unavoidable service interruption. Besides, global warming isn’t an act of god.

 

They were completely negligent, but I guarantee they have a clause.

 

If you have something to say then say it.

How exactly did the make out like bandits and who is they?

 

Why would, service interuptions are not something that can always be prevented. I don't have a clause in my terms of service, which is what it is, that says my power will stay on in a hurricane or a single digit freeze either. I prepare for both.

 

Non-sequitur.

 

Federal regulations apply to interstate transmission. My power company in my state is regulated by my state Public Service Commission. Texas regulates the companies which operate within the state including regulating fix rates. Choose not to have fixed rate billing then you choose to pay wholesale market price, neither the feds nor the state regulate that it is a market price.

 

More dodging and wack-a-mole. You said the problem in Texas was that they could not get power from outside of Texas.

False as I showed and the power they do get by crossing a state line comes under what "federal regulations" there.

What specific federal regulation that Texas does not come under is it you are claiming would have prevented the power outage? Specific, quote it, no dodging and meandering. Focus like a laser.

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, or FERC, is an independent agency that regulates the interstate transmission of electricity, natural gas, and oil. FERC also reviews proposals to build liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminals and interstate natural gas pipelines as well as licensing hydropower projects. The Energy Policy Act of 2005 gave FERC additional responsibilities as outlined and updated Strategic Plan. As part of that responsibility, FERC:

• Regulates the transmission and wholesale sales of electricity in interstate commerce;
• Reviews certain mergers and acquisitions and corporate transactions by electricity companies;
• Regulates the transmission and sale of natural gas for resale in interstate commerce;
• Regulates the transportation of oil by pipeline in interstate commerce;
• Approves the siting and abandonment of interstate natural gas pipelines and storage facilities;
• Reviews the siting application for electric transmission projects under limited circumstances;
• Assess the safe operation and reliability of proposed and operating LNG terminals;
• Licenses and inspects private, municipal, and state hydroelectric projects;
• Protects the reliability of the high voltage interstate transmission system through mandatory reliability standards;
• Monitors and investigates energy markets;
• Enforces FERC regulatory requirements through imposition of civil penalties and other means;
• Oversees environmental matters related to natural gas and hydroelectricity projects and other matters; and
• Administers accounting and financial reporting regulations and conduct of regulated companies.

Play FERC video on YouTube

FERC Infographic



What FERC Does Not Do
(Note: most of the links below are to external websites and you will be leaving FERC's site)

Many areas outside of FERC’s jurisdictional responsibility are dealt with by State Public Utility Commissions. Areas considered outside of FERC's responsibility include:

• Regulation of retail electricity and natural gas sales to consumers;
• Approval for the physical construction of electric generation facilities;
• Regulation of activities of the municipal power systems, federal power marketing agencies like the Tennessee Valley Authority, and most rural electric cooperatives;
• Regulation of nuclear power plants by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission;
• Issuance of State Water Quality Certificates;
• Oversight for the construction of oil pipelines;
• Abandonment of service as related to oil facilities;
• Mergers and acquisitions as related to natural gas and oil companies;
• Responsibility for pipeline transportation on or across the Outer Continental Shelf or for pipeline safety;
• Regulation of local distribution pipelines of natural gas;
• Development and operation of natural gas vehicles;
• Reliability problems related to failures of local distribution facilities; and
• Tree trimmings near local distribution power lines in residential neighborhoods.

https://www.ferc.gov/about/what-ferc/what-ferc-does

 

The fact that rates could vary was clearly spelled out.

 

My only point was that Obama said "electricity bills will necessarily skyrocket." That included no other point, context, or argument.

You said it was "made up crapola" unless I could provide links. Apparently you didn't realize that he did say that, or you wouldn't have asked for links.

So to prove he did say that, I provided many links, including videos of Obama saying exactly what I said he said. I even explained that you could do your own internet searches and find hundreds of links to him saying that electricity bills would skyrocket.

Then you said all those links were conservative and didn't have the full text. The full text has no consequence within our conversation. All I said was what Obama said, and he did indeed say that.

Then you say I am poor at making an argument. My entire point was that Obama said the electricity bills would skyrocket and I made no inferences about that at all. That he said it is a fact. And now you are trying to cover for your ignorance of that fact, by saying that I am poor at making an argument.

Obama said what I said he said, which was my entire point. There are videos to prove it. If you want to cloud the fact that you did not know that, you go right ahead and place the blame on me. Your introduction of "cap and trade, blah blah", does not make my claim false: Obama said "electricity bills would necessarily skyrocket."

 

Those who opted for direct deduction from their checking account may have suffered bills that consumed their entire balance, leaving them nothing to pay other bills.

 

Choices have consequences.

 

As much as Degussa wants to dance and dodge.

 

Which is why I do not use someone automatically deducting from my checking account. If it is a recurring payment like my cable bill my bank sends it automatically if the amount varies I send them from my checking account when the bill arrives.

 

You do remember what cap and trade means right ? You do know it applies to coal right ?

Cutting off statements is a dishonest.

Unless you’re under the ridiculous belief that coal is viable and should be used as a long term energy source, the funds from cap and trade are used to convert people offer to things like, mat gas. Around here , we did it in the north east. Electric bills are substantially lower because nat gas is now much cheaper then coal.

 

You’re really out of your league and just guessing and wrong because of it. I’ll explain it once. After that you’re on your own to continue sound8ng uninformed.

Like Your state police force and other state agencies enforces federal laws that are adopted by the state too. Bet deniers didn’t know that either. There are a plethora of federal laws and regulations that state agencies enforce, dah. If they didn’t, they wouldn’t be eligible for federal grant monies.

It’s not like Texas can’t get federal aid to harden their system. It’s routine that the federal government supplies funds to state, county and local agencies so they can modify and conform to FEDERAL REGULATIONS. Everyone from the FBI to the DEA to the EPA has been doing this for decades. The EPA funds go to local gov agencies for capital expenses to be distributed to conform and enforce fed regs at the local level.

Texas as intentially avoided this and didn’t harden their systems.
They sacked their citizens. NO WHERE IN THE CONTRACT DOES IT SAY, THEY CANT SUPPLY POWER WHEN IT GETS COLD.

 

Ha ha you do t even know most of these regs are federal regulations written into state laws. You’re funny.
Read this.
https://www.expressnews.com/busines...y-being-filed-against-ERCOT-over-15969990.php

 

As was the limit that could be charged, until ERCOT decided to change it.

 

Again, changes and resulting terms not hidden from customers.

 

Suuure. Everyone knows all the ins and outs of ERCOT.