House takes first step with ERCOT hearing
A 2017 presentation by the Electric Reliability Council of Texas about electric generator weatherization referenced a quote from founding father Benjamin Franklin, who stated, “By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.”
Last week demonstrated clearly that our state failed to prepare with dire consequences. Now we must prepare to address the catastrophic blackouts that led to millions of Texans losing power for hours or days on end. The electric outages had fatal consequences across the state, with numerous reports of Texans dying from hypothermia in unheated residences or carbon monoxide poisoning as they sought warmth.
We grieve and pray for those families mourning the loss of a loved one. State officials will remember these victims as we take stock of the failures that led to blackouts and fatalities to prevent it from happening again.
Today, Texans are full of grief, fear and mistrust, and it is the responsibility of those of us in leadership to do what is necessary and do what is right to earn that trust back. That begins with state leaders taking collective responsibility for this tragic mess and reforming the labyrinthine electric market.
Last week House Speaker Dade Phelan called for hearings to get to the bottom of what happened. Recognizing that this issue is exceptionally complex, the two committees we chair — energy resources and state affairs — will hold hearings this week to seek answers from ERCOT, from the Public Utility Commission of Texas that oversees ERCOT and from power suppliers, producers and delivery companies that lacked essential winterized infrastructure. Gov. Greg Abbott announced that an audit of ERCOT and the retrofitting of electric generation plants to withstand extreme weather conditions are two of his emergency items for the current 87th legislative session.
As a state, we must look unflinchingly at the information and warning signs provided to state officials during the last decade about vulnerabilities during extreme weather. We must shelve the political grandstanding and seek solutions before seeking to blame. We must take accountability and do better.
This hearing is just the beginning of a longer road toward recovery. It is only a first step — and we are not going to solve everything in one hearing.
To effectively address a disaster of this magnitude, we will need to identify long-term solutions because this is a long-term recovery.
The conversations we have this week will help shape the state’s response going forward, and the Texas House will leave no stone unturned to get to the bottom of this.
We are grateful that Texans once again have shown their compassion and resilience, opening their doors to family, friends and neighbors at a time when they need it most. People across Texas are giving their time, volunteering their pickup trucks and contributing money to help those in need. It’s a shining example of what makes Texas great: its people.
This extreme weather event and the ensuing tragedies will undoubtedly reshape the landscape of this legislative session. Once we have heard from stakeholders we will then find meaningful, lasting solutions to improve our critical infrastructure.
Let’s heed Benjamin Franklin’s words as we honor the lives of those our system failed last week by preparing today to create a safer tomorrow. It’s time to get to work.