Energy industry showers Gov. Greg Abbott, other Texas politicians with campaign cash after they pass

[TexasTowelie]

Energy industry showers Gov. Greg Abbott, other Texas politicians with campaign cash after they passed power grid bills

by Mitchell Ferman and Carla Astudillo, Texas Tribune


Fixing Texas’ power grid was about the only thing Republicans and Democrats in the legislative session seemed to agree on earlier this year. Power companies were in the hot seat, as millions of Texans who endured a week of subfreezing temperatures with no power demanded sweeping, multibillion dollar improvements to prevent another deadly disaster — and lawmakers promised action.

But by the end of the legislative session, if Texas’ top power companies were aggrieved by the way they were treated by the Legislature or any of the new laws passed targeting their industry, they didn’t show it.

Texas elected officials can’t receive campaign donations during the session, but after it ended in May, they were showered in cash by the energy industry — even more than usual for a group known for its deep pockets and generous campaign giving.

From June 21 to June 30, after the legislative fundraising blackout ended, five of the largest and most prominent companies in the Texas power grid supply chain — Calpine, Centerpoint, NRG Energy, Oncor and Vistra — or their top executives collectively donated about $497,000 to state elected officials and political groups. That's more than twice the $207,000 they gave during the same period when the legislative session ended in in 2019, according to a Texas Tribune analysis. A large chunk of that cash was driven by Oncor, Texas’ largest transmission and distribution electric company, with many big donations coming from the company's executives.

Read more: https://www.texastribune.org/2021/08/04/texas-energy-industry-donations-legislature/