After Passing Weak-Ass Electrical Grid "Reforms", Abbott, Fellow Hacks Showered W. Utility Donations
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.
Over that same short stretch in June, 11 prominent oil industry leaders, including billionaires Kelcy Warren, S. Javaid Anwar and Douglas Scharbauer — all three whom could not be reached for comment — combined to contribute about $3.2 million to Texas elected officials, up from about $2.2 million over the same period following the previous legislative session in 2019. Warren's company Energy Transfer declined to comment on his behalf.
For some energy experts, the increase in donations for the officials at the close of the session looks like a reward for not passing more stringent regulations and raises questions about whether lawmakers let the oil, gas and the broader energy industry off easy for its massive failures. “Gas producers got a pass by Texas policymakers,” said Michael Webber, professor of energy resources at the University of Texas at Austin. “Making a million-dollar political donation to reward the government for its light touch and encourage the government to continue turning a blind eye to price gouging and windfall profits while hundreds of people die seems like a good return on investment.”
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https://www.texastribune.org/2021/08/04/texas-energy-industry-donations-legislature/
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Texas electricity Patrick Cruz Paxton blame democrats
Pic Of The Moment: Ah, The Party Of Personal Responsibility
Power outages
“California is now unable to perform even basic functions of civilization, like having reliable electricity,” Cruz wrote back then.
