Power to choose texas

Photo: Ron Jenkins/Getty Images As debilitating power outages stretch on in Texas, I spoke with New York editor-at-large David Wallace-Wells about what the dire situation signifies about our extreme-weather future — political point-scoring aside. Ben Hart : As Texas experiences extremely unusual levels of cold and snow this week, the state’s electrical grid is straining. Millions have been without power, and some power companies have ordered rolling blackouts to manage demand. Public officials don’t seem to have a good handle on when the lights will go back on. To your eye, does what’s happening look like more of a Texas-specific problem — the state mostly runs its own unique power grid, unlike other states, whose grids are connected — or more of an inevitable clash between increasingly extreme weather and infrastructure that just isn’t prepared for it? David Wallace-Wells : It’s both, but I think the more universal lesson is the more concerning one: When it comes to … [Read more...] about America’s Brittle Infrastructure Is on Display in Texas

City workers and volunteers distribute bottled water at Delmar Stadium in Houston on Friday. Photo: Zach Chambers/Bloomberg via Getty Images The winter storms that wreaked havoc across the country this week are over, but their consequences continue to play out, particularly in Texas, where water outages have replaced power outages as the primary threat, and the death toll is continuing to rise. In addition, as the scale of the disaster grows, so too do the calls for accountability from public officials, utility companies, and others over the widespread infrastructure failures and often inadequate response to address the myriad emergencies. Below are updates on the crisis and aftermath as it unfolds. As of Saturday, power had been restored for all but 74,000 customers in Texas, and none of those outages were due to energy-production problems. That’s the good news. The bad news? More than half of the population of the state — at least 15.1 million people across 189 … [Read more...] about Water Outages Still Plague Texas in Aftermath of Winter Storm: Updates

New York (CNN Business) Dallas resident DeAndre Upshaw said it was "very shocking" when he opened his latest electricity bill. "While I'm trying to get gas and groceries and make sure that my pipes don't explode, the last thing I'm thinking about is a $7,000 bill from my utility company," Upshaw told CNN's Fredricka Whitfield via Skype Saturday. As Texas struggles to recover from a deep freeze that has killed dozens, some customers in Texas like Upshaw are facing unprecedented price hikes in their energy bills as a result of the recent snow storm. Texas officials say they are investigating. Texas' utility regulator, Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUCT) , said Saturday that it is investigating "the factors that combined with the devastating winter weather to disrupt the flow of power to millions of Texas homes." It's also giving customers a way to use an emergency provider in the event their current provider is not available, but it's likely that this … [Read more...] about Texas officials are investigating outrageous energy bills in storm price surge

(CBSDFW.COM/CNN) — Dallas resident DeAndre Upshaw said it was “very shocking” when he opened his latest electricity bill. “While I’m trying to get gas and groceries and make sure that my pipes don’t explode, the last thing I’m thinking about is a $7,000 bill from my utility company,” Upshaw told CNN’s Fredricka Whitfield via Skype Saturday. READ MORE: North Texas Residents Grateful For FEMA Aid: 'Damages To My House Are About $180K' As Texas struggles to recover from a deep freeze that has killed dozens, some customers in Texas like Upshaw are facing unprecedented price hikes in their energy bills as a result of the recent snow storm. Texas officials say they are investigating. Texas’ utility regulator, Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUCT), said Saturday that it is investigating “the factors that combined with the devastating winter weather to disrupt the flow of power to millions of Texas homes.” It’s also giving customers a way to use an emergency provider in the … [Read more...] about Dallas Resident Says He Received Nearly $7,000 Energy Bill As Effects Of Winter Storms Continue

Federal law enforcement sources report that Border Patrol agents will now rely on Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers to conduct migrant releases when detention space is not available in the Texas Rio Grande Valley. Migrant releases coordinated specifically by Border Patrol directly into border communities will be a last-resort option. Border Patrol officials are instructed to conduct the local releases only when ICE cannot cope with the level of arrests made by the Border Patrol. The new policy may bring some relief to local shelters in South Texas border communities located in the Rio Grande Valley depending on where ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations officials choose to release the migrants. The change in procedure is likely driven by increased media attention to the issue. It will likely result in migrants being released away from border communities in the Rio Grande Valley. According to sources familiar with the new policy, ICE will transport many of the … [Read more...] about Exclusive: ICE to Release Migrants Further into U.S. — Away from Texas Border Cities