Texas Representative Todd Hunter, a state lawmaker from the Corpus Christi Area, has some stern words for CEOs of Vistra Corp and NRG Energy. Mr. Hunter chides utility companies for disrespecting the legislature and asks them “Who screwed up?” Mr. Hunter mentions that they have found dead marine life and dead human life. He has been a lawmaker in Texas since 1989 and although PUC reports to the legislature, he has not heard from them once in the past 30 years. He gives examples of disrespect toward the legislature by the utility companies because of their lack of communication and lack of availability, many times telling him they are “too busy” to meet with him.
CEOs Curt Morgan of Vistra Corp., and Mauricio Gutierrez of NRG Energy state that the gas producers are at fault. That the TDU’s such as AEP, CenterPoint, and Oncor are the companies that cut the power off and decided who did and who did not have power. They stated that ERCOT instructed the TDUs to cut the power off and shed the load.
Mr. Hunter’s diagnosis is that the utility groups have done an awful job at communicating and that the #1 lesson to be learned by the utility companies should be care for human beings.
