That’s because Texas is the only US state where the energy distribution network functions independently. In addition, the electricity market has been fully liberalized. As a result, many families have contracts whose monthly price varies according to demand. And since the cold snap, it has skyrocketed.
“Those bills, which are unreasonable costs, should be paid by the state of Texas, not individual consumers, who are not responsible for this disaster,” said Sylvester Turner, the Houston mayor, on Sunday on NBC. “Everything that happened this week was predictable and avoidable.” Turner said it had long been clear that Texas’s independent power grid is vulnerable to extreme weather.
“We have a responsibility to protect Texans from increases in their energy bills resulting from the very harsh winter weather and power cuts,” Texas Governor Greg Abbott said Saturday. President Joe Biden declared the situation in Texas a disaster to free up resources that could serve to help residents pay their electricity bills, Republican MP Michael McCaul said in turn. “That’s the plan now, to help the owners with federal help,” he told CNN news channel.
Federal and local authorities are now calling for an investigation into the energy crisis. At least 70 people were killed by the winter weather in the south and central United States this week, according to American media.
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