Capitol Update: Answers, Accountability, Solutions

June 11, 2021

Dear Friends,

None of us will ever forget the horrible February week when Winter Storm Uri wreaked havoc on Texas roads, homes, and our state’s power grid.

As Chairman of the Texas Senate Business & Commerce Committee, I immediately called a series of investigative hearings – with more than 28 hours of expert testimony – about the across-the-board failures that occurred along our electric supply chain.

We promised the answers, accountability, and solutions you deserve… and I’m grateful to be able to say the 87th Legislature delivered all three.

Together, legislators filed more than 100 unique bills in response to Uri. Our office carried a dozen of those addressing everything from a complete overhaul of ERCOT’s leadership structure, to improved winter and summer weatherization requirements, to deploying more battery storage, protecting consumers from price hikes and extreme-risk retail electric plans, and requiring more reliable, dispatchable generation.

It was my honor to join Governor Greg Abbott earlier this week as he signed into law SB 2 and SB 3 – two of the most significant grid reforms ever passed in Texas – because the bottom line is this: you should never, ever have to deal with this issue again. With new leadership at ERCOT and the PUC, increased legislative oversight, and the massive reforms made this session, it’s my confident hope you never will.

Sincerely,

Kelly Hancock
State Senator, District 9
Chairman, Business & Commerce


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