Top Texas Power Grid Officials Fired After Devastating Winter Blackouts

Several top Texas power grid officials have been fired in the wake of the disastrous and deadly blackout that occurred. Texas is on its own power grid separate from the rest of the country which allowed state officials to deregulate restrictions usually enforced by the federal government. The Electric Reliability Council of Texas, otherwise known as ERCOT, currently oversees 90% of the state’s power grid and when winter weather hit, they were unprepared. It led to one of the worst blackouts in U.S. history and left millions without electricity and drinkable water for weeks. At least 40 people died as a result. As Texas works towards recovery, it’s now being reported that ERCOT may have overcharged it’s customers $16 billion during winter storms. They’ve come under intense scrutiny for not only that, but also misleading residents about their preparedness and downplaying the effect of the storm prior to, as well as for their handling of the situation when it happened. So far, ERCOT’s CEO has been terminated, along with several other key figures.