Power Grid & Energy Bills

I will fix the power grid to prioritize Texas families, not massive energy corporations.

In the ninth largest economy in the world, we shouldn’t have to worry that the people in power can’t keep the power on for the people of Texas.

Yet the power grid failed last February, killing over 700 people, causing over $300 billion in economic damages, and leaving millions of our fellow Texans in the dark and cold for days. And in the months since, Texans across the state continue to lose power when the weather gets too hot or too cold for the grid to support.

I will keep the lights on and the power flowing in the state of Texas.

So why is it that Greg Abbott can’t keep the lights on in the energy capital of the world?

It’s because every chance he gets, Abbott chooses to prioritize the profits of the energy CEOs who have donated tens of millions of dollars to his campaign—even when he knows it will cost the lives of our fellow Texans.

During the grid failure last February, energy CEOs made $11 billion by price gouging Texans as families froze to death in their homes. Instead of making them return those illegal profits to Texans or even update their infrastructure to prevent future humanitarian disasters, Abbott let them off the hook. In return, those same companies showered Abbott in larger campaign checks than ever before.

And what does that mean for the rest of us? Just look at your next energy bill: You’ll notice that you’re paying The Abbott Tax—an average of $45 more on our electricity bills every single month for the coming decades in order to keep Abbott’s donors happy.

The corruption ends when I’m governor. We’re going to redesign the power grid to prioritize Texas families, not wealthy energy corporations. We’re going to fully weatherize the power grid to withstand extreme weather and connect Texas to the national grid so that we can draw down power when we need it most. We’re going to prevent energy corporations from price gouging Texans in the future and dramatically reduce Texans’ energy bills going forward.

I have a plan to fix the grid. pic.twitter.com/R5LkdD5e3e
— Beto O'Rourke (@BetoORourke) May 14, 2022