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A Texas lawmaker broke down as she clashed with officials at state energy supplier Ercot over dozens of deaths in a power outage and winter storm last week.
It happened when Ercot officials appeared before the Texas legislature on Thursday to answer questions as part of a hearing on the company’s role in the crisis.
It was then, as reported by MSNBC, that a lawmaker burst into tears as she confronted Ercot officials over the deaths, which number in the dozens – and include an 11-year-old boy. , Cristian Pineda, deceased. hypothermia.
His family were among four million in Texas who went without power during the worst winter conditions for decades, while tens of thousands of people went without power for nearly a week, much of it supplied to Texas by Ercot.
A lawmaker said at the hearing, before having to take a break: “‘Harris County alone has confirmed 15 fatal cases of hypothermia including the death of Cristian Pineda, 11 …”
“Who died in their sleep after playing in the snow and returning to their unheated home,” she said, after bursting into tears. “We want them and every Texan to make sure this doesn’t happen again.”
The tense first day of the hearing came as Ercot CEO Bill Magness told lawmakers he didn’t regret the company’s role in the crisis – while admitting the state had come. within minutes of losing all its supply.
“I feel a great sense of responsibility and remorse about the event, but I will continue to investigate – we continue to investigate – but I think the operators on our team did all they could,” Mr Magness told lawmakers.
A legislator then asked: “But you would not have changed anything with regard to your game during these critical hours?”
Mr. Magness replied, “I don’t think I would”.
According toHouston Chronicle, about 52,277 megawatts were lost from the Texas power grid at the height of the crisis last week, causing blackouts. Ercot officials were then forced to alternate power outages to prevent the system from collapsing.
It comes exactly a decade after a 2011 winter storm forced 14,700 megawatts offline in Texas, a federal report later warning that the state must tamper with its power grid to prevent a future cold-weather collapse.
The state, whose electricity grid is independent, has not done so.
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