AND THERE’S ALSO ANOTHER MAJOR
PROBLEM UNFOLDING IN TEXAS RIGHT
NOW.
SKYROCKETING ELECTRICITY BILLS.
SOME TEXANS HAVE SEEN BILLS AS
HIGH AS $17,000 AFTER LAST
WEEK’S STORM.
THAT’S PAUSE THE ELECTRIC
RELIABILITY COUNCIL OF TEXAS,
WHICH MANAGES ABOUT 90% OF THE
STATE’S ELECTRIC LOAD,
UNDERESTIMATED HOW MUCH POWER IT
WOULD NEED WHEN THE STORM HIT,
SUPPLY SIMPLY COULDN’T KEEP UP
WITH DEMAND AND THE WHOLESALE
PRICE OF ELECTRICITY SPIKED.
MSNBC STEPHANIE RUHLE SPOKE WITH
ONE HOMEOWNER WHO IS
EXPERIENCING THIS FIRSTHAND.
>> Reporter: SO LAST MONTH,
UH-OHED $49.
>> $49 FOR THE WHOLE MONTH.
AND THIS MONTH I HAVE ALREADY
BEEN CHARGED SOMETHING LIKE
$700, $800.
AND I CURRENTLY RIGHT NOW OWE
$3,435. >> WOW.
>> WOW.
>> Reporter: SO FOR THIS MONTH
YOU WILL OWE $4,000, UP FROM $49
LAST MONTH.
IN YOUR OTHER HOME WHERE YOU PAY
A FIXED RATE, YOU WILL OWE $100,
MAYBE $200.
.
>> $145, GIVE OR TAKE.
>> Reporter: WOW.
>> STEPHANIE RUHLE JOINS US
RIGHT NOW.
STEPHANIE, EXPLAIN WHAT’S GOING
ON HERE.
AND I HAVE HEARD HORROR STORIES
OF PEOPLE GETTING BILLS EVEN
HIGHER THAN THAT.
THEY ARE FAMILIES THAT HAVE NO
WAY OF PAYING THESE BILLS.
WHAT’S GOING TO HAPPEN TO THEM?
>> MIKA, DON’T MESS WITH TEXAS.
TEXAS DIDN’T WANT TO BE
REGULATED, AND THEY’RE NOT.
FOR MOST OF US, THIS IS
COMPLETELY FOREIGN.
WE TO THE FLOOR ANYTHING LIKE
THIS BECAUSE WE HAVE FIXED,
REGULATED ELECTRICITY PRICING.
IT IS DIFFERENT IN TEXAS WHERE
YOU HAVE ALL SORTS OF PRIVATE
BUSINESSES OFFERING DIFFERENT
INCENTIVES AND OFFERS.
AND ONE OF THEM IS WHOLESALE
ELECTRICITY PRICING.
GRITTY, THE COMPANY HE’S TALKING
ABOUT, YOU PAY WHAT WE PAY.
NORMALLY IT’S A LOW NUMBER.
IT’S A FLOATING RATE THAT COULD
FLUCTUATE ANY TIME.
WHEN DOES IT FLUCTUATE?
AN EXTREME WEATHER MOMENT LIKE
THIS WHERE YOU HAVE A COLD SNAP,
A BUNCH OF POWER GENERATIONS
GOOFF LINE BECAUSE OF THIS, AND
EVERYONE ELSE ISSING
GENTLEMANING UP THE HEAT IN
THEIR HOUSE BECAUSE IT’S SO
COLD.
THERES NO COMMISSION, NO ABILITY
FOR THE STATE’S COMMISSION TO
CAP THESE RATES.
AND THAT’S WHY YOU SAW PEOPLE
GET JACKED THOUSANDS AND
THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS.
.
>> NOW, WHAT IS GOING TO BE THE
SOLUTION TO THIS AT THIS POINT?
WHAT ARE POLITICIANS DISCUSSING?
GIVEN THE FACT THAT THEY ARE THE
ONES THAT MADE THIS HUGE
MISTAKE?
>> WELL, THEY MADE THIS DECISION
YEARS AGO.
AND TEXANS, FOR QUITE A WHILE,
SAID THEY LIKED THIS.
OF COURSE SO MANY PEOPLE DIDN’T
REALIZE WHAT THEY WERE GETTING
THEMSELVES INTO.
JOE BIDEN HAS COME IN AND SAID
IT’S A NATURAL DISASTER.
WHETHER HE CAN DO SOMETHING IS
UNCLEAR BECAUSE OF ALL THIS WAS
LEGAL.
GOING FORWARD, THE GOVERNOR SAID
THE STATE’S UTILITY COMMISSION
HAS PUT A MORATORIUM, YOU CAN NO
LONGER RAISE THE PRICES THIS
MONTH.
THEY ARE GOING TO HAVE AN
INVESTIGATION INTO THESE SKY
HIGH BILLS.
AND EVEN THESE COMPANIES, GRITTY
SAID MOVE, MOVE TO FIXED RATES.
BUT PEOPLE CAN’T MOVE OVERNIGHT.
AND THE ISSUE IS THESE ARE THE
RULES THAT WERE PUT IN PLACE
UNFORTUNATELY NOW PEOPLE HAVE TO
PLAY BY THEM UNTIL THEY CAN BE
CHANGED.
>> IF THEY CAN’T PAY, WILL THEY
LOSE THEIR POWER?
>> WELL, THE GOVERNOR SAID
PEOPLE WILL NOT HAVE THEIR POWER
TURNED OFF.
BUT I CAN TELL YOU MANY PEOPLE
DID LOSE THEIR POWER.
MANY WERE ALREADY CHARGED AND
HAD THEIR MONEY TAKING OUT OF
CREDIT CARDS BECAUSE THEY HAVE
AUTO PAY.
THEY ARE TRYING TO UNDO IT.
IMAGINE YOUR PIPES HAVE BURST,
YOUR FAMILY IS FREEZING AND NOW
YOU ARE FACING THOUSANDS AND
THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS OF BILLS.
WHO IS THERE TO PROTECT YOU?
IT’S A REMINDER REGULATIONS ARE
ALSO KNOWN AS PROTECTIONS.
AND IF YOU DON’T WANT SMART
REGULATION, YOU’RE NOT GOING TO
BE PROTECTED WHEN YOU NEED IT.
.
>> ALL RIGHT.
STEPHANIE RUHLE, THANK YOU VERY
MUCH.