AT
AT THE
AT THE WRATH OF GRAPEVINE. THIS IS TROUBLING, ONCOR HAS
TOUGH QUESTIONS TO ANSWER.
>> Reporter: IT'S NOT JUST
+@ ONCOR BUT ERCOT AND STATE
LAWMAKERS.
LAWMAKERS. BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY,
ERCOT WARNED ABOUT THIS, THAT
PEOPLE COULD BE WITHOUT POWER
THROUGH TONIGHT, POSSIBLY
THROUGH ALL DAY TOMORROW, SO
DON'T BE SURPRISED IF WE HEAR
MORE MESSAGES LIKE GRAPEVINE IS
GIVING US.
GIVING US. BUT YOU KNOW, NOT A SINGLE
+@ ENERGY EXPERT WAS SURPRISED BY
ALL THIS.
ALL THIS.
ALL THIS. WE KNEW THIS WAS COMING,
DESPI+@TE THAT, +@SOME ELECTRIC
PROVIDERS SIMPLY WERE NOT
READY.
READY.
READY. AND WHATEVER STEPS THEY DID
TAKE TO WINTERIZE THE+@IR
EQUIPMENT, IT WAS NOT ENOUGH.
AND THAT IS WHAT PLUNGED 2
MILLION TEXANS INTO THE DARK
TODAY.
TODAY.
TODAY. ERCOT IS THE OFFERINGS THAT
MANAGES THE TEXAS ELECTRICAL
GRID.
GRID.
GRID. AND
GRID. AND LAST NIGHT AROUND 11:00
P.M.
P.M.
P.M. THEY
P.M. THEY SAID MULTIPLE PLANTS
STARTED TO SHUT DOWN.
WITH LESS TRIESITY BEING
GENERATED, ROTATING OUTAGES.
SO, HOW COULD THIS HAPPEN
THOUGH IN +@THE LARGEST ENERGY
PRODUCING STATE IN THE COUNTRY?
UNLIKE OTHER STATES, TEXAS HAS
NEVER REQUIRED ELECTRIC PLANTS
TO WINTERIZE THEIR EQUIPMENT.
THAT WILL BE EXPENSIVE TO
PREPARE FOR WHAT'S RARE
OCCURRENCE.
OCCURRENCE. >> THERE ARE THINGS THAT CAN BE
DONE, BUT IT WILL COST MONEY.
AND I THINK THAT'S WHEN YOU
LOOK A THE PAST HISTORY,
WHETHER IT'S TEN Y+@EARS AGO,
2011, OR 12 YEARS BEFORE THAT,
1989, THERE'S COST TRADE-OFF.
DO YOU SUFFER EVERY TEN YEARS A
LITTLE BIT OF PAIN?
AND THEN HOW MUCH IS IT GOING
TO COST TO GO REALLY FULLY WINT
ARIZE THOSE, BECAUSE AS YOU
SAID IT'S A RARE EVENT.
>> Reporter: IT'S A RARE EVENT,
AND STATE LAWMAKERS ARE GETTING
INVOLVED, THOUGH.
INVOLVED, THOUGH. STATE REPRESENTATIVE JEFF LEECH
IS A REPUBLICAN FROM COLI+@N
COUNTY AND TWEETED ABOUT 90
MINUTES AGO S+@AYING, THIS
UNPRECEDENTED WEATHE+@R SITUATI
IS AN EMERGENCY AND THE PEOPLE
OF TEXAS DESERVE ANSWERS.
HE IS RIGHT.
IT IS OUR OBLIGATION ERIC SAID,
TO TELL THE TRUTH, EVEN WHEN IT
MIGHT BE BAD NEWS. +@
AND HE IS NOT THE ONLY ONE, +@
TECHAS DEMO+@CRATS SAYING STATE
LEADERS DROPPED THE BALL OVER
THE PAST YEARS.
THE TEXAS LEGISLATURE IS IN
SESSION RIGHT NOW, SO YOU CAN
BET THIS WILL LIKELY BE A
CENTRAL ISSUE.
CENTRAL ISSUE. HERE+@ AT THE STATE CAPITOL IN
AUSTIN.
AUSTIN.
AUSTIN. AND WE KNOW THAT EVERY
EXPERIENCE IS DIFFERENT IN ALL
OF THIS.+@
OF THIS.+@ WE WANT TO HEAR WHEN YOU'RE
GOING THROUGH AS WELL.
HOW YOU'RE COPING, WHAT WOULD
YOU TELL LEADERS?
WE OPENED A PHONE LINE FOR YOU
TO LEAVE A MESSAGE.
CALL THE NUMBER.
GRAB YOUR PHONE IT IS 977 --
972 RATHER-677-3941.
972 RATHER-677-3941. LEAVE US A VOICE MAIL, AND
CYNTHIA, WE MIGHT USE THAT ON
THE +@AIR.
THE +@AIR. >> YOU HAVE BEEN IN TEXAS
LONGER THAN I HAVE.
WE SEE MULTI+@PLE DAYS OVER 100
DEGREES IN THE SUMMER, AND THE
AC NEVER STOPS, WHAT MAKES THIS
SO DIFFERENT.
SO DIFFERENT. >> Reporter: YOU KNOW, WHAT IT
IS GEOGRAPHY.
IS GEOGRAPHY. WE ARE SO USED TO DEALING WITH
HE+@AT, WE ARE NOT USED TO
DEALING WITH FRIGID
TEMPERATURES.
TEMPERATURES. LOOK AT OKLAHOMA, IT HAS, YOU
+@
LOOK AT OKLAHOMA, IT HAS, YOU KNOW, THE WORST OF ALL THE
SEASONS.
SEASONS.
SEASONS. SO IT IS PREPARED FOR THE HEAT,
AND IT IS PREPARED FOR THE
COLD.
COLD.
COLD. AND
COLD. AND IN TEXAS, WE ARE PREPARED
FOR THE HEAT, BUT IT IS OFTEN
+@
+@ RARE
+@ RARE OCCURRENCE FOR WHAT WE ARE
GOING +@THROUGH NOW TO HAPPEN,
THAT THESE ELECTRIC GENE+@RATIN
COMPANIES ARE NOT PREPA+@RED FO
IT TO HAPPEN.
IT HAPPENS EVERY TEN YEARS.
AND THEY AR+@E TO THE READY.
>> QUICKLY BEFORE YOU SIGN OFF,
WHEN WILL WE HEAR FROM ERCOT?
EAT WOULD BE GREAT TO +@HEAR FR
THE CEO AND TAKE OUR QUESTIONS.
>> Reporter: THAT HE HAD NEWS
CONFERENCE EARLIER TODAY WHERE
THEY ANSWERED REPORTERS'
QUESTIONS.
QUESTIONS. I WAS ON THE ONE YESTERDAY, AND
THERE WERE A HANDFUL OF PEOPLE+
TODAY'S WAS PACKED.
+@ ALL KINDS OF REPORTERS FROM ALL
OVER THE STATE AND ACROSS THE
COUNTRY ASKING QUESTIONS ABOUT
WHAT'S HAPPENING.
WHAT'S HAPPENING. ERCOT DID PROMISE IT WOULD HAVE
ANOTHER NEWS CONFERENCE AT SOME
POINT TO ANSWER QUESTIONS,
BECAUSE WE KNOW YOU HAVE PLENTY
OF THE+@Y AS +@DO WE, AND WE AR
WAIT AT THIS HOUR