Here's a little bitty step toward impacting our future.
Carl Jarvis
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: "Texas Power Crisis, Color Of Change" <info@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Sat, 27 Feb 2021 17:07:03 +0000
Subject: ERCOT Board Members Were Paid Six-Figure Salaries For Just
5-15 Hours Of Work.
To: Carl Jarvis <carjar82@xxxxxxxxx>
[
https://act.colorofchange.org/sign/Reclaiming-Our-Power/?t=1003&akid=49317%2E1048765%2EtXpfXH
][IMG]
Dear Carl,
On February 10th, amid subfreezing (9°F) temperatures, the Electric
Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) devastated the state's power
grid—leaving 4 million without heat or electricity, and nearly half the
state without reliable access to running water.^1
Over 580 Texans nearly died from carbon monoxide poisoning, after using
ovens and generators to heat their homes.^2 And at least 32
Texans—including an 11-year-old boy named Cristian Pineda—died from
suspected hypothermia exposure. Neither layered clothing nor extra
blankets could take the place of home heating systems.^3 To make matters
worse, 45 of roughly 100 hospitals declared an “internal disaster” as
pipes burst, emergency supplies dwindled, and those requiring ventilators
teetered between life and death.^4
Carl, this devastating human impact was entirely avoidable.
ERCOT had a decade to prepare for the 2021 Texas freeze.^5 In 2011, a
heavy snowstorm caused statewide rolling blackouts and left millions of
Texans in the dark. After a federal investigation, it was revealed that
energy producers’ procedures for “winterizing” their equipment (or
adapting utilities for cold weather) were either “inadequate” or
“inadequately followed.”^6 Responsible for 90% of the electric load in
Texas, ERCOT is primarily to blame for these life-threatening conditions
and fatalities.^7
[
https://act.colorofchange.org/sign/Reclaiming-Our-Power/?t=1004&akid=49317%2E1048765%2EtXpfXH
]SIGN THE PETITION: Stand with Texans by demanding ERCOT provide
Texans
with safe, reliable, and affordable utility services. #ReclaimingOurPower
ERCOT has been more concerned with payouts and executive salaries than the
maintenance of its electrical grid or public safety. As a result, millions
of ERCOT customers—Texans that have paid $28 billion more for electricity
since 2004—were without power for between 40 and 72 hours at a time.^8
Carl, ERCOT put greed before the “common good and general
welfare of the people [and] community.”^9
When corporations cut costs, Black, Disabled and low-income people bear
the brunt of the burden. As some Texans report $17,000 utility bills and
others max credit cards to replenish spoiled food or repair homes
destroyed by bursting pipes, we are holding ERCOT accountable to detailed
reparative measures.^10
[
https://act.colorofchange.org/sign/Reclaiming-Our-Power/?t=1005&akid=49317%2E1048765%2EtXpfXH
]SIGN THE PETITION: Stand with Texans by demanding ERCOT conduct
an
investigation into the reliability of its infrastructure and subsidize
utility payments for the month of February. #ReclaimingOurPower
With the COVID-19 pandemic having robbed Black, Disabled and low-income
households of emergency savings, ERCOT let vulnerable residents freeze
while wealthier residents booked warm hotel rooms for up to $1,000 a
night.^11 ERCOT failed to “protect the electric grid from uncontrolled,
cascading outages,” failed to perform regular outage rotations so that no
customer was “without power for more than 12 hours,” and allowed Black and
low-income households to suffer “without light and heat for [up to] 72
hours.”^12
Carl, the Texas freeze should not be referred to as a “jackpot”
for fossil fuel executives and energy leaders seeking to raise commodity
prices, rather a stark reminder that electricity should be a public good,
available and accessible to all.^13 [
https://act.colorofchange.org/sign/Reclaiming-Our-Power/?t=1006&akid=49317%2E1048765%2EtXpfXH
]SIGN THE PETITION: Stand with
Texans by demanding ERCOT provide Texans with safe, reliable, and
affordable utility services. #ReclaimingOurPower
Until justice is real,
—The Color Of Change Team
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References:
1. Paul Weber and Nomaan Merchant, “Texas governor’s biggest donors:
Energy industry that failed,” AP News (February 19, 2021),
[
https://act.colorofchange.org/go/296487?t=1007&akid=49317%2E1048765%2EtXpfXH
]https://act.colorofchange.org/go/296527?t=1008&akid=49317%2E1048765%2EtXpfXH
Umair Irfan, “Scientists are divided over whether climate change is
fueling extreme cold events,” VOX (February 18, 2021),
[
https://act.colorofchange.org/go/296489?t=1009&akid=49317%2E1048765%2EtXpfXH
]https://act.colorofchange.org/go/296528?t=1010&akid=49317%2E1048765%2EtXpfXH
2. Gwendolyn Wu, “More than 500 cases of carbon monoxide poisoning have
now been reported in Houston,” The Houston Chronicle (February 18,
2021),
[
https://act.colorofchange.org/go/296493?t=1011&akid=49317%2E1048765%2EtXpfXH
]https://act.colorofchange.org/go/296530?t=1012&akid=49317%2E1048765%2EtXpfXH
3. Andrea Salcedo, “Family of 11-year-old boy who died in unheated Texas
mobile home sues power companies for over $100 million,” The
Washington Post (February 22, 2021),
[
https://act.colorofchange.org/go/296496?t=1013&akid=49317%2E1048765%2EtXpfXH
]https://act.colorofchange.org/go/296531?t=1014&akid=49317%2E1048765%2EtXpfXH
4. Fenit Nirappil, Brittany Shammas, Frances Stead Sellers, and Timothy
Bella, “Texas hospitals are running out of water amid power outages.
Some are evacuating patients for safety,” The Washington Post
(February 18, 2021),
[
https://act.colorofchange.org/go/296498?t=1015&akid=49317%2E1048765%2EtXpfXH
]https://act.colorofchange.org/go/296532?t=1016&akid=49317%2E1048765%2EtXpfXH
5. Clifford Krauss, Manny Fernandez, Ivan Penn, and Rick Rojas, “How
Texas’ Drive for Energy Independence Set It Up for Disaster,” The New
York Times (February 21, 2021),
[
https://act.colorofchange.org/go/296502?t=1017&akid=49317%2E1048765%2EtXpfXH
]https://act.colorofchange.org/go/296534?t=1018&akid=49317%2E1048765%2EtXpfXH
6. Ibid.
7. Nate Chute, “Is ERCOT a government agency? Answers to 5 questions
about the group that operates Texas’ power grid,” Austin American
Statesman (February 19, 2021),
[
https://act.colorofchange.org/go/296509?t=1019&akid=49317%2E1048765%2EtXpfXH
]https://act.colorofchange.org/go/296538?t=1020&akid=49317%2E1048765%2EtXpfXH
8. Tom McGrinty and Scott Patterson, “Texas Electric Bills Were $28
Billion Higher Under Deregulation,” The Wall Street Journal (February
24, 2021),
[
https://act.colorofchange.org/go/296505?t=1021&akid=49317%2E1048765%2EtXpfXH
]https://act.colorofchange.org/go/296668?t=1022&akid=49317%2E1048765%2EtXpfXH
Jeremy Rogalski, “Texas counties with fewer power outages are not part
of state grid,” KHOU-11 (February 18, 2021),
[
https://act.colorofchange.org/go/296507?t=1023&akid=49317%2E1048765%2EtXpfXH
]https://act.colorofchange.org/go/296537?t=1024&akid=49317%2E1048765%2EtXpfXH
9. Nate Chute, “Is ERCOT a government agency? Answers to 5 questions
about the group that operates Texas’ power grid,” Austin American
Statesman (February 19, 2021),
[
https://act.colorofchange.org/go/296509?t=1025&akid=49317%2E1048765%2EtXpfXH
]https://act.colorofchange.org/go/296538?t=1026&akid=49317%2E1048765%2EtXpfXH
10. Cameron Peters, “Why some Texans are facing catastrophic electric
bills after winter storm,” VOX (February 20, 2021),
[
https://act.colorofchange.org/go/296510?t=1027&akid=49317%2E1048765%2EtXpfXH
]https://act.colorofchange.org/go/296669?t=1028&akid=49317%2E1048765%2EtXpfXH
11. Terry Nguyen, “What’s going on with hotel booking prices in Texas?”
VOX (February 18, 2021),
[
https://act.colorofchange.org/go/296491?t=1029&akid=49317%2E1048765%2EtXpfXH
]https://act.colorofchange.org/go/296529?t=1030&akid=49317%2E1048765%2EtXpfXH
12. Katherine Blunt and Russell Gold, “The Texas Freeze: Why the Power
Grid Failed,” The Wall Street Journal (February 19, 2021),
[
https://act.colorofchange.org/go/296500?t=1031&akid=49317%2E1048765%2EtXpfXH
]https://act.colorofchange.org/go/296533?t=1032&akid=49317%2E1048765%2EtXpfXH
13. Lee Fang, “Fossil Fuel Executives Gloat About Profits, PR From Texas
Winter Storm Crisis,” The Intercept (February 23, 2021),
[
https://act.colorofchange.org/go/296667?t=1033&akid=49317%2E1048765%2EtXpfXH
]https://act.colorofchange.org/go/296670?t=1034&akid=49317%2E1048765%2EtXpfXH
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[ http://act.colorofchange.org/go/3830?t=1001&akid=49317%2E1048765%2EtXpfXH
]Color Of Change is building a movement to elevate the voices of Black
folks and our allies, and win real social and political change. Please
help keep our movement strong.
[
https://act.colorofchange.org/go/251932?t=1002&akid=49317%2E1048765%2EtXpfXH
]Make a Donation
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Here's a little bitty step toward having an influence on our future.
Carl Jarvis