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The PUC is behind schedule in announcing the winning consultancy, but PUC watchers say E3 is the favored party because PUC Chair Peter Lake has publicly supported an LSERO. State procurement rules say companies “may also be disqualified if there are facts that would create an appearance of impropriety, even if no actual conflict exists.” But PUC spokesman Rich Parsons says the agency “is the sole arbiter of whether a conflict or an appearance of impropriety exists.” E3 did not reply to an email seeking comment. The state says no company with “a direct financial interest in the provision of electric … service” is allowed to bid, but firms that consult for those companies are not mentioned. While it may look like a conflict of interest for the PUC to hire an industry consultant to help draft new rules for the industry, Texas regulations are fuzzy. 30, advocating for a controversial solution called a “Load Serving Entity Reliability Obligation.” An LSERO would guarantee generators an extra $1.5 billion a year.Į3 was the other firm that applied to rewrite the rules for the PUC. When the new PUC began discussing new rules, Houston-based NRG and Chicago-based Exelon hired E3 Consulting to draft a proposal that worked best for them.Į3 submitted their white paper on Sept. Potomac said the decision wrongfully stuck Texas consumers with a $16 billion bill.Īn interim PUC chair refused to correct the error before he was forced out, and Texans will be paying that debt for decades. Last year, experts at Potomac declared that former PUC Chair DeAnn Walker and ERCOT CEO Bill Magness violated market rules when they artificially kept wholesale prices at $9,000 a megawatt-hour for too long during the blackout, even though prices would have been $1,200 under market rules. The firm ensures that companies don’t cheat in the wholesale market where generators compete to supply the cheapest electricity.
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Potomac Economics, based in Fairfax, Va., is ERCOT’s independent monitor.
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Only two firms applied: one that caused trouble for past commissioners and another that advocates for generators. The PUC gave companies only three weeks to submit proposals. The latest fight began when the PUC advertised for a consulting firm “to assist in the analysis, development and implementation” of a new market. The prize is forcing consumers to pay $1.5 billion more for power every year.įollowing the freeze, the Legislature ordered the PUC to overhaul the market, and everyone is scrambling to tilt the field in their favor. The surest way to win a game is to have a friend write the rules in your favor, and big power companies could have their consultant at the table as the Public Utility Commission of Texas overhauls the electricity market. Is it reform if big electric companies have their consultant at the table as the Public Utility Commission rewrites the rules? Eric Gay, STF / Associated Press Show More Show Less Greg Abbott signs legislation last year to reform the Electric Reliability Council. Jason Fochtman, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer Show More Show Less 3 of3 (Sergio Flores/Houston Chronicle) Sergio Flores, Houston Chronicle / Contributor Show More Show Less 2 of3Įlectrical lines are seen, Tuesday, Aug. Lake spoke about the state of the energy situation in Texas and how they are looking for ways to give Texans energy without interruptions or losses. Public Utility Commission Chairman Peter Lake poses next to an alligator in his office on Thursday, Sept.