ICOSA
The Buck Stops Here
RECEIVED Sun., Feb. 21, 2021
To the Editor,
Before we even began to thaw out from this crisis, Governor Abbott was already blaming others for a catastrophe largely of his making. Calling for the resignation of the ERCOT CEO and board, he cunningly drew attention away from the fact that ERCOT answers to the Public Utility Commission, all three members of which were appointed by Abbott. The PUC in turn answers to the Texas Lege – mostly Republican.
The bigger problem is of course a system which allows Texas to not comply with federal regulations that in part require electric producers to have adequate excess energy stores for emergencies. The Texas system minimizes this storage as well as weatherization measures so as to maximize profit to the producers.
The buck stops with the governor. He and his appointed commissioners knew, as did his predecessor Rick Perry, that we were not adequately prepared for this. Now hundreds of thousands have suffered and some died, including, tragically, an 11-year-old boy who apparently froze to death in his bed. I call on Governor Abbott to resign.
Before we even began to thaw out from this crisis, Governor Abbott was already blaming others for a catastrophe largely of his making. Calling for the resignation of the ERCOT CEO and board, he cunningly drew attention away from the fact that ERCOT answers to the Public Utility Commission, all three members of which were appointed by Abbott. The PUC in turn answers to the Texas Lege – mostly Republican.
The bigger problem is of course a system which allows Texas to not comply with federal regulations that in part require electric producers to have adequate excess energy stores for emergencies. The Texas system minimizes this storage as well as weatherization measures so as to maximize profit to the producers.
The buck stops with the governor. He and his appointed commissioners knew, as did his predecessor Rick Perry, that we were not adequately prepared for this. Now hundreds of thousands have suffered and some died, including, tragically, an 11-year-old boy who apparently froze to death in his bed. I call on Governor Abbott to resign.
Guy LeBlanc
