AUSTIN (AP) — Texas' power grid that buckled during February's deadly winter storm would operate under new oversight and mandates that power plants prepare for more extreme weather under proposed overhauls Tuesday that moved closer but are still far from Republican Gov. Greg Abbott's desk.
Six weeks after more than 100 people died in subfreezing weather in Texas, including many of hypothermia, both the GOP-controlled House and Senate have now passed sweeping reforms that lawmakers say would prevent a repeat of the widespread blackouts that spiraled into one of the worst power outages in U.S. history.
But the proposals are far from finalized and big issues remain unsettled, including who will pick up the cost of weatherizing Texas' hundreds of power generators, which Abbott is demanding after plants failed in the cold weather and more than 4 million customers lost electricity.
