Since final month’s winter catastrophe, Gov. Greg Abbott has labored guilty the state’s energy grid operator squarely – regardless of being overseen by the Abbott-appointed Utilities Fee.

However as state lawmakers deepen their response to the disaster, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick is making it more and more tough to look away from the fee, shining the highlight on Abbott’s individuals and their choices.

Final week Patrick referred to as for the resignation of then PUC chairman DeAnn Walker – and hours later she referred to as for resigning. Then, after a regulatory oversight physique instructed the fee earlier this week that the Texas Electrical Reliability Council overcharged electrical energy suppliers by $ 16 billion in the course of the storm, Patrick requested the PUC to retroactively reduce prices – and Abbott noticed it as an emergency merchandise for the legislative session. the subsequent day.

The watchdog later revised his estimate of the additional prices to $ 4.2 billion, however that did not dampen Patrick’s anger. The Lieutenant Governor’s consideration to the PUC took its most dramatic flip but Thursday night time when he confirmed as much as a state Senate committee listening to to personally toast Arthur D’Andrea , the brand new fee chairman employed by Abbott – and the one member left.

A d

Lastly, Patrick ended the week along with his most direct problem at Abbott. In a Friday night time assertion, Patrick referred to as on Abbott to “intercede” and substitute D’Andrea, difficult the governor to drop his 9-day-old appointee. Abbott rapidly pushed Patrick away.

Even earlier than Patrick’s assertion, Capitol observers stated they remembered nothing just like the Patrick-D’Andrea showdown in current reminiscence.

“It is extremely uncommon, and I’ve by no means seen a lieutenant governor come and sit and take part in a listening to as if he’s a senator – and likewise tackle somebody in that method in a public method. – if he doesn’t intend to take action. strain him to resign, ”stated Sandie Haverlah, a lobbyist for nonprofits. “It is clearly an affront to the governor as a result of D’Andrea is serving the governor’s will.

Requested earlier than Patrick’s assertion on Friday whether or not Abbott stays assured in D’Andrea’s capacity to chair the PUC, Abbott spokesperson Renae Eze replied, “Completely. And in a letter launched after Patrick referred to as for D’Andrea’s ouster, Abbott instructed Patrick he agreed with D’Andrea “on his lack of ability to take the motion you requested,” stated himself. referring to the worth correction sought.

A d

Abbott has been reluctant guilty PUC, which regulates the state’s electrical energy, water and telecommunications utilities, for the reason that early days of the storm, preferring as a substitute to excite the Electrical Reliability Council of Texas. When requested at a Feb. 18 press convention if he was chargeable for the disaster, given his workplace’s relationship with the PUC, Abbott stayed targeted on ERCOT, saying, “I am taking accountability for the present standing of ERCOT. “

“It is not a phrase I’d usually use to explain Dan Patrick, however I believe he is at all times been a bit extra circumspect, particularly on the subject of ERCOT,” stated Adrian Shelley, group’s Texas director. Public Citizen Shopper Rights Advocate. “Abbott got here to ERCOT for affordable images right away.”

What drives the dynamic is the supply of the rising hypothesis in Austin. There’s a political backdrop: Patrick was by no means capable of fully dispel rumors that he would have an interest within the governor’s workplace, though he insisted he would by no means run towards Abbott and which he has stated on a number of events that he plans to run for a 3rd time period as lieutenant governor in 2022.

A d

As a part of this session, there was a noticeable re-emergence for Patrick, who stored an unusually low profile within the first few weeks. That began to vary in early February, when he fought to play the nationwide anthem in skilled sports activities video games and ready to launch an inventory of legislative priorities.

Then got here the storm, which left thousands and thousands of Texans within the chilly and darkish, raised uncomfortable questions concerning the state’s electrical energy grid and blurred the Capitol agenda.

Patrick stated the disaster made him wait a couple of days to launch his priorities in order that he might readjust them to mirror the newly urgent points. Its checklist of 31 priorities was ultimately overcome by the “ERCOT reform” and “stability of the electrical energy grid”, coming in second and third place respectively – simply behind the important finances.

However issues modified once more for Patrick after Walker and outgoing ERCOT CEO Invoice Magness appeared earlier than Home of Commons and Senate committees in late February. The lieutenant governor criticized their efficiency in a prolonged assertion and referred to as on them to resign, simply turning into the top-ranking elected official to start out increasing the post-storm blame sport on the PUC.

A d

On the finish of the day, Walker had submitted his letter of resignation, efficient instantly.

Abbott had beforehand referred to as on the ERCOT management to resign, however had not stated something concerning the PUC. After Walker introduced his resignation, Abbott’s workplace provided a press release thanking Walker “for his years of service within the State of Texas.”

Patrick additional elevated the strain on the PUC on Monday, when he referred to as on ERCOT and the fee to retroactively scale back the market worth of electrical energy in the course of the week of blackouts. The subsequent day, Patrick secured the reinforcement of 28 of the 31 senators within the Legislative Meeting, who despatched a letter to D’Andrea – whom Abbott had simply appointed to interchange Walker as president of the PUC – urging him “within the strongest attainable phrases to right away right billing errors. . “

D’Andrea and the PUC refused to take action, citing the unintended penalties of interference in an already settled electrical energy market. D’Andrea held onto that view firmly as Patrick questioned him for almost half an hour on Thursday night time, claiming D’Andrea instructed him in any other case in a current cellphone name.

A d

In his assertion on Friday night time, Patrick referred to as on Abbott to “substitute Mr. D’Andrea on the PUC when he takes up the opposite two vacancies.”

“Sir. D’Andrea’s job requires each skilled ability and honesty and he confirmed little both method in yesterday’s hearings,” stated Patrick. “I consider the Most Texans who watched the Senate case legislation listening to would conclude that D’Andrea mustn’t have full authority over ERCOT or be a part of the answer going ahead. “

Inside an hour of Patrick’s assertion, Abbott’s workplace launched the letter to the Lieutenant Governor. Within the letter, Abbott implicated his previous expertise as a state Supreme Courtroom justice and lawyer normal to help D’Andrea, and he instructed Patrick that the governor “doesn’t have the unbiased authority to attain the targets you might be in search of. “

“The one entity that may authorize the answer you need is the legislature itself,” Abbott wrote. “That’s the reason I’ve made this situation an pressing merchandise for the legislature to think about on this session.”

A d

Not all senators are with Patrick, at the very least on the subject of the worth correction. The three Senators who didn’t signal the letter had been Senator Brandon Creighton, R-Conroe; Sarah Eckhardt, D-Austin; and Kelly Hancock, R-North Richland Hills. Hancock instructed the Dallas Morning Information that he wished to stay impartial within the debate as a result of he chairs the Senate Enterprise and Commerce Committee, which held the chamber hearings after the storm.

Creighton’s workplace didn’t reply to a request for touch upon Friday.

Home lawmakers, in the meantime, have taken what they see as a extra deliberative method, with some pledging to “know all of the details” earlier than taking motion on the matter.

In a Home State Affairs committee listening to on Thursday, State Consultant Chris Paddie, a Republican Marshall who chairs the committee, appeared to take successful on the letter from 28 members of the Senate requesting D’Andrea to quash the costs.

A d

“Earlier than we take a stand or any of us ship you individually, sir, a letter or no matter,” Paddie instructed D’Andrea, “I will be actually certain once I signal my identify off. on one thing that I’ve all of the details on, and that’s right. “

After the listening to, Home Speaker Dade Phelan R-Beaumont stated in a press release that he appreciated the committee for its “deliberative consideration” of the matter and regarded ahead to a different listening to this week. subsequent on the dialog.

And over the previous week, Phelan pitched the concept of ​​laws that may create a mortgage fund by taking cash from the state financial savings account, also referred to as “Wet Day.” Fund ”. This new fund might assist electrical energy and pure fuel producers strengthen their amenities towards future chilly climate occasions.

Proposal, deposit Friday by State Rep. Dan Huberty, R-Houston, is modeled on the State Water Implementation Fund for Texas, in any other case referred to as SWIFT, which has helped gasoline tens of billions of {dollars} in new water tasks in recent times.

A d

Within the meantime, it appears inevitable that the warmth over the PUC is not going to recede, regardless of Abbott’s early efforts to guard his appointees from the storm’s fallout.

“I believe it will be tough to come back to some other conclusion,” stated Doug Lewin, local weather and vitality marketing consultant. “It is clear Abbott jumped in to say it was them, and I believe… Patrick drummed up that it is ERCOT and the PUC and actually put the emphasis on the PUC.

Cassi Pollock contributed reporting.