Texas Republican Congressman Michael McCaul said he wants Texans to be able to pay the outrageous power bills–some running into six digits–the utilities that failed to deliver electricity issued in the wake of widespread power outages that left millions without heat or lights, essentially rewarding the power companies for spiking prices during a crisis they caused.
On CNN’s “State of the Union,” McCaul said “Yes, that’s the current plan with the federal assistance — be able to help the homeowners both repair, because we have a lot of water leaks, a lot of water damage, pipes bursting, but also their electricity bills as well.”
The power outages in Texas were caused largely by failures of fossil fuel companies to properly winterize their pipelines and systems, causes critical sensors to freeze, stopping fuel to power plants. Republicans have made the false claim that the blackouts were due to the use of windmills and other renewable energy sources, that make up approximately 10% of Texas’s power supply.
McCaul also said of efforts by New York Democrat Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who helped to raise more than $4 million to help Texans in need, “I think it’s great she’s crossing Party lines to help.”