Dear Sen. Tester and Sen. Daines, The US Senate must take a strong position against the use of FEMA funding/taxpayers’ dollars to pay outrageous, predatory utility bills to utility companies that are predicted as Texas recovers from last week’s electrical power and gas delivery failures. While FEMA’s funds for the care of people impacted, for repairs to homes, schools, and businesses, and for other humanitarian costs are warranted, FEMA should not enrich Texas utility companies with payments for their exorbitant cost of service.
The Texas energy crisis was preventable and predictable! Texas’ energy market-focused design of its power delivery system actually amplified the rates that could be charged during the energy
crisis. Texas built a “regulatory” system that allows predatory pricing and places no demands on the energy companies to exercise “best practice” for utility service preparation for unusual but predictable weather events.
Texas energy companies are not new to this pillaging game as we had seen in 2001 with Enron Energy Company, based in Houston that cost customers billions in several states.
Michael Legge
Bozeman
Bozeman Daily Chronicle Letter to the Editor 3/2/21