Texas energy grid CEO says he would've done nothing different in winter storm blackouts
The CEO of the organization that controls the Texas power grid told lawmakers he wouldn't have done anything different during the winter storm last that left millions in the state without power for days.
Bill Magness, the CEO and president of the Energy Reliability Council of Texas, or ERCOT, made the comments on Thursday in a hearing before the Texas State Senate Business and Commerce Committee.
"It's our job to keep the grid balanced, and if I'm looking at it, the problem was at the sites of the various generation," Magness told committee chair John Whitmire, pointing to natural gas supply issues.
"I'd just say, I feel a great deal of responsibility and remorse about the event," Magness said, "but I believe the operators on our team did everything they could have."
Cutting Magness off, Whitmire asked, "But you wouldn't have changed anything in terms of your play calling during those critical hours?"
"As I sit here now, I don’t believe I would, I wouldn’t step in front of them and question their judgment and their experience," Magness said.
The CEO said it would be "on me" if records were to show neglect.
On Wednesday, according to NBC DFW, Magness told Texas legislators that if regulators had waited even five more minutes to implement rolling blackouts, a months long collapse of the power grid could have occurred.
