Just now, Seventy_Yard_FG said:

Would you prefer that people just all have no power when a disaster like this happens?

Is that the only other possibility?

Just now, BirdsFanBill said:

As opposed to being forced to pay thousands of dollars in electric bills, if those are somehow the only two options, then yes. However, in the year 2021, there must be other feasible options.

Nah, probably not. It isn't like 49 other states don't already do something infinitely better.

1 minute ago, BirdsFanBill said:

As opposed to being forced to pay thousands of dollars in electric bills, if those are somehow the only two options, then yes. However, in the year 2021, there must be other feasible options.

But you’re not forced to pay.  You can turn the power off yourself.  How is that any worse than the power company shutting off everyone’s power?

2 minutes ago, Paul852 said:

Is that the only other possibility?

Well you could be smart like a lot of people and have a disaster preparedness plan

1 hour ago, Seventy_Yard_FG said:

Note to self, always count on someone else to bail you out when life doesn’t turn out perfect.  

I don't expect a bail out. I expect things I pay for to work at least satisfactorily... In Texas people are literally freezing to death in their homes, properties are irreparably damaged by freezing pipes bursting... It's a disaster compounded by incompetence of the power grid. But you're arguing the power company has no fault for failing to plan ahead? Unreal.

1 minute ago, Seventy_Yard_FG said:

But you’re not forced to pay.  You can turn the power off yourself.  How is that any worse than the power company shutting off everyone’s power?

Well you could be smart like a lot of people and have a disaster preparedness plan

To use when your power doesn't go out and someone else's does 

Ok dude.

2 minutes ago, toolg said:

I don't expect a bail out. I expect things I pay for to work at least satisfactorily... In Texas people are literally freezing to death in their homes, properties are irreparably damaged by freezing pipes bursting... It's a disaster compounded by incompetence of the power grid. But you're arguing the power company has no fault for failing to plan ahead? Unreal.

Well you’re arguing the customer has no fault for not preparing a plan?

2 minutes ago, Paul852 said:

To use when your power doesn't go out and someone else's does 

Ok dude.

I think it would be wise to have a plan for shtf scenarios.  People do that

1 minute ago, Seventy_Yard_FG said:

Well you’re arguing the customer has no fault for preparing to plan?

Once again, planning to turn off power completely because other peoples' power went out? That is not even a little bit reasonable. It's flat out dumb.

Just now, Paul852 said:

Once again, planning to turn off power completely because other peoples' power went out? That is not even a little bit reasonable. It's flat out dumb.

You’re not really making sense.  People prepare for emergencies.  Just because you might happen to be lucky and a emergency doesn’t happen to you does not mean it wasn’t a good idea to prepare

11 minutes ago, Seventy_Yard_FG said:

But you’re not forced to pay.  You can turn the power off yourself.  How is that any worse than the power company shutting off everyone’s power?

Well you could be smart like a lot of people and have a disaster preparedness plan

So the only options are to either pay thousands of dollars for electricity, or have no power during a freezing winter storm. In the United States of America in the year 2021. This is what you are telling me. This is the greatest country in the worlds options....

Just now, BirdsFanBill said:

So the only options are to either pay thousands of dollars for electricity, or have no power during a freezing winter storm. In the United States of America in the year 2021. This is what you are telling me. This is the greatest country in the worlds options....

You would think people would have learned their lesson after hurricane katrina

disasters happen, the next option is to be prepared

5 minutes ago, Seventy_Yard_FG said:

You’re not really making sense.  People prepare for emergencies.  Just because you might happen to be lucky and a emergency doesn’t happen to you does not mean it wasn’t a good idea to prepare

 What does "being prepared" have to do with anything if your power doesn't goes out? People should be prepared so they don't have to pay 2k a day for electricity? Is that what you're saying?

You heard it here first people, be prepared for when your power DOESN'T go out. It's essential.

1 minute ago, Paul852 said:

 What does "being prepared" have to do with anything if your power doesn't goes out? People should be prepared so they don't have to pay 2k a day for electricity? Is that what you're saying?

You heard it here first people, be prepared for when your power DOESN'T go out. It's essential.

So you would prefer they just shut off everyone’s power...

Just now, Seventy_Yard_FG said:

So you would prefer they just shut off everyone’s power...

Again, why do they need to do that? Are we saying that the companies need to charge those fees?

3 minutes ago, Seventy_Yard_FG said:

You would think people would have learned their lesson after hurricane katrina

disasters happen, the next option is to be prepared

I think maybe you are considering this issue from some sort of 1600's point of view of civilization. Today, 400 years later, people live in communities and cities and rely on utilities for basic living conditions. 

1 minute ago, Paul852 said:

Again, why do they need to do that? Are we saying that the companies need to charge those fees?

I mean they could try to come up with some cockamamie scheme where they ration the little power they have based upon perceived need, I suppose.  But then how you administer that in a situation like this is beyond anything humans could do.  How do you determine what is fair and not only do that but do it quickly?  You can’t.  The best and most efficient way to ration the power is based upon who can and will pay the most

1 minute ago, Seventy_Yard_FG said:

I mean they could try to come up with some cockamamie scheme where they ration the little power they have based upon perceived need, I suppose.  But then how you administer that in a situation like this is beyond anything humans could do.  How do you determine what is fair and not only do that but do it quickly?  You can’t.  The best and most efficient way to ration the power is based upon who can and will pay the most

.....

Do you understand what is going on at all?

3 minutes ago, BirdsFanBill said:

I think maybe you are considering this issue from some sort of 1600's point of view of civilization. Today, 400 years later, people live in communities and cities and rely on utilities for basic living conditions. 

Supply and demand is just as applicable as it ever has been

Just now, Paul852 said:

.....

Do you understand what is going on at all?

Do you?

2 minutes ago, Seventy_Yard_FG said:

Supply and demand is just as applicable as it ever has been

Do you?

Yes. What you just posted is so ill-informed and ignorant that I think you just don't understand.

Just now, Paul852 said:

Yes. What you just posted is so ill-informed and ignorant that I think you just don't understand.

Well sir, I think in fact what you just posted is so absurd that you actually don’t understand

Would be helpful to have the actual facts and truth before arguing for hours on end. The reason for the high energy bills is because some customers in Texas choose variable rate plans that tie their bill to the price of wholesale electricity. So 99% of the time, when there is abundant supply, then they pay less than others and take advantage of the market. When the storm hit and caused a massive supply disruption, the price skyrocketed. Guys like Comstock who has excess natural gas saw the spot price skyrocket, and they charged utilities a fortune. The utilities passed this on to customers who willingly signed up for variable rate plans. 

People could have chosen a fixed-rate plan, but they wanted the lower cost 99% of the time. This is the risk they willingly accepted. They benefited with lower prices for years, but now this happens. 

For the record, the real catastrophe here is a combination of (i) Texas being its own power grid and (ii) a lack of regulation. If Texas were connected to a larger grid, electricity from other parts of the country could have come in and mitigated the supply disruption. And if the state had mandated upgrades AND ALLOWED COMPANIES TO PASS THE COST ON, this wouldn't have happened. But Texas wanted to roll the dice on cheap energy and mock the rest of the country for its stupid regulations...payback is a ****.

5 minutes ago, Seventy_Yard_FG said:

I mean they could try to come up with some cockamamie scheme where they ration the little power they have based upon perceived need, I suppose.  But then how you administer that in a situation like this is beyond anything humans could do.  How do you determine what is fair and not only do that but do it quickly?  You can’t.  The best and most efficient way to ration the power is based upon who can and will pay the most

Or they could, you know, join the grid the rest of us are on so that they don't have to ration power.

Just now, VanHammersly said:

Or they could, you know, join the grid the rest of us are on so that they don't have to ration power.

There is no grid where everyone has power 100% of the time

Just now, vikas83 said:

Would be helpful to have the actual facts and truth before arguing for hours on end. The reason for the high energy bills is because some customers in Texas choose variable rate plans that tie their bill to the price of wholesale electricity. So 99% of the time, when there is abundant supply, then they pay less than others and take advantage of the market. When the storm hit and caused a massive supply disruption, the price skyrocketed. Guys like Comstock who has excess natural gas saw the spot price skyrocket, and they charged utilities a fortune. The utilities passed this on to customers who willingly signed up for variable rate plans. 

People could have chosen a fixed-rate plan, but they wanted the lower cost 99% of the time. This is the risk they willingly accepted. They benefited with lower prices for years, but now this happens. 

For the record, the real catastrophe here is a combination of (i) Texas being its own power grid and (ii) a lack of regulation. If Texas were connected to a larger grid, electricity from other parts of the country could have come in and mitigated the supply disruption. And if the state had mandated upgrades AND ALLOWED COMPANIES TO PASS THE COST ON, this wouldn't have happened. But Texas wanted to roll the dice on cheap energy and mock the rest of the country for its stupid regulations...payback is a ****.

Oh, I'm aware of WHY the bills are the way they are. My question is HOW this was allowed to happen. Is this even a possibility in any other state in this country?

Just now, Seventy_Yard_FG said:

There is no grid where everyone has power 100% of the time

And does it result in astronomical bills for people lucky enough to have their power stay on?

1 minute ago, VanHammersly said:

Or they could, you know, join the grid the rest of us are on so that they don't have to ration power.

This really is part of the solution. Relying solely on localized generation is a major reason for this. You need the ability to buy electricity from other markets in the case of a natural disaster.

the crazy electric bills hit folks who chose a variable plan where they pay market prices...when the sheet hit the fan, demand spiked & market prices skyrocketed. the demand & corresponding price spike was a result of the outages but didn't have any role in causing them.

idk how/if customers are notified when there's a crazy price increase like this...or if they find out when they get their bill. 

3 hours ago, Seventy_Yard_FG said:

There is no grid where everyone has power 100% of the time

Of course there isn't.  But power plants all over the country weren't going down because most places in colder weather locations were, surprise-surprise, prepared for the cold.  So they could draw power from those places and, again, they wouldn't have to ration.  It's the same for anywhere else that might be hit with an unexpected natural disaster.  If it effects their power plants, they can just draw power from somewhere else and no one is hit with these ridiculous bills.