ERCOT Can’t Be Sued For 2021 Texas Winter Storm Power Failures

Topline

The Texas Supreme Court voted 5-4 that the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, which operates the state’s electrical grid, has sovereign immunity from lawsuits—likely allowing the government entity to curb litigation over widespread power outages during a deadly winter storm in 2021 that left more than five million without electricity.

The U.S. and Texas flags fly in front of high voltage transmission towers on February 21, 2021 in … [+] Houston, Texas. Millions of Texans lost power when winter storm Uri hit the state and knocked out coal, natural gas and nuclear plants that were unprepared for the freezing temperatures brought on by the storm. Wind turbines that provide an estimated 24 percent of energy to the state became inoperable when they froze. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

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Key Facts

The 5-4 ruling on immunity resulted in the dismissal of a lawsuit from CPS Energy, San Antonio’s municipal electric utility firm, and reversed a previous appeals court judgment.

Sovereign immunity protects the government and its various entities from civil lawsuits, thousands of which were filed by Texans over deaths, injuries and damages suffered as a result of the winter storm.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/antoniopequenoiv/2023/06/23/ercot-cant-be-sued-for-2021-texas-winter-storm-power-failures/