Demand for electricity in Texas is surging, largely driven by data centers and other industries, and residential customers are footing the bill.
The cost of electricity in Texas has risen 30% since 2020 and is expected to continue. Demand for electricity in Texas is surging, largely driven by data centers and other industries, and residential customers are footing the bill
Texas Public Radio spoke to Texans with health conditions that make staying cool essential to their safety, who are now facing mountainous electricity bills. Alek Micklethwait, whose fiancée has a condition where her heart races over 100 bpm when she gets too warm, was met with a $545 bill. Sherrie Daugherty, whose systemic lupus means she's always running a low-grade fever, received a bill of $460.
Texas leads the nation in disconnections for nonpayment. Gov. Greg Abbott suggested inviting private providers to compete with public utilities, in hopes that increased competition would bring prices down. However, an investigation by Public Health Watch suggests that opening additional markets to private investor-owned power companies could make things worse, not better, for millions of residential ratepayers, writes Robin Berghaus for Texas Public Radio.
Read the full story: As Texans' electricity costs soar and temperatures rise, a public health crisis brews
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