houston off the grid?

Harris County politician powers push to switch Houston off ERCOT grid

Pioneering politico Adrian Garcia wants Houston out of ERCOT's jurisdiction.

Photo courtesy of County Commissioner Adrian Garcia

With the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) currently under intense scrutiny, a lawsuit, and now, sudden resignations, a Harris County politician is powering a major push to get his county off the grid.

Harris County Precinct 2 Commissioner Adrian Garcia announced that he is asking the Commissioners Court to explore "what steps in regards to state statute and electricity infrastructure would need to be taken to remove Harris County from the service area of independent system operators that are primarily governed by the Public Utility Commission of Texas, such as the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT)."

The agenda item review is scheduled for Friday, February 26, according to a press release.

This agenda item would ask the County Attorney’s Office what powers the Court or other county elected officials possess to place Harris County in the service area of an electric grid not primarily governed by state agencies, including the Public Utility Commission of Texas, according to Garcia’s office.

To expand on his argument and request, Garcia released the following statement:

In 2011, state officials promised to get to the bottom of why widespread power outages resulted from a hard freeze. No significant actions were taken. In 2013, much of Texas was introduced to then-Attorney General Greg Abbott, who was the first state officeholder to respond to the explosion at a fertilizer plant in West, TX.

No significant changes came from state action to further prevent a similar disaster from happening. In fact, as recently as January of 2020, in response to several plant explosions happening in a short period of time locally, Governor Abbott tweeted that ‘Texas will work with Houston and Harris County on strategies to reduce—and hopefully eliminate—them’. That also never happened.

I can’t speak for the other members of court, but I am concerned with the State’s leadership inability to keep promises they have made to their constituents during disasters. This agenda item is meant to explore how we in Harris County can take ownership of keeping residents safe, something the state has clearly shown it can’t be trusted to do itself.

For some perspective, Houston’s neighboring Liberty County is currently one of several in East Texas that are in the service area of the Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO), Garcia’s office notes.

MISO is listed as an independent and regional transmission organization. In regards to jurisdiction, its regulation and oversight falls under the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) and is in the Eastern Interconnect grid.

CultureMap will update this story as it develops.

technology weather politics city-news-roundup

Sobering statistic

Texas ranks as one of the deadliest states for New Year’s crashes

Courtesy

Be sure to arrange a safe ride home on New Year's Eve.

At more than 314,000 miles, Texas boasts the largest system of public roads among the 50 states. It also holds the unfortunate distinction of being one of the deadliest states for New Year’s car accidents.

An analysis of 2014-2023 traffic data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) shows Texas is the ninth worst state for traffic deaths on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day.

During the 10-year period covered by the analysis, commissioned by AutoAccident.com, Texas tallied 280 traffic deaths on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day — the highest total of any state. The 280-person toll in Texas works out to 9.61 deaths per one million residents, a rate that’s 37 percent above the national average of 6.99 deaths per one million residents.

The analysis reveals that nearly three-fourths (64 percent) of New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day traffic deaths in Texas were drivers, nearly one-fifth (19 percent) were pedestrians, and 16 percent were passengers.

“New Year’s Eve is one of the most dangerous nights on American roads,” says Edward Smith, managing attorney at AutoAccident.com, a personal injury law firm.

“With impaired driving incidents spiking during holiday celebrations, every driver has a responsibility to make smart choices that protect themselves and others sharing the road,” Smith adds. “Even in states with strong safety records, one preventable death is too many.”

According to the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT), more than 2,000 drunk driving-related crashes happened during the 2024 holiday season. Last year, December ranked as the No. 1 month in Texas for wrecks caused by drunk drivers.

“The holidays are a wonderful time to be with family, and yet they can also be a painful reminder for those who have lost loved ones to preventable crashes,” says Marc Williams, executive director of TxDOT. “Let’s make a new holiday tradition to drive like a Texan: kind, courteous, and safe. That means always getting a sober ride.”

TxDOT offers these four tips for staying safe on the roads as the calendar switches from 2025 to 2026:

Designate a sober driver before the celebrations start.
Ask a sober relative or friend to pick you up if you’re too tipsy to drive.
Use public transit or rideshare services.
Stay off the roads until you’ve sobered up.

traffic fatalities crime holidays new year's day new years eve traffic