Texas Power Grid Agency Ruled Immune From Lawsuits

Courthouse News reports:

Shielding Texas’ electricity grid manager from liability in dozens of lawsuits tied to a winter storm blackout debacle, the state’s highest court ruled Friday the manager is entitled to sovereign immunity.

The issue of whether the Electric Reliability Council of Texas had sovereign immunity, a legal doctrine that as applied here bars lawsuits against the state of Texas and its agencies, had been dogging the grid operator since before the Winter Storm Uri disaster of February 2021.

Many power plants shut down because their operators and natural gas companies that supply gas-fired plants had not winterized their equipment, forcing ERCOT to implement rolling blackouts due to an electricity shortage. Hundreds of Texans died from hypothermia and medical complications amid the blackouts which lasted four days straight for some households.

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Texas high court saves state grid manager from liability in avalanche of litigation @cam_langford https://t.co/QVhkWhrnic

— Courthouse News (@CourthouseNews) June 23, 2023

The Supreme Court of Texas ruled Friday that sovereign immunity, which largely shields government agencies from civil lawsuits, also protects the operator of the Texas electric grid — meaning ERCOT can’t be sued over its failures during 2021 winter storm. https://t.co/LHvBdF7fGx

— WFAA (@wfaa) June 24, 2023