Week In Review Governor Greg Abbott took executive action on COVID-19 protocols. Legislative hearings continued in response to Winter Storm Uri, and lawmakers introduced new broadband policy proposals to expand Texans' access to the Internet. Governor Abbott Lifts COVID Restrictions On Tuesday, Governor Abbott issued Executive Order GA-34, which stated, in brief, that effective March 10, 2021, a.) there are no COVID-19-related capacity limits for any business or other establishment; and b.) face coverings are no longer required, although individuals are strongly encouraged to wear them when social distancing is not possible. Per the Order, businesses are free to limit capacity or require face coverings if they so choose. The Executive Order allows certain mitigation steps to be taken if an area has had seven consecutive days with more than 15 percent of hospital capacity occupied by COVID-19 patients. Currently, only two regions (El Paso and Laredo) meet that standard.   In response, Partnership President and CEO, Bob Harvey issued the following statement:  “While we in the Houston area have seen considerable improvement since January in terms of COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations, and we are pleased that the three approved vaccines are beginning to reach the most at-risk populations, we should recognize that the majority of the regional population is still at risk of contracting the virus.   We believe that our masking and social distancing behaviors are helping drive down the prevalence of the virus even as we see an increasing presence of the worrisome variants. We have been following the advice of health care professionals throughout the pandemic and believe it is simply too early for us to forgo these actions.    We at the Partnership encourage Houstonians to stay the course, continue masking and social distancing, and we encourage customer-facing businesses to continue to require masks and limit crowding. Let’s continue to be responsible, with or without state requirements.” Winter Storm Legislative hearings on Winter Storm Uri continued this week. The industry continues to provide feedback and data from the power outages and has begun to propose solutions to improve ERCOT and the state electric grid. At the request of the Legislature, recommendations from state electrical market leaders are forthcoming. While more than 50 bills relating to the winter storm have already been filed as of Thursday, we expect the primary legislative vehicle will take shape over the next week few weeks. The last day to file bills is Friday, March 12, but it is not uncommon for lawmakers to file a “shell” bill as a placeholder and introduce actual legislation during the committee process. Among those bills already filed, most address the governance of ERCOT or the Public Utility Commission. Other bills propose mandatory reserve capacity, winterization of energy facilities and statutory restrictions on the time customers are allowed to be without power during periods of rolling blackouts.    Broadband The Legislature’s effort to address the digital divide received a boost this week when Representative Trent Ashby (R-Lufkin) filed House Bill 5. This bill is expected to be the primary vehicle for broadband legislation and includes the two primary objectives outlined by the Partnership and the Digital Texas Coalition – creation of a statewide broadband office and the authorization of a long-term statewide broadband plan.     Additionally, the bill requires the creation of a grant program to facilitate investment in broadband infrastructure, particularly in rural areas. Partnership staff have been working to expand the grant program to include affordability and require equitable distribution of grant funds to both rural and urban areas of the state. The legislation has been referred to the House Committee on State Affairs chaired by Representative Chris Paddie (R-Marshall), who is a joint author of the legislation. We anticipate this legislation will be heard in committee in the next few weeks. Learn more about the Partnership’s Executive Priorities.

Week In Review Legislators' attention was focused squarely on the response to last week's severe winter weather. Legislative hearings are expected to continue with legislation to follow. Governor Abbott Responds to Winter Storm Governor Greg Abbott announced two additional emergency items for the legislature to prioritize this session. First, Governor Abbott identified the reform of the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) as a legislative priority and called on the legislature to investigate the decisions made by the state agency to find long-term solutions. Additionally, the Governor declared that winterization of Texas’ power system and related funding be added as an emergency item to ensure the reliability of the state's power infrastructure. In response to Winter Storm Uri, Governor Abbot requested that a Major Disaster Declaration be issued by the federal government, which would allow eligible Texans to apply for financial assistance related to property damage caused by the effects of the storm. President Joe Biden granted that request for nearly half of all Texas counties. Legislative Hearings on Electric Grid The Texas Senate Committee on Business and Commerce and the House joint State Affairs and Energy Resources Committees conducted two days of hearings to examine the conditions leading to the power loss during last week's winter storm. In a break with common practice and a sign of the importance of the topic, even Senators not serving on the committee were able to participate and ask questions. In both chambers, hearings were highly technical, digging into specifics of issues such as legal authority, and the operation of the power grid. Legislators asked tough questions of the witnesses, and witnesses provided substantive testimony. Vulnerabilities to extreme weather events were exposed throughout the system, from regulators to power plants to industry. Both chambers covered the historic nature of the conditions compared to prior winter weather events and peak summer demand. Legislators questioned ERCOT CEO, Bill Magness, and Public Utility Commission (PUC) Chairwoman DeAnn Walker. Legislators asked questions ranging from decisions made before and during the storm to oversight authority and infrastructure winterization. Legislators also heard testimony from agency leaders, industry associations and individual companies from each segment of the sector's supply chain. Only one week after the storm, witnesses requested more time to conduct their root cause analyses of the events in order to provide recommendations on how to strengthen the electric grid. In many cases, the committees demanded those reports and recommendations be quickly provided to the Legislature. One suggestion that was widely supported by numerous witnesses is a statewide public alert system for the electric grid. More hearings are expected on this topic, with legislation to follow. Learn more about the Partnership’s Executive Priorities.