Texas Governor Greg Abbott’s first appointee to help the state’s utility regulator after a deadly 2021 blackout plans to step down, according to people familiar with the decision who asked not to be identified.
Will McAdams was nominated by Abbott to occupy one of the four Public Utility Commission seats in the aftermath of the February 2021 freeze that killed hundreds, knocked out power for millions and paralyzed the second-largest US state for almost a week. The appointment was part of a post-disaster clean sweep of the agency’s leadership.
The commission’s brief expanded this week after Texans approved the creation of a $5 billion fund to help finance new power plants via low-interest loans or grants.
Read More: Texas Voters Back $5 Billion Fund for Fossil-Fuel Power Plants
Since McAdams joined the commission, the PUC has pushed through reforms to procure more electricity reserves, help cover power-plant fuel costs and oversee implementation of efforts to insure against another grid disaster. That effort, however, has led to artificial power-supply shortages, driving prices to some of the highest seen since 2021, according to a Bloomberg News analysis.
Read More: Texas’ New Electricity Rules Sent Grid Prices Soaring
Author: Mitchell Ferman and Naureen S. Malik
