power outages

An unusually heavy winter storm knocked out electricity to millions of Texas homes and left many people without water service, but it also left inmates at the state’s largest county jail vulnerable, hungry and cold. Advocates and lawyers say Harris County Jail inmates have told them of stinking jail toilets that couldn’t be flushed, no access to clean water when...

Griddy can no longer operate in the state of Texas. ERCOT, which runs the state’s power grid, has yanked Griddy’s right to do business saying the company has failed to pay some of its bills.

The catastrophic Texas blackout was a wider failure than the state’s power grid, which teetered on the brink of an even bigger collapse during a freeze that knocked out electricity to 4 million customers, energy executives said Thursday.

Several municipalities around North Texas are asking residents to boil their water to eliminate bacteria as water pressure drops at treatment plants around Dallas-Fort Worth.

An Indiana man took action after seeing millions in Texas lose their power and water during the historic winter storm.

An Indiana man took action after seeing millions in Texas lose their power and water during the historic winter storm.

The questions have carried into the night at the state capitol as lawmakers continue to press for answers from the people who run and oversee the state’s power system. All trying to figure out what caused the deadly and destructive outages that swept across the state last week.

The questions have carried into the night at the state capitol as lawmakers continue to press for answers from the people who run and oversee the state’s power system. All trying to figure out what caused the deadly and destructive outages that swept across the state last week.

On Thursday, managers of Texas’ power grid are expected to receive a lashing in the first public hearings about the crisis at the state Capitol — where the belief that less government is better is reflected in a part-time Legislature that meets just once every two years, and only for 140 days.

There was frustration and fiery exchanges as Texas lawmakers kicked off hearings to get to the bottom of what caused last week’s massive power failure during a statewide winter storm. NBC 5’s senior investigative reporter Scott Friedman reports on new accusations about what caused some of the outages.

The board that oversees ERCOT held an urgent meeting Wednesday morning to discuss the winter storm that crippled most of Texas last week. They offered apologies for the devastation the power outages have caused and pledged to gather the facts to help lawmakers determine how to prevent it from ever happening again.

On Thursday, managers of Texas’ power grid are expected to receive a lashing at the state Capitol in the first public hearings about the crisis. NBC 5’s Alanna Quillen reports how it marks the start of what some describe as the beginning of a fact-finding mission.

Birds, bats and other wildlife appear to have taken a beating during the winter storm and deep freeze in the southern U.S. Scientists say it might take weeks or months to determine the extent of the harm.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott will deliver a televised statewide address Wednesday night.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott delivered a televised statewide address Wednesday night. Abbott discussed the recent power outages experienced across Texas and the state’s ongoing recovery response to the winter storm. 

The board that oversees ERCOT held an urgent meeting Wednesday morning to discuss the winter storm that crippled most of Texas last week. They offered apologies for the devastation the power outages have caused and pledged to gather the facts to help lawmakers determine how to prevent it from ever happening again.

Mitchell Schnurman with The Dallas Morning News joins NBC 5 to discuss Texas’ electric bargain and what needs to be done to prevent further outages.

ERCOT’s board of directors met Wednesday morning for the first time since the winter storm disaster that left millions of Texans without electricity for days. NBC 5’s Ben Russell explains the backlash against the embattled organization that manages the state’s power grid.

Top board leaders of Texas’ embattled power grid operator said Tuesday they will resign following outrage over more than 4 million customers losing electricity last week during a deadly winter storm, including many whose frigid homes lacked heat for days in subfreezing temperatures.

Sen. Ted Cruz joined NBC 5’s Julie Fine Tuesday afternoon and spoke about his decision to take a trip to Mexico in the midst of a winter storm that left many Texans without power.