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Donors tied to pipelines accused of triggering blackouts gave $6.3M to Texas officials
Posted on 9/8/23 at 11:26 am
Posted on 9/8/23 at 11:26 am
quote:
Donors tied to 36 natural gas pipeline and trading companies accused of causing or profiteering from the 2021 blackouts have given $6.3 million to the top seven elected officials overseeing the industry since 2017, a new analysis from Texas for Public Justice revealed Friday.
Perhaps that explains why no Texas official is looking into fraud and market manipulation accusations that attorneys general in Kansas and Oklahoma find so concerning. Or maybe Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has been too busy doing other things to read the lawsuit brought by CirclesX, a Houston energy data firm.
Texans for Public Justice took on the tough job of going through thousands of pages of campaign finance data after reading my series explaining how pipeline companies seeking to boost profits are alleged to have triggered four days of blackouts during Winter Storm Uri in 2021.
quote:
Gov. Greg Abbott appoints the Public Utility Commission, which oversees the Texas electricity grid, and received $4,258,597. Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick presides over the Senate, which oversees state agencies, and received $799,337.
quote:
Railroad Commissioner Christi Craddick, the longest-serving commissioner at the agency charged with regulating natural pipelines, received $380,174. The other commissioners, Jim Wright and Wayne Christian, received $210,202 and $202,801, respectively.
Pipeline-connected donors gave House Speaker Dade Phelan $317,253 and Paxton $161,702.
quote:
Texas law forbids companies from making campaign donations, but individuals may give as much as they want. Large donors must report their employer’s name or any relevant corporate affiliations.
People affiliated with Energy Transfer Partners, which made $2.4 billion in excess profits during the storm, gave Texas politicians the most. Led by CEO Kelcy Warren, who wrote a $1 million check to Abbott’s campaign, Energy Transfer executives donated $3,240,500.
quote:
Kinder Morgan folks are in second place, giving $1,077,600. Richard and Nancy Kinder gave Abbott $500,000 alone.
quote:
Why do Texas-based pipeline companies make such huge donations? Because Texas is a very special place when it comes to pipeline regulation.
Federal law governs pipelines that cross state lines, but state laws apply to the others. Most states mirror federal law and require pipelines to behave like a toll road, only allowed to charge for the volume of natural gas that passes through them.
Texas uniquely allows pipeline companies to own what’s inside the pipe, giving them monopoly powers. For decades, well owners have complained that pipelines require them to sell their gas at secret, low prices, while power plant operators complain pipelines demand secret, high prices when the gas reaches them.
Texas officials could take away the right to own the gas or insist on a transparent gas market where prices are public. But if Texas took those steps, Texas pipeline company profits would plummet. They make billions annually by secretly trading and moving gas around to maximize profits.
https://www.houstonchronicle.com/business/columnists/tomlinson/article/winter-blackouts-pipelines-campaign-donations-18350667.php
Posted on 9/8/23 at 11:28 am to Dire Wolf
I dont trust the houston chronicle
May all be true but that rag has an agenda
May all be true but that rag has an agenda
Posted on 9/8/23 at 11:29 am to Dire Wolf
We know the rules. We just don't care.
Posted on 9/8/23 at 11:29 am to Dire Wolf
They should have removed themselves.
Posted on 9/8/23 at 11:32 am to Dire Wolf
Politicians are corrupt. And in other news....
Sadly, absolutely nothing will happen to them because the money fairy will bless those who could blow this up.
Sadly, absolutely nothing will happen to them because the money fairy will bless those who could blow this up.
Posted on 9/8/23 at 11:50 am to Cosmo
The Chronicle is the fairest major newspaper to the oil and gas industry. Most of its readership is connected to the industry in some way.
Posted on 9/8/23 at 12:02 pm to Dire Wolf
I’m struggling to believe the premise as you’ve seen huge increases in oil production across the Permian. If the monopolies created undue costs then you would see more market restrictions that just aren’t present. And do pipelines companies really want to be in the trading game? Do pipeline companies have huge storage tanks for oil and gas?
Posted on 9/8/23 at 12:08 pm to Dire Wolf
quote:
Texas law forbids companies from making campaign donations, but individuals may give as much as they want. Large donors must report their employer’s name or any relevant corporate affiliations.
quote:
People affiliated with Energy Transfer Partners,
Oh, so not the company?
Posted on 9/8/23 at 12:46 pm to Dire Wolf
Billionaires giving Abbott $500k is a story? Ok
Posted on 9/8/23 at 12:52 pm to Dire Wolf
So they caused the biggest winter storm in ages???
Wind and solar also didn’t help in energy situation during winter 2021 storm. It’s known natural gas or other energy production didn’t winterize equipment to handle a 100 year or greater type winter freeze event (can’t remember how rare & extreme), and this was made worse trying to start up reserve production when wind & solar stopped producing while demand soared to keep warm. Risk analysis showed costs were not justified for winterizing down to such extreme winters and would have also pushed down price increases to consumers at the time, so they winterized to a more realistic level at the time.
Bush defeated Richards, and then Bush ran against Gore. It formed from typical Clinton political payback mixed in with Nader’s leftist agenda and funded by Soros and Trial lawyers.
Using Texans for public justice as source this specific reporter for the Houston Chronicle isn’t even trying to mask his agenda and usually doesn’t.
Wind and solar also didn’t help in energy situation during winter 2021 storm. It’s known natural gas or other energy production didn’t winterize equipment to handle a 100 year or greater type winter freeze event (can’t remember how rare & extreme), and this was made worse trying to start up reserve production when wind & solar stopped producing while demand soared to keep warm. Risk analysis showed costs were not justified for winterizing down to such extreme winters and would have also pushed down price increases to consumers at the time, so they winterized to a more realistic level at the time.
quote:Sarcasm is such an objective tactic in journalism
maybe Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has been too busy doing other things to read the lawsuit
quote:Started in 1997 in Austin and later moved from Gov Bush to focusing on Bush’s 2000 and 2004 campaign contributions. They definitely have a certain agenda that this reporter and poster must like.
Texans for Public Justice took on the tough job
quote:
Texans for Public Justice
It has been accused of being "funded by out-of-state foundations and rich individuals to specialize in "lawfare" against state officials of whose policies they disapprove". Craig McDonald, a Michigan native, founded the organization and is its current Director. He began his career on the political left via the public interest movement in the late-1970s working as a community organizer. Working for Ralph Nader's Public Citizen activist group in 1984, he went on to create the Texas office of Public Citizen in that same year.
According to TPJ, its board of directors includes, in addition to McDonald, two other veterans of Nader's Public Citizen; a former aide to the late Texas Democratic Gov. Ann Richards who was also a Clinton-Gore organizer; and a journalist who "has written for numerous progressive publications."
The group receives monies from George Soros, Open Society Foundations, the Piper Foundation, the Sunlight Foundation, the Winkler Family Foundation, and Good Jobs First. Its 2005 tax return showed "Texas trial lawyers as major contributors.
Bush defeated Richards, and then Bush ran against Gore. It formed from typical Clinton political payback mixed in with Nader’s leftist agenda and funded by Soros and Trial lawyers.
Using Texans for public justice as source this specific reporter for the Houston Chronicle isn’t even trying to mask his agenda and usually doesn’t.
This post was edited on 9/8/23 at 5:06 pm
Posted on 9/8/23 at 12:53 pm to Dire Wolf
This is a perfect example of why I choose to live in Louisiana, to avoid corruption.
Posted on 9/8/23 at 12:59 pm to Dire Wolf
quote:
Energy Transfer Partners,
Sells for less than $14/share and pays over 9% in dividends to stockholders. Occasionally
drops to the $12-13 range.
This post was edited on 9/8/23 at 1:00 pm
Posted on 9/8/23 at 1:43 pm to Hangit
quote:
Energy Transfer Partners,
Sells for less than $14/share and pays over 9% in dividends to stockholders. Occasionally
drops to the $12-13 range.
But..requires a a K form each year.
I have amassed quite a few shares in my Roth IRA over the years.
Posted on 9/8/23 at 1:55 pm to GoldenGuy
quote:
Oh, so not the company?
It literally says it in the article
Individuals can, companies cannot.
Posted on 9/8/23 at 3:20 pm to mattz1122
quote:
The Chronicle is the fairest major newspaper to the oil and gas industry.
Thats not saying much
Posted on 9/8/23 at 3:47 pm to Cosmo
(no message)
This post was edited on 9/8/23 at 3:48 pm
Posted on 9/8/23 at 4:47 pm to mattz1122
quote:
The Chronicle is the fairest major newspaper to the oil and gas industry. Most of its readership is connected to the industry in some way.
The reporter Chris Tomlinson is not fair to oil & gas and actually benefits personally from solar and wind energy investments.
Just some of Tomlinson’s recent articles
quote:
Tomlinson: Texas needs to move faster to become clean, green hydrogen hub
Tomlinson: Elon Musk's move to Texas has been an epic disaster, with no end in sight
Tomlinson: Texas GOP's policies on COVID, guns, abortion and education are bad for business
He also has been pushing this over and over with multiple articles in August and September and probably more back further.
quote:
AUGUST 24, 2023
Why Texas regulators refuse to investigate role pipelines played in 2021 blackouts
AUGUST 16, 2023
Why Texas regulators refuse to investigate role pipelines played in 2021 blackouts
AUGUST 14, 2023
Rival companies, state AGs accuse Texas pipeline operators of fraud over prices during Uri
AUGUST 11, 2023
Texas pipeline operators triggered deadly 2021 blackouts while chasing profits, lawsuit alleges
AUGUST 9, 2023
Deadly Texas blackouts during 2021 freeze were caused by greed, not the cold, lawsuits allege
https://www.houstonchronicle.com/author/chris-tomlinson/
quote:
“(Disclosure: My wife works for a private equity firm that invests in clean energy companies, and they have projects in Texas. But my interest in climate change and energy dates back 30 years, and like most spouses, my wife will tell you she has little influence over my opinions.)” – Tomlinson
But the conflict is more than being married to a person that “works for a private equity firm that invests in clean energy companies”; his wife is a multi-millionaire rainmaker in wind and solar–the very two energies that Chris champions so completely and extensively.
Tomlinson is also trying to defend his criticism on those concerned about relying on wind and solar too much who he called “Fossil fuel-supporting Chicken Littles” right before winter 2021.
quote:
And yes, wind and solar wounded the very grid that killed hundreds of Texans in February 2021–right after Chris himself said in one of his editorials:
“Fossil fuel-supporting Chicken Littles have done their best to spread fear of renewable energy, warning that relying on wind, solar and storage would lead to blackouts and economic devastation.”
This post was edited on 9/8/23 at 5:35 pm
Posted on 9/8/23 at 5:15 pm to dallastigers
quote:
My wife works for a private equity firm that invests in clean energy companies, and they have projects in Texas. But my interest in climate change and energy dates back 30 years, and like most spouses, my wife will tell you she has little influence over my opinions.)” – Tomlinson
But the conflict is more than being married to a person that “works for a private equity firm that invests in clean energy companies”; his wife is a multi-millionaire rainmaker in wind and solar–the very two energies that Chris champions so completely and extensively.
oh this is rich
remind me, why are the power grids failing in Texas again? Don't think it's those pipelines and fossil fuels is it?
Posted on 9/8/23 at 5:24 pm to dallastigers
quote:
He’s authored two New York Times Bestsellers, “Forget the Alamo: The Rise and Fall of an American Myth” and “Tomlinson Hill: The Remarkable Story of Two Families Who Share the Tomlinson Name - One White, One Black.”
Posted on 9/8/23 at 5:41 pm to dallastigers
quote:
Fossil fuel-supporting Chicken Littles have done their best to spread fear of renewable energy, warning that relying on wind, solar and storage would lead to blackouts
Sounds like they were correct
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