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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 by Dire Wolf
bawcomville
Member since Sep 2008
36642 posts
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 by Cosmo
glassman's guest house
Member since Oct 2003
120272 posts
Posted on 9/8/23 at 11:28 am to
I dont trust the houston chronicle

May all be true but that rag has an agenda
Posted by carrguitar
Member since Oct 2014
738 posts
Posted on 9/8/23 at 11:29 am to
We know the rules. We just don't care.
Posted by Jcorye1
Tom Brady = GoAT
Member since Dec 2007
71409 posts
Posted on 9/8/23 at 11:29 am to
They should have removed themselves.
Posted by GeauxTigers0107
South Louisiana
Member since Oct 2009
9727 posts
Posted on 9/8/23 at 11:32 am to
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.
Posted by mattz1122
Member since Oct 2007
52791 posts
Posted on 9/8/23 at 11:50 am to
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 by C
Houston
Member since Dec 2007
27824 posts
Posted on 9/8/23 at 12:02 pm to
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 by GoldenGuy
Member since Oct 2015
10880 posts
Posted on 9/8/23 at 12:08 pm to
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 by NIH
Member since Aug 2008
112643 posts
Posted on 9/8/23 at 12:46 pm to
Billionaires giving Abbott $500k is a story? Ok
Posted by dallastigers
Member since Dec 2003
5711 posts
Posted on 9/8/23 at 12:52 pm to
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.

quote:

maybe Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has been too busy doing other things to read the lawsuit
Sarcasm is such an objective tactic in journalism

quote:

Texans for Public Justice took on the tough job
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.

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 by Ghost of Colby
Alberta, overlooking B.C.
Member since Jan 2009
11217 posts
Posted on 9/8/23 at 12:53 pm to
This is a perfect example of why I choose to live in Louisiana, to avoid corruption.
Posted by Hangit
The Green Swamp
Member since Aug 2014
39128 posts
Posted on 9/8/23 at 12:59 pm to
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 by ThatsAFactJack
East Coast
Member since Sep 2012
1541 posts
Posted on 9/8/23 at 1:43 pm to
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 by idlewatcher
County Jail
Member since Jan 2012
79146 posts
Posted on 9/8/23 at 1:55 pm to
quote:

Oh, so not the company?


It literally says it in the article

Individuals can, companies cannot.
Posted by Cosmo
glassman's guest house
Member since Oct 2003
120272 posts
Posted on 9/8/23 at 3:20 pm to
quote:

The Chronicle is the fairest major newspaper to the oil and gas industry.


Thats not saying much
Posted by kywildcatfanone
Wildcat Country!
Member since Oct 2012
119174 posts
Posted on 9/8/23 at 3:47 pm to
(no message)
This post was edited on 9/8/23 at 3:48 pm
Posted by dallastigers
Member since Dec 2003
5711 posts
Posted on 9/8/23 at 4:47 pm to
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 by Shankopotomus
Social Distanced
Member since Feb 2009
21057 posts
Posted on 9/8/23 at 5:15 pm to
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 by PowerTool
The dark side of the road
Member since Dec 2009
21154 posts
Posted on 9/8/23 at 5:24 pm to
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 by Oilfieldbiology
Member since Nov 2016
37526 posts
Posted on 9/8/23 at 5:41 pm to
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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