Bill that gives Texas increased oversight of largest energy users wins Legislature’s approval

A bill that gives Texas oversight over energy transactions between power generators and the state’s largest consumers of electricity heads to Gov. Greg Abbott after the Texas Legislature agreed on changes Thursday.

Senate Bill 6 also proposes new ways to assess the amount of electricity that is available to the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, the main manager of the state’s grid, giving them the authority to shut off power to industrial consumers in an emergency.

“What we’ve done here today may become the model for the rest of the country,” said state Sen. Phil King , R-Weatherford, the bill’s author.

The bill would give ERCOT the power to oversee energy transactions between power generators and large consumers that don’t involve the state’s grid. ERCOT would also have the aut