Texas is about to be connected to the US grid. And Spectrum is reinventing itself

When I first reported on a plan to connect Texas’ power grid to the eastern U.S. grid in January, I mocked Texas’s petulance.

I pretended to be the voice of critics when I wrote, “We don’t want no damn federal regulators poking their noses in our business.”

The truth is that a million people have moved to Texas since the deadly 2021 winter storm. With crypto mining and data centers popping up like wildflowers, we barely have enough power on a hot day to avoid massive blackouts.

The good news is that the U.S. Department of Energy this month allocated $360 million to build the Southern Spirit transmission line, which connects Texas via Louisiana to the eastern U.S. power grid in Mississippi.

One website – electrek.com – summed it up perfectly with the headline: “Hell has frozen over in Texas.”

The government approved the private project a decade ago, and because it involves AC and DC power, it creates a loophole to avoid federal oversight.

Pattern Energy’s Adam Renz wrote to me in a note that the Southern Spirit project “will have the ability to transport power in both directions along the line, enabling sharing between the grids, especially during times of high energy demand and emergency situations such as a winter storm.” Uri.”

Federal oversight is such a sensitive issue that Thomas Gleeson, chairman of the Public Utility Commission, issued a “don’t worry” press release that said, “The Texas electric grid remains independent of the national grid and is not subject to federal oversight.”

Phew. There is still a long way to go before this project is completed.

The Texas power grid is already connected to the major grid in two places, but when it comes to the proposed project, we can’t get it done fast enough.

Changes at Spectrum

The other day my home internet service went down. Since the internet connection was down, I asked the Frontier Communications customer service representative to send out a technician that same day. You see, I put her to the test.

I told her about Spectrum’s new guarantee that if you call before 5 p.m., a technician will come out the same day – or night.

Unfortunately, the best Frontier could do was arrange a visit 24 hours later.

Spectrum’s promise of same-day repairs is a significant step in the cable industry. Spectrum has announced several new customer-friendly tactics.

If there is a power outage in a neighborhood, a notification will be sent via SMS or email within 15 minutes. If the outage lasts longer than two hours, customers will receive a credit for the entire day on their invoice without objection.

Additionally, no contracts are required for residential services and there are no termination fees. The company promises a 30-day money-back guarantee on services and a 14-day return policy on mobile-related services.

There’s more. Pricing can be fixed for up to three years and customers, particularly those on low-speed plans, will be offered higher internet speeds at affordable rates.

These tactics are putting AT&T and Frontier, the other major companies in North Texas, in a corner. Will they deliver on these customer benefits and help transform an industry that is driving many of us crazy? Good for you, Spectrum!

Money back

A few months ago I wrote a column asking, “Are some banks making things difficult for customers who have had money stolen from their accounts?” Yes.”

I profiled Sally Civello of Dallas, who lost $7,700 from her Chase account but wasn’t sure how. Her husband, Philip, told me that Chase representatives told him they believed his wife initiated a money transfer and benefited financially from it.

If this is true, the husband said, the police should file a theft complaint against his wife. He called the bank’s bluff. Chase never did.

The watchdog is pleased to report that Chase has refunded the money in full. Philip told me that criminal malware found on his wife’s computer was causing the problem and that it wasn’t her fault.

Chase spokesman Greg Hassell said: “Our customer provided us with additional evidence confirming that these transactions were unauthorized and we have credited the account in full.”

Pharmacy Benefits Manager

On the same day that I reported that the Federal Trade Commission was investigating three major pharmacy benefit managers – the middlemen who help set drug prices – the FTC took legal action against them.

The FTC calls it a “broken system” and claims that so-called PBMs are the cause of exorbitant drug prices.

I contacted every company. CVS Health’s Caremark said it paved the way for more competition by negotiating deep discounts and resisting manufacturers’ price increases.

Cignas Express Scripts called the FTC “ideologically motivated.” The company believes the FTC’s action is “flawed and without merit.” In return, the company filed a countersuit against the FTC.

UnitedHealth’s Optum Rx said the lawsuit against it shows “a profound misunderstanding of how drug pricing works.”

REAL ID card

This one is like a running joke that never stops. This is the REAL ID card, an anti-terrorism tool that everyone will need on commercial flights.

The original deadline was 2022.

That has been postponed to 2025. Now we learn that the new deadline is May 2027.

If you already have a white star in a gold circle in the top right corner of your driver’s license or ID card, you’re good to go. If you don’t have a card, contact the Texas Department of Public Safety and update your card.

To obtain a REAL ID card, you must provide proof of your identity, address, social security number and immigration status.

Sounds like a huge effort. No wonder the deadline keeps getting extended.