Texas Gov. Greg Abbott urging state lawmakers to investigate ERCOT

DALLAS - Gov. Greg Abbott is calling for state lawmakers to investigate ERCOT after the state's power grid was unable to provide electricity for all Texans during a historic statewide winter weather event.

The governor is making it an emergency item for the state legislature.

He wants a review of ERCOT’s preparations and decision-making for this week and called the extended power outages unacceptable.

"The Electric Reliability Council of Texas has been anything but reliable over the past 48 hours," Gov. Abbott said in a statement. "Far too many Texans are without power and heat for their homes as our state faces freezing temperatures and severe winter weather. This is unacceptable. Reviewing the preparations and decisions by ERCOT is an emergency item so we can get a full picture of what caused this problem and find long-term solutions. I thank my partners in the House and Senate for acting quickly on this challenge, and I will work with them to enhance Texas’ electric grid and ensure that our state never experiences power outages like this again."

The Texas Legislature and Public Utility Commission are responsible for the oversight of ERCOT.

Power outages in Texas have affected more than 4 million homes and businesses.

Hundreds of thousands without power for second day across North Texas as blackouts continue