FILE - In this Feb. 10, 2021, file photo Sen. Tina Smith, D-Minn., arrives as opening arguments begin in former President Donald Trump's impeachment trial, at the Capitol in Washington. Smith is calling for federal investigations into possible price gouging of natural gas in the Midwest and other regions following severe winter storms that plunged Texas and other states into a deep freeze that caused power outages in million of homes and businesses.
In a letter sent Saturday to federal regulators, Smith said the price spikes will not just harm consumers, but could “threaten the financial stability of some utilities that do not have sufficient cash reserves to cover their short-term costs in this extraordinary event.” The letter was sent to the Energy Department, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and the Commodities Futures Trading Commission. A copy of the letter was obtained by The Associated Press.
The Minnesota Public Utilities Commission has called a special meeting Tuesday to investigate what caused the dramatic spikes in natural gas prices in that state.A spokeswoman for the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, known as FERC, said the agency will review Smith’s letter and “respond in due course.″
Still, exorbitant price spikes were recorded in the spot market. Natural gas hit a record $600 per million British thermal units in Oklahoma, while Missouri Gov. Mike Parson said he’s asked the state attorney general to investigate complaints of price gouging of natural gas in that state.
autopay on the utilities doesn't look good today - further disruption/grief to lives/livlihoods during pandemic
The utility companies should be held accountable for everything because they did not winterize when told to do it years ago last time was 2011! They chose to line pockets with personal and Corp profits payoff GOP to avoid doing the winterization as was right thing to do! NO BILLS
ResignTedCruz
Macquarie group reported an operational update 2 weeks ago. Today they revised that number 5-10% higher. The reason? They made $3b on the gas price spikes in the USA.
YOU GO GIRL...THIS IS ABOUT TIME!?.😎
Can you explain why federal funds should bail out the people of Texas electrical charges- they are all for no or limited government frontier mentality wtf
JArmour56 HER NAME IS TINA SMITH. Wtf, why didn’t you mention her name in this tweet or in the headline?
MplsMe When was the last time a Republican did the right thing? I don’t recall.
Msdmurph Does each state still have an attorney general on taxpayers’ dollars? WTF. Monitor and convict price gouging in your frikking state!
They wanted deregulation...I guess its be careful what you wish for.
1) possible price gauging? 2) include in the investigation having to pay for services not rendered: cable, garbage, internet
RagingLibNana Time to go off the grid. Solar panels on every roof! Bicycle power to recharge devices. Conservation. It can be done. Time for big power to be cut down to size.
Good job! Thank you SenTinaSmith . Listen at abt 45 minutes on the tape - seems like price gouging to me.
connieg65014645 Possible?
In the good old days...
What is desperately needed ... is a good diversion story!!!
I think it necessary
OMFG! Every time a surge in demand results in an equivalent surge in price, some IDIOT Dem asks for a Congressional Hearing into 'gouging.' In other words, 'I don't get economics and also everyone who voted for me should get everything for free so they'll keep voting for me!'
Franktheshank88 Possible JerryJones admitted to it to his shareholders. Wonder how the fans of the DallasCowboys feel about that?
This is cartoon villain shit.
cryborg Her name is Tina Smith. TinaSmithMN
DEREGULATIONKILLS
Thank you!
Go after Jerry Jones!
Great idea!
Of course, they would profit on their F up and other misery The GOP way
Kingwoman My electric bill went from costing me $10 a day to $15 a day over the last week.
Keep digging! For clues... not oil.
lellingw 👏👏👏👏🙏💙
Good! We need every rep. Looking Into this price gouging! Its disgusting what these big power companies are doing to us here in Texas!
maggieNYT Good !! I'm in MO and we are already being warned ...My take is , just like the Oil/Gas company's, they are using as an excuse to jack the price, and with out some kind of audit to say we'll never know.
These power companies put people in danger, people died, they need to be prosecuted for willful negligence and be made to pay for this disaster and restitution to the people that suffered as a result of that negligence.
Good. Let’s not let ppl take advantage of others in a moment of crisis like this.
It is the Commodity Futures Trading Commission; not Commodities....
You can't do everything in your power to regulate and end the fossil fuel industry and then question why prices are high.
maggieNYT Please see Jerry Jones.
It's time to get after the oil and gas price gougers! Plain BS, home on the plains! Buggers! Go get them!
Bedrock principle of modern American capitalism: A natural disaster, especially one that deprives people of heat & water in the winter, is the best time to raise prices for everyone. And no one does it better than the scumbags in the Texas oil & gas industries. GregAbbott_TX
maggieNYT A no-brainer. bidenesque naturalgas TexasStrong TexasPowerOutages TexasFreeze
maggieNYT It’s the American way.
maggieNYT But no Republican voters are upset about this price gouging, right? It’s a free market, right?
maggieNYT Why are dem congresspeople doing more for Texans than Texas congresspeople? I hope they remember this when it's election time.
maggieNYT Privatization and capitalism = poor and middle class gets screwed for rich people to expand their wealth. Literally charging thousands to keep people from freezing.
MissingPundit What? Not the OilAndGas industry acting without scruples!! What's next coal executives that hide behind their hard-working miners stealing all the benefits for themselves and declaring bankruptcy? COpolitics
Possible? The group that benefits from the price hikes was the same group that made the shortage possible. It’s more than just price gouging.
Sounds like a healthy deregulated free market economy to me. Very gop conservative base.. Maybe skip it?
Professorquest2. View all Twitter accounts there in about Airborne AIDS illegal children clothing people being affected with AIDS how corona or covid is fake government corruption people being paid off by the hundreds and millions hacking private property a mind control
Another unfortunate case of politicians forming a committee to talk about a topic but in the end, likely will do nothing to help those victimized other than to verbally chastise those who took victimized them in the first place.
In the meantime, what are Texas's two senators doing? You'd think they are afraid of something or someone...
I can't remember which news feed reported it, but that's what Texas's own Jerry Jones is doing.
What they are going to find out is that Biden's firing of thousands of Natural Gas and Oil workers is behind it. Did everyone just assume that moving away from fossil fuels so quickly would magically rectify our energy needs.
Arriadna Small convenience stores were raising prices on items too... Jerky and soda prices increased in one store by roughly 25% in 2 days...
Not ‘possible.’ Happening. Get your shit straight.
You better believe suppliers are going to war profiteer the hell out of the TX debacle. enronv2.0
Check out the hospitality business also...friend there told me they were charging $700/night for a room.
Anyone that once worked at Enron should be first to be under scrutiny.
In Texas, is it true price gouging? When they signed up for ultra cheap electricy. Just asking for everyone in the other 49 states that couldn’t sign up for ultra cheap electricity? Now they cry foul? I see things differently.
“Ted Fled!” Come on Ted, seriously you’re blaming your Daughters for fleeing Texas FOR THE SAFETY OF MEXICO during a State Wide Weather, water & ENERGY Crisis? You’re a public servant and responsible for the safety & security of your constituents! YOU GOTTA DO BETTER THAN THAT!
Ted Cruz, Instead of just pleading and begging Biden for help, PUT ON A PAIR OF PANTS and follow her example: “Rep. Ocasio-Cortez raises more than $3,000,000 for relief efforts in Texas as of Friday afternoon before traveling to Houston to help in the recovery effort.”
We've reached the point where Republican policy is running water and electricity are socialist handouts
There's nothing to probe if there's an emergency or catastrophe there is price gouging guaranteed
20% failure means 70% failed also this is how the Republicans play DISTRACTION!
But you know, just do the investigation and make it as public and appalling as possible. THEN tell Texans that if they didn’t know what the free unregulated market was all about before, now they do. Ta-da!
How come we never see republican senators look into price gouging?
And hotels in Houston that charged ppl $700 a night. Disgusting behavior
Capitalizing on recent events you say?
Price fixing practice isn’t uncommon, it’s their way illegal businesses engage in to force customers pay higher prices. I don’t think it’s right but they been price fixing generations, depends on the business owner & region.
Does she have a black beard under that mask? 😂
These companies are run by a bunch of pigs. There are two types of people that show up in this country when it is hurting. The ones that give whatever they can to help the less fortunate and the pigs that see an opportunity to feed off of those that need help the most. Shameful.
One of the head honchos of these corporations has already stated openly that this storm has been a “jackpot” for his business 🙄 People died, yet these sickos see it as one big overall win for themselves.
why isn't SenTedCruz and JohnCornyn calling for an investigation? Griddy and others are raking us- RepublicansFailedTexas
POSSIBLE? People are showing $10k plus bills. That sounds like price gouging to me.
How cock your is big?
IL resident here! GOOD! Our gas prices have gone up quite a bit this week.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.