Facing questions after 2021 power crisis, Texas natural gas industry opposes new protective measures

“If we end up going through this entire process (of crafting new rules to safeguard the grid) and we never require gas wellhead winterization, we are going to end up with power outages again, potential deaths, possibly billions of dollars in damages again and higher utility bills,” said Virginia Palacios, executive director of Commission Shift, a group that contends the Texas Railroad Commission is too cozy with the oil and gas industry that it’s charged with regulating.

“I think (a lack of requirements for) basic wellhead winterization is going to be the chink in the armor if we don’t get it right,” Palacios said.