February 22 – Texas, the United States, has been hit by a super blizzard recently. The White House said that Biden currently plans to go there to show support and concern to local residents, but is afraid of obstructing disaster relief operations.
Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner responded.
According to the Washington Post on the 21st, the blizzard affected millions of people in Texas. As of the 21st, 120,000 people were completely water-free and faced a multi-fold surge in electricity bills.
The White House expressed Biden’s willingness to inspect the disaster on the 21st and will go to Texas as soon as this week. In response, Houston Mayor Turner said that Biden “can come now”.
According to the report, many Texas residents usually choose a floating electricity bill instead of the traditional fixed electricity rate in order to save electricity bills.
Therefore, the continuous use of electricity in the cold caused by the snowstorm has caused a multi-fold increase in electricity bills, causing a huge financial burden; electricity bills may range from thousands of dollars in a few days.
Regarding the excessive electricity bill, Robert McCullough, an adviser and former public utility senior official who testified before the U.S. Congress, said: “Next, there may be a wave of bankruptcy, or the confiscation of assets due to failure to pay, or even the eviction of tenants by the landlord.” McCullough also pointed out that the major power companies in Texas are more likely to make a large windfall from soaring electricity bills, estimated to be as high as $40 billion.
