Overview

Arthur D'Andrea served as a Commissioner on the Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUCT) during Winter Storm Uri in February 2021, one of the deadliest infrastructure failures in modern American history. After the crisis killed over 700 Texans and caused an estimated $16 billion in excess electricity charges, D'Andrea was recorded on a phone call reassuring energy company executives not to worry about PUCT repricing the inflated wholesale electricity rates. The recording, obtained and published by the Wall Street Journal, revealed that D'Andrea told representatives of energy companies that the commission would not claw back the $9,000/MWh price cap that had generated billions in windfall profits during the emergency. The recording demonstrated the extent of regulatory capture at the PUCT, where the commissioner tasked with protecting consumers was instead privately comforting the industries he was supposed to regulate. D'Andrea resigned from the PUCT in March 2021 after the recording surfaced, but faced no criminal charges despite evidence of collusion with regulated entities during a declared state of emergency in which hundreds of people died.

Key Affiliations

Controversies & Concerns

Related Investigations (1)

Known Associates & Connections

Sources & Documentation

3 documented sources from official records, investigations, and reports