Texas PUC Chairman Arthur D’Andrea Resigns After Call with Wall Street Investors

Texas' top utility regulator has resigned after the leak of a controversial conference call with Wall Street investors.

Governor Greg Abbott accepted Arthur D’Andrea's resignation Tuesday night, a mere 13 days after appointing him Commissioner of Texas' Public Utility Commission (PUC).

The resignation came after D'Andrea was heard in a recording telling Wall Street investors that he would use his position to protect profits amassed during February's winter storm.

While this call wasn't cited as the reason for D'Andrea's resignation, Gov. Abbott requested he leave his post not long after the recording was made public by Texas Monthly.

D'Andrea's comments were reportedly made days before the Texas Senate voted in favor of a bill aimed at reversing billions of dollars in wholesale electricity charges that resulted in some Texans receiving sky-high energy bills.

KTVT-TV reports that PUC usually has two commissioners and one chairman, but D'Andrea's resignation leaves no one serving in those positions.

"I will be naming a replacement in the coming days who will have the responsibility of charting a new and fresh course for the agency," Governor Abbott wrote in a statement issued Tuesday night. "Texans deserve to have trust and confidence in the Public Utility Commission, and this action is one of many steps that will be taken to achieve that goal."

I mentioned before that the Texas Senate passed a bill this week seeking to reverse the $6 billion+ energy bill Texans are facing. Well, KTRK-TV reports that there's apparently been confusion about whether or not the measure will be voted upon by the House.

This tangled web just keeps getting thicker, doesn't it? It doesn't help that ERCOT is reportedly refusing to turn over records concerning its preparations for Winter Storm Uri. Yep. You can read all about that over on the Texas Observer's website.