Austin Energy, ERCOT sued over winter storm death

A woman whose mother died during February’s winter storm has filed suit against Austin Energy and the state’s electric grid operator, Electric Reliability Council of Texas. Colinda Meza is seeking $1 million in damages and claims gross negligence on the part of the utility and ERCOT. Austin Energy cut off power to its customers for as long as four days after ERCOT ordered it to do so. Both entities are likely to claim sovereign immunity in response to the lawsuit and any others that might be filed. A divided Texas Supreme Court declined to issue an opinion on whether ERCOT was immune in a case filed by a company earlier this year. That case has not yet returned to the Supreme Court.