ERCOT requested ability to ramp up production and bypass emission restrictions temporarily. See letter request addressed to dipshit acting secretary of energy David Huizenga dated 2/14. Remember that Huizenga responded that they could do so but must charge $1500 per megawatt hour. As PB anon noted, normal rate based on my own electric bill is $89 per megawatt hour. They requested help and were told to fuck off and pay up the ass for your environmental sins.

"Relief Requested

ERCOT has been notified by three major generation owners that their generating units will, or are likely to, encounter operating restrictions during the next several days due to various emissions and other limits established in federal permits. These units are described in Exhibit A to this letter. These units are subject to a number of environmental limitations that may restrict output.

ERCOT has been informed that the operation of gas-fired generators during the next few days could be impacted by permit restrictions on nitrogen oxide and carbon monoxide emissions, that coal-fired generators would be impacted by permit restrictions on emissions of sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxide, mercury, and carbon monoxide, and that generation fueled by distillate fuel oil would be subject to various restrictions on operating duration and/or emissions.

ERCOT has also been informed that generators of various fuel types may be subject to wastewater release limits. ERCOT is also aware that many other generators not included on this list are subject to similar

federal permit limits.

Because the output from all of the generators subject to these restrictions would help mitigate the impact of rotating outages on Texas consumers during this extreme cold weather event, ERCOT seeks an immediate order from DOE authorizing the provision of additional energy from all generating units subject to emissions or other permit limitations.

http://www.ercot.com/content/wcm/lists/225167/DOE_202c__final_.pdf