Texas Supreme Court will decide whether ERCOT should be immune from lawsuits sparked by deadly winter storm

The Texas Supreme Court hears final arguments over whether ERCOT has sovereign immunity at the Supreme Court Building in Austin on Monday. (Credit: Evan L'Roy/The Texas Tribune)

Lawyers argued before the Texas Supreme Court on Monday over whether the state’s power grid operator should be protected from lawsuits, a question that has become especially important after the deadly February 2021 freeze.

Individuals and insurance companies have filed lawsuits against the Electric Reliability Council of Texas and power generators since the storm, which left millions of Texans without power in bitterly cold temperatures and hundreds of people dead after electricity was cut in large portions of the state. How those cases proceed will depend on what the Supreme Court decides in the coming weeks or months.