Gov. Greg Abbott on Tuesday declared the reform of the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) an emergency item this legislative session. 

Abbott is calling on the legislature to investigate ERCOT after millions of Texans went without power Monday following severe winter weather. 

READ ALSO: ERCOT orders electricity distributors increase scheduled power outages  

“The Electric Reliability Council of Texas has been anything but reliable over the past 48 hours,” Abbott said in a statement. “Far too many Texans are without power and heat for their homes as our state faces freezing temperatures and severe winter weather. This is unacceptable. Reviewing the preparations and decisions by ERCOT is an emergency item so we can get a full picture of what caused this problem and find long-term solutions. I thank my partners in the House and Senate for acting quickly on this challenge, and I will work with them to enhance Texas’ electric grid and ensure that our state never experiences power outages like this again.”

About 393,000 AEP customers in Texas remained without power as of noon Tuesday. Magic Valley reported about 26,000 customers without power at 12 p.m. Tuesday. 

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• AEP Texas begins controlled power outages, to continue over next 24 hours

Correction: Nearly 393,000 AEP customers in Texas, not the Rio Grande Valley, remained without power on Tuesday.