In a story examining Texas generators' push for what is essentially greater administrative scarcity pricing in ERCOT, the Houston Chronicle wrote, "Meanwhile, retail electricity providers, the third leg of Texas' deregulated electric system, are under investigation by the state Public Utilities Commission for deceptive pricing plans that contain hidden fees and other costs that can significantly increase household bills."

If the Chronicle is aware of any specific investigations against specific retail electric providers, it did not cite them

It would appear that the Chron is referencing the ongoing review of the Power to Choose site and plans with credits for usage which falls within certain tiers, and specifically Chairman Donna Nelson's direction to Staff to "look[] at" 1.5¢ offers, which she feels are deceptive on the face

Does saying REPs are "under investigation" describe these events, especially when attached to REPs collectively as the third leg of the market? We'll let you be the judge, let us know your thoughts in the comments below

In any case, the Chron's story is focused on generators' push for greater administrative scarcity pricing, and as the Chron describes it, generators' desire to have load, "pay them to have unused generating capacity on hand that they can fire up when demand spikes -- whether it does or not," or in other words, a capacity payment

See the Houston Chronicle for the story