Texas power producers are working on a public proposal that would allow for an extra fee in Texas consumers’ energy bills to pay for extra power plants. In essence, this fee is to pay the companies based on how much electricity they could, in theory, produce rather than for just the actual electricity they sell to the grid.

While consumers will see this fee as something that is being paid because the power companies are not working at full speed, the power companies believe that they must have the fee in their coffers so that they can build power plants to meet the extra energy needs in the summer.

Power companies contend that the only way they can meet higher demands is to have this new fee and build more plants. Consumers and consumer watch groups believe that the citizens of Texas are adapting quite well to the power shortages in the state. More people are monitoring their energy use and conserving power as much as possible.

Perhaps it’s time for the power companies to look elsewhere for extra ready cash.