FacebookTwitterEmail Governor Greg Abbott speaks at the state capitol concerning the latest developments statewide in the coronavirus issue on March. 13, 2020.Tom Reel, San Antonio Express-News / Staff photographer Texas Gov. Greg Abbott dispatched a top aide to the ERCOT operations center on the night the grid operator made the controversial decision to leave electricity prices at maximum levels — a move blamed for creating a multi-billion dollar mess. Abbott has squarely placed the blame for the blackout boondoggle on ERCOT, which operates the power grid, and called for its CEO to resign right after the lights started coming back on across Texas on Thursday, Feb. 18. The ERCOT board eventually fired its CEO.