In a ruling that could have a major impact on Winter Storm Uri multidistrict litigation, the Fifth District Court of Appeals stripped the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, or ERCOT, of its long-held claim of sovereign immunity to civil lawsuits.

The 12-1 en banc ruling of the Dallas justices in favor of a consortium of electric power entities is expected to be reviewed by the Texas Supreme Court, plaintiff attorney Majed Nachawati said in a statement. However, the strongly worded ruling clearly found ERCOT's immunity claim has no basis in Texas law, he said.

Wallace Jefferson of Alexander Dubose Jefferson in Austin represented ERCOT on appeal. Jefferson said he had no comment at this time.