We’re liveblogging the sessions from the 2014 Texas Tribune Festival’s Energy track. The sessions include panels on the state’s power grid, the potential impact of energy reform in Mexico on Texas, the debate over hydraulic fracturing and a deeper look at the state’s drilling boom.
Texas Public Utility Commission
Posted in
Energy
On Climate Rules, Texas Regulators Look Beyond Litigation
Texas should not bank on legal action to free itself from the Obama administration’s proposal to tackle climate change, two state regulators said Friday at a Public Utility Commission workshop.
Posted in
Economy
PUC Rejects Petition Targeting Small Electric Generators
UPDATED: The Texas Public Utility Commission on Friday unanimously rejected a petition to overturn its “small fish, swim free” rule, which gives small electricity generators an absolute defense against allegations of market power abuse.
Posted in
Energy
Rancher’s Complaint May Spur New Power Line Rules
A North Texas rancher’s protest of a power line that splits his land — one he says was built in the wrong place — could prompt new rules addressing when a transmission company can tweak a line’s route after it is approved.
Posted in
Economy
Consumer Advocates Scrutinize Prepaid Electricity Plans
Consumer advocates fear prepaid electricity plans could leave low-income Texans vulnerable to hidden fees and sudden electricity shutoffs. But companies that offer the plans say there is great consumer demand for them.
Posted in
Energy
Landowners, Utilities Keep Eye on Rancher’s Bid to Move Power Line
UPDATED: The Texas Public Utility Commission on Friday heard oral arguments in the case of a Wise County rancher protesting a power line that he says was built in the wrong place on his property. The commission is poised to vote on the line’s fate on May 30.
Posted in
Energy
In Power Line Dispute, Rancher Questions Utilities’ Wiggle Room
After landowners sign off on power line routes, can transmission companies install them somewhere else? The Public Utility Commission is set to consider a rancher’s complaint.
Posted in
Energy
ERCOT: Growth in Texas Energy Demand Slows
The Electric Reliability Council of Texas says the state’s peak power demand is growing more slowly than previously thought, buying time for regulators hoping to bolster reliability on the electric grid.
Posted in
Economy
In Grid Debate, New Info Doesn’t Sway Opinions
Should Texas overhaul its electricity market? And if so, how much would it cost? A highly anticipated report has shed some light on those questions amid an increasingly contentious debate.
Posted in
Economy
Focus of Grid Debate Has Been on Producers, but What About Consumers?
As the utilities and big energy users spar in Austin over how to best encourage the building of power plants, another important issue that is getting less public attention is about how Texas can curb its energy use.
