The chairwoman of the Public Utility Commission on how close Texas came to rolling blackouts this summer, what consumers can expect to pay as wind-power transmission expands, and how the historic drought affects the reliability of the power grid.
Texas Public Utility Commission
Posted in
State Government
Perry Appoints San Antonio Lawyer to Utility Commission
Rolando Pablos, the former chairman of the Texas Racing Commission, will fill the empty slot at the Texas Public Utility Commission. Separately, the state’s electric grid operator announced that its board chairwoman, Laura Doll, is stepping down.
Posted in
Energy
Updated: “Risks of Outages” Under EPA Rule, Grid Operator Warns
The Environmental Protection Agency said Texas “has an ample range” of ways to comply with an impending pollution rule, after the state grid operator reported this morning that the rule would badly strain the electric system.
Posted in
Energy
Cost of Wind Power Transmission Lines Rises Sharply to $6.79 Billion
The cost of building several thousand miles of transmission lines to carry wind power across Texas is now estimated at $6.79 billion, a 38 percent increase from the initial projection three years ago.
Posted in
Energy
82nd Lege Session a Good One for Energy Efficiency
The Legislature passed a handful of energy-saving measures this session, ranging from allowing churches access to an energy-efficiency loan program to recalibrating a statewide efficiency program.
Posted in
Energy
Texas Smart-Grid Experts Head to the White House
On Friday morning, a small group of Texans, including the chairman of the Public Utility Commission, will brief White House representatives on the smart-meter rollout and related issues in the state.
Posted in
Energy
Report Finds No Evidence of Market Manipulation During Blackouts
A new report released by the Public Utility Commission has found no evidence of market manipulation during the Texas blackouts in February, though it does suggest some improvements for electric-grid operations.
Posted in
State Government
Lights Out for Seniors, Poor
State Rep. Sylvester Turner, D-Houston, is concerned about budget cuts to a program that discounts utility bills for the elderly and those with low incomes.
Posted in
Energy
Blackouts Revive Debate Over Electric Deregulation
The power failures earlier this month have called into question one of Texas’ most basic tenets: that we do everything, including deregulation, better than anyone else.
Posted in
Energy
Senators Express Incredulity at Rolling Blackouts Hearing
At a state Senate hearing this morning on Texas’s rolling blackouts earlier this month, ERCOT released the first list — albeit a very partial one — of power plants that failed during the Feb. 2 crisis.
