With the clock on the Legislative session ticking down, the Texas House moved to help fund power plant upgrades for extreme weather.
Energy
In-depth reporting on oil, gas, renewable power, and policies shaping the future of energy in Texas from The Texas Tribune.
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University of Texas/Texas Tribune Polls
UT/TT poll: Majority of Texans oppose permitless carry, would ban police chokeholds and taxpayer-funded lobbying
On some of the major issues facing the Texas Legislature — police behavior, expanding Medicaid or allowing unlicensed carry of handguns — voters and lawmakers aren’t always in sync.
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Winter Storm 2021
Wind power a smaller contributor to Texas electricity crisis than initially estimated, ERCOT analysis shows
An updated analysis of the Texas power crisis shows lost natural gas power generation was the most significant component of the February outages.
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Winter Storm 2021
ERCOT names new, temporary leader two months after deadly winter storm
In the weeks since the winter storm, both the Electric Reliability Council of Texas and the Public Utility Commission, the regulatory body that oversees it, have been lambasted for failures in preparing for and responding to the storm.
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Texas Legislature 2021
Texas House targets power grid flaw that cut electricity to natural gas facilities and worsened February blackouts
The lower chamber gave initial approval Monday to a series of bills responding to this year’s catastrophic power outages during a deadly winter storm.
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Texas Legislature 2021
Despite natural gas failures during winter storm, Texas lawmakers target renewable energy in the aftermath
As lawmakers advance bills targeting renewable energy sources, experts call the efforts “discriminatory” and “politically motivated.”
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Texas Legislature 2021
Analysis: The Texas Legislature starts its biennial race against the clock
Lawmakers have only six weeks left on their calendar, and most of the big things they set out to do aren’t finished. A session that started very quietly will end with a sprint.
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Texas Legislature 2021
Texas energy companies push back against Berkshire Hathaway’s $8 billion plan for backup power
Revenue for 10 emergency power plants would come from a monthly charge on Texans’ power bills. The proposal is just one of several bills lawmakers are considering after February’s massive power outages.
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Energy
ERCOT asked Texans to conserve power as electric grid again struggled to keep up with demand
A higher than expected amount of plant outages for maintenance created tight conditions for Texas’ power grid. It returned to normal late Tuesday evening.
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Texas Legislature 2021
Gov. Greg Abbott nominates new chair to Public Utility Commission after power crisis resignations
The announcement came shortly after the Texas Senate Nominations Committee on Monday voted unanimously in favor of accepting Will McAdams’ nomination to serve on the PUC board.