Senate Bill 2142, sponsored by state Sen. Bryan Hughes, R-Mineola, had not even been filed when the day started Monday, but lawmakers suspended their rules to hastily push it through the Senate.
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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Winter Storm 2021
Analysis: Dan Patrick’s interrogation about a freeze warms speculation about 2022
An unusual appearance by the lieutenant governor at a Senate hearing looked like a tough session for one of Gov. Greg Abbott’s appointees — and raised speculation about political tension between the state’s top two elected officials.
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Texas Legislature 2021
Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick focuses scorn on Public Utility Commission after winter storm, testing Gov. Greg Abbott
Abbott has previously directed much of the blame for the storm’s power outages on the state’s electrical grid operator.
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Winter Storm 2021
After Texas’ power grid failure, some in Lubbock worry about the city’s plans to join ERCOT
The city of Lubbock made plans to join ERCOT in 2015. After last month’s winter storm, some feel anxious about the move.
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Texas Legislature 2021
Analysis: Government budgets looked terrible when COVID-19 started. A federal windfall has flipped the outlook.
Texas lawmakers expected to be sweating over a very tight budget right now, after strong early signs that the pandemic would stall the economy. But an improved economy and a huge infusion of federal aid is erasing those fears.
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Winter Storm 2021
Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick spars with last remaining Public Utility Commission member over readjusting energy prices during winter storm
The state’s energy grid operator overcharged power companies by roughly $3 billion after the winter storm — not $16 billion, the chairman of Texas’ utility regulator said Thursday.
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Texas Legislature 2021
In oil-rich Texas, GOP lawmakers push bill to punish Wall Street for fossil fuel disinvestments
The bill would direct state investment funds to divest from companies that cut ties with fossil fuel companies, pitting Texas against some increasingly carbon-conscious Wall Street investors.
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Winter Storm 2021
Analysis: One way or another, Texans will get the bill for fixing the electric grid
It’s going to be expensive to make sure the state’s electricity stays on during winter storms like the one that blacked out most of Texas last month, and the money will come, one way or another, from average Texans.
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Texas Legislature 2021
Texas lawmakers plan slate of bills in response to power outages, but experts skeptical there will be meaningful change
Gov. Greg Abbott on Tuesday also said he wants lawmakers to prioritize correcting any ERCOT-related billing errors, including inaccurately high electricity charges. That came after the Public Utility Commission said it will not fix ERCOT’s $16 billion power billing mistake.
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Energy
Texans recovering from COVID-19 relied on machines to help them breathe. Then the power went out.
After COVID-19 hospitalizations peaked, the number of Texans dependent on home oxygen equipment was at “an all-time high” when a winter storm overwhelmed the state’s power grid in February, leaving many struggling for air.