Weather
Texas Death Toll From February Storm, Outages Surpasses 100
Posted on · The majority of the deaths are associated with hypothermia, according to the Texas Department of State Health Services.
Tag: Electric Reliability Council of Texas
Energy & Environment
Electricity Repricing Bill Hits Wall In Texas House, Marking First Major Schism With Senate This Session
Posted on · Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick said the House "stood for big business" after Speaker Dade Phelan signaled skepticism about reversing billions of dollars in charges for wholesale electricity during last month’s winter storm.
Energy & Environment
Texas Senate Scrambles To Advance Bill That Would Force ERCOT To Reprice Energy Charges From Winter Storm
Posted on · 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 & Environment
ERCOT CEO Refuses $800K Payout Following Firing
Posted on · The Electric Reliability Council of Texas CEO Bill Magness was removed from his post Wednesday. He informed the organization he will not accept his $800,000 severance.
Energy & Environment
CEO Of Texas Power Grid Operator ‘Terminated’ In Aftermath Of Winter Storm
Posted on · Bill Magness is the latest official to depart following the winter storm catastrophe.
Energy & Environment
Gov. Greg Abbott Taps New Head Of Texas Utility Regulator In Wake Of Power Outages
Posted on · Arthur D'Andrea replaces DeAnn Walker, who resigned earlier this week as chair of the Public Utility Commission. The governor appoints commissioners to lead the PUC, which oversees the state’s grid operator, the Electric Reliability Council of Texas.
Energy & Environment
Gov. Greg Abbott, In Statewide Address, Promises Answers On Winter Weather Disaster
Posted on · "Tragic does not even begin to describe" the suffering Texans endured, Abbott said Wednesday evening.
Energy & Environment
Texas’ Power Grid Was 4 Minutes And 37 Seconds Away From Collapsing. Here’s How It Happened
Posted on · A cascading series of events could have left Texas in the dark for weeks — if not more.
Energy & Environment
ERCOT Board Members Who Live Outside Of Texas Are Resigning In The Aftermath Of The Power Outage, Winter Storm
Posted on · Five board members, including the chair, who do not live in Texas will resign. A candidate for another position on the board has withdrawn his application. The vacancies will not immediately be filled.
Energy & Environment
Public Utility Commission Decision May Enable Largest Electricity Providers In Texas To Become More Powerful
Posted on · The PUC decision could allow two companies that already hold more than 70% of the market share to scoop up even more consumers, which experts worry will stifle competition and raise prices for everyone in the unregulated market in the long term.
Politics
‘Dust Off My Bill’: Turner Tells Lawmakers To Reconsider ERCOT Legislation He Filed In 2011
Posted on · In 2011, Turner filed a bill requiring the Electric Reliability Council of Texas to have adequate reserve power in order to prevent blackout conditions. That bill did not get a hearing.
Energy & Environment
Grid Managers Say Texans May Get ‘Rotating’ Blackouts Once Their Power Returns
Posted on · Some power plants and infrastructure that were knocked offline due to the freezing weather are up and running again, but the grid's condition remains critical.
Town Square
Over One Million Harris County Residents Without Power As Temperatures Plunge Below Freezing
Posted on · CenterPoint Energy’s Executive Vice President assures that all houses without power are being monitored via digital meters and energy workers are attempting to restore power as quickly as possible.
Houston Matters
Full Show: Record-High Power Use, Writer Nic Stone, & A Visit To Candytopia (Aug. 14, 2019)
Posted on · On Wednesday's Houston Matters: We discuss whether Texas has the energy it needs for the oppressive heat of summer, we break down the week in politics, writer Nic Stone discusses her work, and we visit a candy-themed wonderland.
Energy & Environment
Texas Has Generated More Electricity From Wind Than Coal So Far This Year
Posted on · Texas is the largest consumer of coal in the country, but cheap natural gas and renewable energy prices are biting into coal's market share.