Party Politics
Ken Paxton on Trial
Posted on · Co-hosts Brandon Rottinghaus and Jeronimo Cortina delve into the latest news in national and local politics.
Category: Energy & Environment
Texas
Texas grid will continue to struggle until state laws change, expert warns
Posted on · ERCOT issued an Energy Emergency Alert Level 2 on Sept. 6, meaning there was less than 2,000 megawatts of spare capacity left on the state’s grid. The warning came after ERCOT reported 10 new all-time peak demand records this summer.
Houston Matters
Five things you should know about Houston bats
Posted on · A local conservationist talks about the many species of bats that live in greater Houston and what they do for our natural environment.
Energy & Environment
Texas power grid enters emergency mode Wednesday evening to avoid rolling blackouts
Posted on · ERCOT has called on generators to push all available electricity to the grid as rising demand threatens to surpass the state’s power supply. If that fails, rolling blackouts are likely to begin.
Health & Science
Texas workers may get extra protection from extreme heat, as Biden administration develops first-ever national heat standard
Posted on · The Biden administration is working on the standard as fights continue in Texas courts over a state law that would void local ordinances mandating water breaks for outdoor workers.
NASA
Initial data from NASA’s pollution monitor in space shows ‘unhealthy’ levels of nitrogen dioxide above Houston, other U.S. cities
Posted on · TEMPO, a $90 million pollution monitor that orbits the Earth, was launched into space in April and is expected to be fully operational by October.
Energy & Environment
ERCOT is requesting Texans conserve electricity through weekend amid heat, drought
Posted on · Experts say Texans should be prepared in the event that rolling blackouts are needed.
Houston Matters
Texas residents concerned about air pollution challenge the state’s ‘one-mile rule’
Posted on · When it comes to protecting your home or business from dangerous airborne chemicals, distance matters.
ERCOT
Texas power grid has held up well for summer but still inefficient, energy experts say
Posted on · “The economic model was flawed from the very beginning. It hasn’t improved any… during tight periods.”
Houston Matters
How greed and lax regulation may have helped spur the February 2021 power failures
Posted on · Houston Chronicle columnist Chris Tomlinson discusses the role pipeline operators and traders may have played during the freezing weather and walks us through lawsuits filed in the 2.5 years since, all of which is outlined in his four-part series for the paper.
Weather
Katy issues mandatory water restrictions for second consecutive summer as hot, dry weather persists
Posted on · Residents and businesses in the fast-growing suburb west of Houston are limited to watering their landscapes twice per week until further notice, with violators subject to fines or having their water turned off by the city.
Energy & Environment
Texas sues Shell over Houston-area chemical fire in May
Posted on · The lawsuit seeks $1 million in damages, claiming the three-day blaze at Shell’s Deer Park facility caused air and water pollution that violated state law.
Houston
Health department monitoring air quality near site of mulch fire in Northwest Houston
Posted on · The fire erupted Sunday afternoon at the Living Earth facility at 5802 Crawford Rd. and could take up to a week to be extinguished. No injuries or fatalities have been reported.
Transportation
Amtrak exploring partnership with Texas Central to advance proposed high-speed railway between Houston and Dallas
Posted on · A decade-long vision to operate a bullet train between Texas' two largest cities, which appeared to have stalled, is potentially moving forward again.
Energy & Environment
Electricity prices in Texas sometimes get really high in the summer. Don’t fear your next bill.
Posted on · The electricity market in Texas is doing exactly what it's designed to do — and most customers probably won't notice any effect on their bill.