Mose Buchele, KUT – Houston Public Media: Recent Episodes
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These state regulators sit on one of the most important agencies to oversee energy and -- by extension -- climate policy in the world.
The Southern Spirit Transmission project would allow limited energy to flow between the Texas grid and neighboring grids.
Despite an August of brutal heat, Texans have not been asked to conserve electricity like they were last year.
Power grid anxiety is nothing new in Texas. But a surge in artificial intelligence data centers is posing a new challenge to an already fragile energy system.
Over 70% of the energy Texans used Sunday came from wind and solar power — a record for the state power grid.
The former Austin City Council member's Connect the Grid Act would mandate that ERCOT create new interconnections with neighboring power grids.
In 2021, as Texans emerged from the deep freeze and blackout, many were shocked to learn that their energy bills had been raised during the exact days when they had no electricity.
The Electric Reliability Council of Texas has issued back-to-back requests for Texans to conserve energy as freezing temperatures grip the state.
The grid operator said it's expecting electricity supply to be tight and asked Texans to conserve energy between 6 a.m. and 9 a.m.
The vulnerability of power grids across North America is something the North American Electric Reliability Corporation, or NERC, has been warning about in energy assessments over the last several weeks.
The grid's independent market monitor has resigned after saying grid operators had "artificially" inflated energy prices.
The vote dedicates billions of tax dollars to build and maintain power plants. Now comes the tricky part.
Supporters say the creation of the energy fund will bolster the Texas grid. Opponents say it's an unnecessary giveaway to power companies and the gas industry.
The Texas power grid operator reduced energy flowing along a key transmission line on Wednesday, exacerbating a power grid emergency.
The operator of Texas' electric grid says the “voluntary notice” is in effect Thursday from 3-8 p.m.
Proposals considered damaging to Texas’ wind and solar sectors, many of which had been introduced in standalone bills earlier in the session but failed to win enough support to become law, have now been resurrected and added as amendments to a make-or-break piece of legislation to continue the operation of the state's Public Utility Commission.
Supporters say the plan would help bolster the Texas grid. Opponents call it a costly and unnecessary giveaway to energy companies.
The Texas grid will be more reliant on renewables than ever, according to a recent state assessment. Texas regulators don't like that.
The plan would raise prices and carbon dioxide emissions, and critics say it may not bring reliability.
A report commissioned by the Public Utility Commission of Texas estimates that the performance credit mechanism could increase electricity costs on the state's grid by $460 million a year. Proponents of the credits say electric companies may eat some of that cost and not pass it on to consumers.
"It’s important to remember that ERCOT does not make electricity. This is like when you buy tickets to a concert. ERCOT is not Bon Jovi. ERCOT is not the arena. ERCOT in this analogy is Ticketmaster."
The Republican primary contest between challenger Sarah Stogner and incumbent Wayne Christian has been characterized by twists and turns, accusations of corruption and some light nudity.
Without rain, the iconic flowers could be gone from the region by the end of the month. But other wildflowers like pink evening primrose and horsemint should take their place.
Despite its name, the Railroad Commission oversees oil and gas extraction, as well as pipelines, in the state. That role has led some to call it one of the most important regulatory agencies in the world, especially when it comes to energy policy and climate change.
There may be many deaths that have yet to be recognized. One statistician recommends the state commission an independent review.
The governor’s desire to reframe expectations may come from the fear that he will be held responsible for local outages in an election year.
Almost one year after a historic power failure, the state’s natural gas system has been tested by a far milder cold spell. Some energy experts say it did not pass the test.
According to a seasonal report, the grid is well positioned to supply enough power to meet demand under normal and moderately challenging winter conditions. But extreme weather could cause more blackouts.
The report paints a picture of how quickly and severely global climate change is affecting Texas by looking at historic climate trends and using climate models to extrapolate what kind of weather to expect 15 years from now.
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission released some findings on Thursday from an investigation into February's deadly winter storm and blackouts. Regulators faulted Texas energy policy for much of the disaster.
Over half of U.S. flood deaths happen on roads, a risk that's growing as a warmer climate fuels intense rain. Texas, home to "Flash Flood Alley," is using high- and low-tech ways to keep people safe.
Gov. Greg Abbott ordered the Public Utility Commission of Texas to overhaul the state’s electric grid via a letter sent Tuesday.
It is the second time the state’s grid operator has made such a request since devastating blackouts gripped Texas in February.
Natural gas was in short supply during the blackouts and could be sold at a premium. With no market controls, gas increased hundreds of times its normal value.
With the support of the natural gas industry, Oklahoma and Louisiana have already preemptively passed laws to ban local natural gas bans.
The state’s grid operator warned of a possible energy emergency on the grid Tuesday. It said slightly warmer-than-expected weather was part of the problem, but it was really the fact that coal, gas and nuclear power were offline all at once.
The grid operator issued an alert Tuesday, warning that electricity demand on the grid was close to surpassing supply.
Bill Magness, CEO of the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, said widespread blackouts during last week’s winter storm were necessary to prevent grid failure.
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.
The industry practice known as “flaring” has been decried as wasteful and polluting by public health groups, environmentalists and even some in the industry.
Despite some violent encounters between police and protesters Friday night, Houston's weekend of protests was largely peaceful compared to other cities.
Industry groups applauded a report on the practice of "flaring," but a leading researcher has found plenty to criticize.
The company says it has secured the legal right-of-way necessary to build out the project on private land across the state.
Scientists have said for more than a century that emitting carbon dioxide by burning fossil fuels heats up Earth’s atmosphere. But, until recently, industry representatives and their political allies have avoided acknowledging the link publically.
If your idea to combat the fungal disease is picked as one of the most promising, you could win up to $20,000 and work with scientists to test out your idea.
As building starts on the 430-mile Permian Highway pipeline, some landowners are rejecting Kinder Morgan’s offers and winning awards vastly greater through a unique legal process called a condemnation hearing.
It's the belief in climate risk that appears to be determining the price difference, rather than the risk itself.
Researchers are learning what Texas was like 10 million years ago, after scientists at UT Austin uncovered a treasure trove of fossils hidden in a warehouse.
With no public engagement process required for routing and building a pipeline, many residents feel left in the dark about how pipelines work, their potential risks and benefits and what rights landowners have.
A fight is brewing in Texas Hill Country, where company Kinder Morgan plans to lay a part of its 430-mile natural gas Permian Highway Pipeline.
Here are some of the findings according to a new report that tries to take lessons from Hurricane Harvey to better prepare for the next storm
“Resources are getting overwhelmed,” says Texas A&M Forest Services spokesman Logan Scherschel
The Sandow plant was one of three Texas plants the energy company Luminant announced it was closing. The region is expected to lose about 450 jobs from the closures
The shooter grew up in New Braunfels. Now, residents of the town are grappling with the fact that someone who lived among them could have committed such an act
The coal industry found an ally in Trump’s pick to helm the Department of Energy: former Texas Gov. Rick Perry
The monitoring system provides a new level of detail and sensitivity in recording the earth's shaking
Experts say Harvey has highlighted inconsistencies in Texas’ ability to contain hazardous materials in the face of future storms.
Evacuees from Harvey are coming up on a week living away from home. That’s a long time to spend on a cot in an unfamiliar city, especially if you’re a kid.
A few years ago, self-driving cars seemed like something out of The Jetsons. Now, they’re here (at least in prototype).
Some “milk people” worry it's Trump's immigration policies that may be bad for business.