When conversations picked up this year about the rebirth of the “Berkshire Hathaway bill” of 2021 — the then-$8 billion plan from Warren Buffett’s financial giant for the state build 10,000 megawatts of rarely used gas plants — rumors flew that the Lower Colorado River Authority (LCRA) was working behind the scenes to get a piece of the action. The thing about rumors is, they’re often true.
The Texas Energy and Power Newsletter 4/11/232
Texas’s position as the leading producer of renewable energy could be under threat after state officials championed a series of anti-environmental bills aimed at boosting the oil and gas industry, minimizing the Environmental Protection Agency’s powers and forcing expensive fees for registering hybrid and electric cars.
Reckon.com 4/11/23
As unprecedented severe weather events force investor-owned utilities (IOUs) and state regulators to work more collaboratively on cost recovery, utility experts say some final regulatory decisions still have electricity customers picking up the tab for damages as investors cringe over possible credit downgrades.
Daily Energy Insider 4/10/23
Steady growth in EV purchases present one of the few bright spots for electricity generators that might otherwise see a drop in demand due to energy efficiency. New demands on the transmission and distribution system create an opportunity for utilities to make money upgrading worn wires and transformers that deliver power. Additional demand also means more revenue for retail electricity providers, which profit from shifting load from the most expensive time of the day to nights and weekends. Most of all, consumers profit from lower lifetime operating costs of their vehicle, a cleaner environment and less global warming.
msn.com 4/10/23
KXAN 4/8/23
A plan passed by the Texas Senate to finance the construction of natural gas power plants with public money could cost $18 billion, according to a document obtained by KUT via an open records request. That puts the price tag of the so-called “Texas Energy Insurance Program” around $8 billion over what proponents had previously said.
KUT.org 4/7/23
Texas leaders apparently think EV drivers — regardless of what model they drive — should be taxed at twice the highest rate in Texas and should pay more than three times the tax paid by drivers of conventional cars.
The Texas Energy and Power Newsletter 3/31/23
The renewable energy industry provided $38 billion to $106 billion in total benefits to Texas residents from 2010 to 2022 and the industry accounts for more than 42,000 jobs. Yet, the state is still defending fossil fuels.
Governing 3/31/23
Under state law, your bill must include the billing period, the total amount due, any payments made since your last bill, the numbers to call for billing questions and regarding power outages, the total meter reading and your monthly usage and whether your bill is based on estimated usage.
Houston Chronicle 3/28/23
Close to 30 clean manufacturing projects have been announced in the U.S. since August. Texas is fast turning into a sought-after destination, with three solar manufacturing projects already announced, including the expansion of San Antonio’s Mission Solar plant and Spanish firm PV Hardware planning to open a Texas plant this year. There is also the ongoing construction of a $500 million ship in Brownsville’s port to service offshore wind farms along the East Coast.
Houston Chronicle 3/24/23
A Texas appellate court surprised the electricity world by ruling that the Public Utility Commission overstepped its authority during the deadly February 2021 winter storm when it raised the price of electricity to the maximum, $9,000 per megawatt-hour. Legal experts say the case will almost certainly eventually end up before the Texas Supreme Court.
wfaa.com 3/17/23
