The latest energy news from The Texas Tribune.
Lots of Texans are asking that question in the wake of last week's electricity mess, and nobody's going to be happy with the answer, which is: "It depends" (if you ask the electricity industry); or "Yes" (if you ask consumer advocates). Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/powerlines.jpg)
The state's electric grid operator has predicted record electricity demand Thursday morning, just over a week after cold weather led to rolling power outages across Texas. But as Matt Largey of KUT News reports, grid operators say this time will be different. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/bulbs.jpg)
Basically, Texas has its own grid to avoid dealing with — you guessed it — the feds. But grid independence has been violated a few times over the years — not even counting Mexico's help during blackouts in 2011. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/ERCOT_Region_map.jpg)
When blackouts rolled through the state last week, wholesale electricity rates skyrocketed to more than 50 times their normal price, finally hitting a set limit. But as Matt Largey of KUT News reports, the timing of changes to that limit is raising questions. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/TxTrib-ElecticSub-CR32.jpg)
El Pasoans are not supposed to shower today. Or wash dishes, or do the laundry. The city is in the third day of a severe water shortage, which was partly caused by last week's rolling blackouts. Restrictions may be lifted tonight. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/ElPasoDusk.jpg)
An audio interview with Trip Doggett, president and chief executive of the Texas grid operator, ERCOT Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/TripDoggett.jpg)
The chief executive of the Texas electric grid operator discusses what caused the rolling blackouts across the state on Wednesday — and why he doesn't know if he lost power in his own home. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/TxTrib-ElecticSub-CR03.jpg)
Texas leaders aren't talking about secession, after an outbreak of conversation a couple of years ago. But the germ of the idea remains in the anti-federalist talking points that fueled Gov. Rick Perry’s re-election campaign last year and provided the outline for his book, Fed Up! Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/c9448ac23f0c46bc98d86c5b321219e3/BD%20INC%20Secede%20Sign%2002%202011)
The chief executive of ERCOT, the Texas grid operator, said that "extremely cold" temperatures and windy conditions caused valves, pipes and other equipment in some power plants to fail. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/coal-powerplant.jpg)
What happened yesterday to cause the rolling power blackouts across Texas? A chain reaction of problems involving the state's coal and gas appeared to be the cause — and wind plants were having trouble, too. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/energyefficiency.jpg)
The Environmental Protection Agency is developing new drinking-water regulations for a toxic rocket-fuel ingredient found in 26 states — including Texas. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/RocketEngine.jpg)
Power out at your house? You've got good company — 400,000 other Texans, as of noon today. But as of this afternoon, the lights (and heat) should be coming back on. The demand for power exceeded generation capacity around midnight last night, causing more than 50 generators to shut down statewide Full Story
Bill Neiman, owner of Native American Seed in Junction, Texas, talks about how his career focus evolved from conventional landscapes to native plants. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/videos/SeedInHand.jpg)
A slideshow of Bill Neiman's seed-cleaning facility near Junction. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/txtrib_nat_ccr005.jpg)
From the highways of Texas to the San Jacinto Battleground, state agencies now aim to maximize the use of native grasses rather than opting for whatever was cheapest or fastest-growing, as they did decades ago. Full Story
When Texans turn on lights or plug in iPads, they are getting an increasing amount of power from the wind — and from coal plants. Last year, nearly 8 percent of the power on the state's electric grid was generated by wind, far above the national average. And coal plants produced more power than any other electricity source. The big loser was natural gas. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/Ercot_Electricity_Chart.010.png)
The Trib staff on the sweeping cuts in the proposed House budget, Grissom on what's lost and not found at the Department of Public Safety, Galbraith on the wind power conundrum, Hamilton on higher ed's pessimistic budget outlook, Stiles and Swicegood debut an incredibly useful bill tracker app, Ramsey interviews Rick Perry on the cusp of his second decade as governor, Aguilar on a Mexican journalist's quest for asylum in the U.S., Ramshaw on life expectancy along the border, M. Smith on the obstacles school districts face in laying off teachers and yours truly talks gambling and the Rainy Day Fund with state Rep. Jim Pitts: The best of our best from January 17 to 21, 2011. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/Tribweek_01_17_2011.jpg)
At the heart of Texas' wind-power boom lies a conundrum: Plenty of ranchers are eager to host wind turbines but few want to allow the unsightly high-voltage transmission lines needed to carry the power to distant cities. But state regulators are moving forward — and yesterday they approved a contentious project that runs through the Hill Country. Full Story
During a meeting today of the Public Utility Commission, chairman Barry Smitherman said that the Environmental Protection Agency was attempting to "disarm the U.S. economy," with a raft of rules covering everything from fly-ash waste from coal plants to new rules on greenhouse gases. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/barry-smitherman.jpg)
More than 40 people crammed into the Texas Railroad Commission’s hearing today on what caused two water wells in Parker County to become contaminated by natural gas. Missing: the Environmental Protection Agency. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/Greener-Fracking.jpg)