It is hard to believe that just over a year ago America had perhaps the world’s most affordable and reliable supply of energy. Today, the assault on fossil fuels – which began on President Joe Biden’s first day in office when he canceled the Keystone XL pipeline – has Americans heading toward European-style energy poverty,…
Category: Energy
The Day the (Texas Electricity) Market Died
When most Texans woke up on the morning of February 15, 2021, they experienced something few Texans had ever experienced. Texas was gripped in the midst of the probably the worst winter storm in a century and millions had lost power–which would continue to be off for days for many. Leaders in Texas state government,…
Texas at a Higher Risk of Blackouts Than We Have Ever Been
By Karla Florez — Austin News Texans continue to point the finger at various parties to shift the blame for blackouts across the state, including at Gov. Greg Abbott’s efforts or lack thereof to strengthen the state’s power grid. “It’s Day Two of conservation warnings from @GregAbbott_TX delicate power infrastructure,” Austin Mayor Steve Adler tweeted….
Taxpayers burdened with billions in energy costs from Uri
By Andy Nghiem — Austin News Texas residents face nearly $38 billion in energy costs related to power outages caused by last winter’s extreme arctic storm. As Winter Storm Uri battered Texas in February, causing massive blackouts across the state, the Texas Public Utility Commission (PUC) issued an order increasing the price of electricity to…
The California and Texas Greenouts
Photo by Singkham Renewables show again that they aren’t reliable to power the grid. By The Editorial Board – WSJ Electric grid operators in Texas and California are again urging residents to conserve power amid a sweltering heat wave to avoid blackouts. Keeping your thermostat at 78 degrees during the summer may be the green…
Big Wind and Big Solar Got $22 Billion in Subsidies
By Robert Bryce at RealClear Energy The oldest maxim in politics is “follow the money.” That maxim also applies to electric grids. Following the billions of dollars that have been spent on the Texas grid explains why the state continues to have electricity shortages. On Monday, ERCOT, the state’s troubled grid operator, asked Texans to reduce their…
Texas Residents Face Nearly $38 billion in Energy Costs from Winter Blackouts
By Andy Nghiem at the Austin News Texas residents face nearly $38 billion in energy costs related to power outages caused by last winter’s extreme arctic storm. As Winter Storm Uri battered Texas in February, causing massive blackouts across the state, the Texas Public Utility Commission (PUC) issued an order increasing the price of electricity…
Energy analyst fears Texas consumers will be ‘stuck paying higher bills for years’
By Timothy Stuckey – Austin News Texas lawmakers’ recent response to February’s widespread power outages due to the winter storm included making adjustments to the state’s power grid that analysts say will begin to solve some of the problems identified by the storm, according to a Texas Tribune report. Some critics argue, however, that the state legislature…
Have Texas’ Power Problems Been Fixed?
Texans aren’t out of the woods yet when it comes to the energy crisis By Robert Montoya at Texas Scorecard Despite Gov. Greg Abbott signing legislation in response to the February blackouts, concerns have emerged about Texas’ power grid this summer. Texas Scorecard spoke with three of the state’s energy experts about the possibility of future blackouts,…
Texas Legislature Ignores Renewables in Grid Reform: More Problems Ahead
Robert Bradley Jr., a very knowledgeable energy economist with significant experience in the energy market, recently interviewed me for MasterResource, a blog covering energy issues from a free market perspective: Bradley: How did the just-completed Texas legislative session deal with the February Blackout that caused so much damage to life and property? Peacock: The session had two issues to address here….