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Archive for the ‘Energy’ Category

ERCOT says Luminant can shut two Monticello power units

Posted in Air Quality, Energy, tagged , , , on December 20, 2011 | 5 Comments »

Planning for Texas’ energy future must include drought proofing our energy supply with energy efficiency and renewable energy, not propping up old dirty fossil fuel plants.  To that end, we applaud the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT – the Texas electric grid operator) for calling Luminant’s bluff to shut down the aging Monticello coal [...]

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The Story of Broke and the supercommittee

Posted in Energy on November 16, 2011 | 2 Comments »

The deficit reduction supercommittee has a November 23 deadline to finish its work. One of the first places lawmakers should look for cuts is the dirty energy sector. From 2008 through 2010, Big Energy industries were among the top recipients of government handouts, second only to the financial industry. Big Oil alone racks up $4 [...]

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NPR reports on how energy and environmental issues affect you

Posted in Air Quality, Coal, Energy, Global Warming, natural gas, Nuclear, Texas Legislature, Water on November 9, 2011 | Leave a Comment »

StateImpact is a collaboration among NPR and local public radio stations in eight pilot states to examine issues of local importance. The project seeks to inform and engage communities with broadcast and online news about how state government decisions affect people’s lives. In Texas, a collaboration between local public radio stations KUT Austin, KUHF Houston and [...]

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Environmentalists Target Obama with Tar Sands Protest

Posted in Climate Change, Energy, Global Warming, Tarsands, Toxics, tagged , , , on November 8, 2011 | Leave a Comment »

Austinites rally outside campaign headquarters in solidarity with 12,000 in DC Protestors spell out their message. “SAY NO TO TARSANDS!” - Photo by Don Mason  (http://ow.ly/7nbjY) AUSTIN, TX – Campaign staff and volunteers working for  President Obama’s re-election got an earful from environmentalists in Austin on  Monday, one day after 12,000 people encircled the White House [...]

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The Obama Playbook on Energy and Ethics is the worst Three Stooges episode ever

Posted in Climate Change, Energy, Global Warming, Good Government, Tarsands, Water, tagged , , , , , , , , on September 15, 2011 | 1 Comment »

Solyndra was the pie in the face, but Keystone XL is the rake in the yard the White House needs to avoid. Approval of controversial pipeline is bad for the environment, and bad politics, as it would offend not just environmentalists, but voters of all stripes across America’s heartland who would have the pipeline run [...]

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Why Does Rice play Texas?: climate change, EPA smog rules, TarSands pipeline, drought/fires edition

Posted in Air Quality, Campaign Finance, Climate Change, Coal, Energy, Global Warming, green jobs, Tarsands, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on September 5, 2011 | 4 Comments »

The wildfires, Obama’s cave-in on the EPA’s smog rules, the Keystone XL tar sands pipeline protests, Hurricane Irene, and our continued drought and economic malaise puts into focus several things that have been ruminating in my head all weekend, and it all comes back to this one question– Why does Rice play Texas? And how does this relate to clean air, climate change, and a switch to a clean energy economy?

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SPIN BABY SPIN – Renewables continue to grow in Texas

Posted in Energy, Renewables, solar, tagged , , , , , , on August 19, 2011 | 2 Comments »

The Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT), the operators of the Texas electric grid, has released its Emerging technologies report that includes the state of renewables on the Texas grid. Some interesting facts show that wind generation continues to provide a significant amount of energy to the grid as the technology matures, new turbines are [...]

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A Plethora of Candidates for PUC Commissioner – Who would you pick?

Posted in Air Quality, Energy, tagged on August 18, 2011 | 2 Comments »

So far, there are nine candidates for the PUC Commission position that was vacated by PUC Chair, Barry Smitherman, when he resigned after being appointed by Governor Perry to the Texas Railroad Commission.   Included in the slate of candidates are attorneys, elected officials, and civil engineer. The Public Utility Commission of Texas regulates the [...]

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Big Hot Texas Sun: Problem or Resource?

Posted in Climate Change, Co-op Reform, Efficiency, Energy, Global Warming, Renewables, solar on August 11, 2011 | 3 Comments »

We’re in the midst of a heat wave and drought that are on record to be Texas’ worst in recorded history. (and now imagine if global warming actually kicked in, the way all those scientists say! *wink*) But we have a few options. Cope, adapt, or conquer. I much prefer the last solution to the [...]

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Deregulation has put Texas energy security at risk.

Posted in Air Quality, Coal, Energy, Global Warming, Renewables, Texas Legislature, tagged , , , , , , on August 5, 2011 | 2 Comments »

The PUC wants to have a meeting at the end of August to try to figure out how to fix Texas’s experiment of a deregulated generation market, as we look like we are going to run out of energy during what could be ever increasing hot summers. It seems the current market based behavior doesn’t [...]

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Shut off unnessary equipment before ERCOT is forced to shut off power

Posted in Energy, tagged , , , , on August 5, 2011 | 3 Comments »

As temperatures soared yesterday, ERCOT estimates that electricity usage reached an all-time peak high (breaking Wednesday’s record) with Texans using 60,157 MW of power – flying past the official record set on August 31, 2000 when 57,606 MW of power was consumed by Texans in the ERCOT service region. “Texas is experiencing a very serious energy [...]

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Temperatures in Texas soar — and so do energy prices

Posted in Energy, tagged , , , on August 4, 2011 | Leave a Comment »

This is a reprint of a post by Jake Dyer from the RechargeTexas.com blog The rolling blackouts that swept through Texas last February have been blamed on the unexpected failure of generation plants. The temperature dropped during a cold snap, the plants froze up, and then — before anybody really knew what hit them — [...]

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Nelson new Chair of PUC

Posted in Energy, tagged , on July 26, 2011 | Leave a Comment »

According to the Austin Business Journal, Donna Nelson has been appointed by Gov. Rick Perry to be chairman of the Public Utility Commission of Texas. Ms. Nelson will replace Barry Smitherman in that position.  Smitherman resigned earlier this month and Gov. Rick Perry quickly appointed him to the Texas Railroad Commission. Nelson is a former [...]

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Terrorist threat to utilities, not what we need right now

Posted in Energy, tagged , on July 23, 2011 | 1 Comment »

According to ABC News, a new intelligence report from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) issued Tuesday, entitled Insider Threat to Utilities, warns “violent extremists have obtained insider positions,” and that “outsiders have attempted to solicit utility-sector employees” for damaging physical and cyber attacks. The report goes on to say, “Based on the reliable reporting [...]

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Austin City Council Run-off Election Debate

Posted in Energy, Good Government, tagged , , , , , , , , on June 17, 2011 | Leave a Comment »

Solar Austin held a debate between Austin City Council Place 3 candidates Randi Shade and Kathy Tovo. The focus was on energy issues. Here is a brief excerpt from the debates where each candidate addresses a question about how an increase of electricity rates should be handled. The election is this Saturday, June 18. You [...]

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