The worst drought in more than 50 years in Texas is expected to continue as a weak La Nina weather pattern is predicted to strengthen this winter. Drought has already reduced cooling water needed by coal-fired power plants and may limit electric output from power plants next summer, an official from the Electric Reliability Council [...]
Posts Tagged ‘Energy Efficiency’
Continued Drought Concerns ERCOT for 2012
Posted in Coal Plants, Efficiency, Water, tagged drought, electric reliability council of texas, Energy, Energy Efficiency, PUC, Texas on October 19, 2011 | 1 Comment »
ERCOT calls for energy conservation this weekend
Posted in Efficiency, Global Warming, Utilities, tagged Air conditioning, electric reliability council of texas, electricity, energy conservation office, Energy Efficiency, Public utilities commission, Texas, Thermostat on August 26, 2011 | 1 Comment »
Its predicted that the entire state will have record temperatures this weekend. Please take all measures to avoid using unnecessary energy. They might have a hurricane on the east coast but we have a heat wave in Texas and there might not be enough electricity to go around. Statement from ERCOT CEO Trip Doggett on [...]
EPA’s Partial E15 Waiver: More ethanol?
Posted in Air Quality, Efficiency, Renewables, Transportation, tagged Air Quality, Energy Efficiency, EPA, Public Citizen, Renewables, United States Environmental Protection Agency on March 27, 2011 | 1 Comment »
Over the past couple of years, there has been a heated debate involving the potential EPA implementation of allowing a greater percentage of ethanol in gasoline. The current volume percentage of ethanol allowed is 10% for vehicles made between the years 2001 and 2006. Recently, the EPA has been discussing the approval of what is [...]
Funds Still Available for the Texas Appliance Mail-In Rebate Program
Posted in Efficiency, recycling, tagged Energy Efficiency, Energy Star, Rebate Program, Texas on February 16, 2011 | Leave a Comment »
If you’ve considered participating… Funds are still available for the Texas Appliance Mail-In Rebate Program. Texas has already approved over $12 million in rebates and funds are limited, so act soon! Funding for the program is available to Texas residential consumers on a first-received, first-issued basis according to the application’s postmark date until funds are depleted. You [...]
Austin poor spend much of their income on electricity
Posted in Efficiency, Energy, tagged Austin, Austin Energy, conservation, Efficient energy use, electricity, Energy, Energy Efficiency, Household, poverty, Technology on October 28, 2010 | 2 Comments »
Austin Energy hired a consultant to help determine how its rates compare to those of other utilities in preparation for its plan to substantially raise electricity rates in 2012. The work is ongoing, but an eye-opening statistic has already emerged. Estimates indicate that the average US household’s energy costs are equal to 7% of household income, [...]
Texas slipping in Energy Efficiency ranking
Posted in Efficiency, Energy, tagged ACEEE, Energy Efficiency, Texas on October 21, 2010 | Leave a Comment »
According to an American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) study, Texas now ranks 32nd among U.S. states in energy efficiency, down from 23rd in 2009. The current 10 top-ranked states in energy efficiency are shown below: 1. California 2. Massachusetts 3. Oregon 4. New York 5. Vermont 6. Washington 7. Rhode Island 8. (tie) Connecticut 8. [...]
EDF’s Jim Marston in HouChron on Single State Agency for Efficiency
Posted in Consumers, Efficiency, Energy, Global Warming, Good Government, tagged efficiency agency, Energy Efficiency, environmental defense fund, Jim Marston, PUCT, state energy conservation office, texas comptroller, texas department of housing and community affairs on August 30, 2010 | Leave a Comment »
Some great points from the director of Environmental Defense Fund‘s Texas Regional Office (and Energy Program), Jim Marston. If you’re concerned about government spending, consolidating existing efficiency programs and oversight into one agency has the potential to reduce overlap and redundancy in government and create more opportunities for consumers and businesses to save money.
Fed’s getting into the energy storage act, along with the TCEQ ?
Posted in Efficiency, Energy, natural gas, Renewables, tagged compressed air energy storage, Energy, Energy Efficiency, energy storage, flywheel energy storage, public citizen texas, renewable energy, Renewables, solar power, Texas Commission on Environmental Quality on August 28, 2010 | Leave a Comment »
Long thought to be the last commodity that can’t be saved for later use, large scale electrical energy storage is finally looking like a technology who’s time might have come. Recently introduced the “Storage Technology of Renewable and Green Energy Act of 2010″ Act (S. 3617) introduced by U.S. Senators Jeff Bingaman (D-N.M.), Ron Wyden [...]
What’s the frequency, Kenneth? In this case it’s 60.000 cycles per second.
Posted in Coal, Efficiency, Energy, Global Warming, green jobs, natural gas, Renewables, solar, Uncategorized, tagged Clean Energy, climate change, Energy Efficiency, ercot, Nikola Tesla, public citizen texas on August 10, 2010 | 1 Comment »
Come close together, cats and kitties, and gather ’round, while the Powerman gets his story-telling hat- the one with the fine white brim- slips it on and talks about what’s going down with a happening riff:, with a tip o’ the hat to Lord Buckley for those yet to be hip to the flip, we [...]
A new direction for energy efficiency in Texas
Posted in Efficiency, Energy, Global Warming, Good Government, Sunset, tagged EERS, Energy Efficiency, public citizen texas, PUC, Texas on August 5, 2010 | 5 Comments »
Today, Public Citizen and Environmental Defense Fund sent a letter to the Legislature calling on them to support the creation of a new state agency dedicated to efficiency. I tend to think in the problem-cause-solution framework about public policy issues so here’s the short version: Problem: Energy efficiency languishes in Texas after years of progress. [...]
Press Release: Perry Government Mishandles Programs that Benefit Consumers, Groups Say
Posted in Coal, Consumers, Efficiency, Energy, Global Warming, natural gas, Nuclear, Renewables, tagged Burt Solomons, david power, Energy Efficiency, Jim Keffer, Kate Robertson, matt johnson, PUC, Railroad Commission, Rick Perry, seco, TDHCA, troy fraser, Water Development Board on August 4, 2010 | 3 Comments »
Public Citizen, Environmental Defense Fund Call for Independent State Agency to Coordinate State’s Energy Efficiency Efforts AUSTIN – In response to the Public Utility Commission’s (PUC) planned adoption of new energy efficiency goals, Public Citizen and Environmental Defense Fund today called for sweeping changes to the way Texas runs its energy efficiency programs. The groups [...]
NRG Energy Scales Back Nuke Investment; Makes TPPF Look Bad
Posted in Consumers, Efficiency, Energy, Nuclear, tagged david crane, Energy Efficiency, forbes, nrg energy, Nuclear, public citizen texas, renewable energy, texas public policy foundation on August 2, 2010 | Leave a Comment »
In their recent report on how energy efficiency is bad for consumers in Texas, the Texas Public Policy Foundation took some time to tout nukes. To distinguish the development of new nuclear reactors from the previous generation which was frought with cost overruns and delays, they claim the following (page 7-8): “But unlike consumers from [...]
Arizona Corporation Commission Unanimously Approves One of the Strongest Energy Efficiency Standards in the Country
Posted in Efficiency, Energy, Global Warming, tagged arizona, Efficiency, Energy Efficiency, public citizen texas, PUC, Texas on July 29, 2010 | 3 Comments »
Phoenix, AZ – Today, the Arizona Corporation Commission acted to save consumers and businesses money by unanimously approving a final Energy Efficiency Standard Rule. “There was strong support from all five commissioners to significantly increase Arizona’s commitment to energy efficiency via this landmark new standard,” said Jeff Schlegel with the Southwest Energy Efficiency Project (SWEEP). [...]
Come See Us This Saturday in Houston at The Great Texas Clean Up!
Posted in Air Quality, Coal, Efficiency, Energy, natural gas, Nuclear, Renewables, solar, tagged Air Quality, Clean Energy, Energy Efficiency, Nuclear, renewable energy on July 22, 2010 | Leave a Comment »
The concert is FREE to the public and welcomes all ages. The Sierra Club and Texas Environmental Justice are rolling out the Great Texas Clean-Up Festival, from 4-10 at the Discovery Green in Houston, an event expected to kick off a larger campaign to clean up Texas. Public Citizen is a coalition partner and will [...]

















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