San Antonio’s dreams of becoming a solar manufacturing hub have been deferred temporarily. CPS Energy, the city’s municipally owned utility, couldn’t come to agreement with two unnamed finalists and will restart a bidding process that would put San Antonio into the top tier of solar users around the globe by seeking bids for 400 megawatts of solar power, enough to [...]
Posts Tagged ‘Energy’
San Antonio’s Solar Dream Deferred
Posted in Global Warming, tagged Energy, San Antonio, solar power, Texas on November 7, 2011 | Leave a Comment »
Texas Senator Troy Fraser focuses on the energy industry’s water use
Posted in Coal Plants, Nuclear Plants, Water, tagged drought, Energy, fracking, Texas, water on November 4, 2011 | 1 Comment »
According to the Texas Energy Report, Senate Natural Resources Committee Chairman Troy Fraser, called the energy industry a bit too “thirsty” during a record one-year drought, and warned the oil and gas companies to ramp up the recycling of water consumed during hydraulic fracturing. Currently much of the chemical-laced water and sand that Texas companies blast [...]
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 »
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 [...]
Heat Wave Renews Call for Renewable Energy
Posted in Global Warming, tagged austin chronicle, Austin Energy, Energy, Public Citizen, Texas on August 11, 2011 | Leave a Comment »
At the height of the energy crisis last week, Public Citizen’s Texas director, Tom “Smitty” Smith, told the Austin Chronicle, “Austin Energy was one of the first cities in the United States to really aggressively try to do this kind of load management, and days like this show how effective it is in preventing blackouts,” [...]
Deregulation has put Texas energy security at risk.
Posted in Air Quality, Coal, Energy, Global Warming, Renewables, Texas Legislature, tagged deregulation, Energy, Public utilities commission, Rolling blackout, solar power, Texas, wind power 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 [...]
Shut off unnessary equipment before ERCOT is forced to shut off power
Posted in Energy, tagged Energy, energy conservation, ercot, power grid, Texas 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 [...]
Urge DOE to regulate fracking
Posted in Air Quality, tagged Energy, hydraulic fracturing, natural gas, Public Citizen, united states department of energy on July 15, 2011 | Leave a Comment »
Yesterday, Public Citizen spoke before the Department of Energy subcommittee tasked with natural gas drilling and outlined the key steps needed to properly oversee the process of fracking. We are calling on the subcommittee to recommend closure of many loopholes that create regulatory exemptions for fracking. Please join us in urging the DOE to regulate [...]
And the sun slowly sets on the Solar RPS at the Texas PUC
Posted in Global Warming, tagged Energy, renewable portfolio standard, Texas, texas public utility commission on July 8, 2011 | 1 Comment »
Today was the last day for the Texas Public Utility Commission (PUC) to pass the 500 Mw non-wind RPS rule. After 6 years they failed to implement a provision by passed by the legislature setting aside a portion of the state’s Renewable Portfolio Standard for renewable technologies other than wind (like solar, geothermal, or storage). Citing cost concerns, the PUC [...]
A dream deferred
Posted in Global Warming, tagged Energy, renewable, solar power, Texas on July 7, 2011 | Leave a Comment »
The Southwestern U.S. has dominated the world of utility-scale solar projects over the past few years, with news of deals being signed for solar-power plants as large as 1 gigawatt or more. But now the Southeastern U.S. looks like it will soon be home to one of the world’s largest solar projects, a 400-megawatt photovoltaic [...]
Austin City Council Run-off Election Debate
Posted in Energy, Good Government, tagged Austin, City Council, debate, election, Energy, kathy tovo, randi shade, run-off, solar 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 [...]
PEC lawyer found guilty
Posted in Global Warming, tagged Energy, money laundering, pedernales electric cooperative on June 2, 2011 | Leave a Comment »
A Kendall County jury found former Pedernales Electric Cooperative legal counsel Walter Demond guilty of all three felony charges outlined in his June 2009 indictment. Demond was found guilty of theft, misapplication of fiduciary property and money laundering. The jury recommended that Demond receive 10 years probation and be required to pay a $10,000 fine [...]
Nuclear Power taking a dive in Europe
Posted in Nuclear, tagged Energy, japan, Nuclear Power, Switzerland on May 28, 2011 | 1 Comment »
Last week, the seven-member Federal Council of Switzerland called for the decommissioning of the country’s five nuclear power reactors and development of new energy sources to replace them. The recommendation will be debated in the Swiss parliament, which is expected to make a final decision next month. If approved, the five reactors (at four facilities) [...]
“Clean Energy” Bank Bill would enable unlimited taxpayer funding of new nuclear reactors
Posted in Nuclear, tagged CEDA, Energy, Loan Guarantees, Nuclear on May 26, 2011 | Leave a Comment »
SENATE ENERGY COMMITTEE TO CONSIDER “CLEAN ENERGY” BANK BILL MAY 26, 2011 ACT NOW TO BLOCK “CEDA”! The Senate Energy Committee is scheduled to consider today–May 26, 2011–a bill establishing a new “clean energy” bank called the Clean Energy Development Administration (CEDA). Unfortunately, this “clean energy” bank is anything but a source for funding genuinely [...]
Texas sees a 30 percent increase in energy from renewable sources in 2010
Posted in Energy, Renewables, tagged Energy, renewable energy, renewable portfolio standard, solar, wind power on May 17, 2011 | 1 Comment »
According to a press release from ERCOT, Texas posted a 30 percent increase in energy from renewable sources in 2010 with voluntary participation in renewable energy credits up 45 percent Below is ERCOT’s press release: MAY 13, 2011, AUSTIN – Texas posted a 30 percent increase in energy generated by renewable sources in 2010, [...]
$1.5 BILLION CONTRIBUTED TO TEXAS ECONOMY THROUGH ENERGY EFFICIENCY PROGRAMS
Posted in Efficiency, tagged Efficient energy use, Energy, energy conservation on April 19, 2011 | Leave a Comment »
The following contribution on a new Angelou Economics report showing positive economic impact to the state since 2009. is from Tod Wickersham of Businesses for an Energy Efficient Texas coalition (BEET). Texas’ energy efficiency programs have saved the state’s residents, schools and businesses money on their electric bills for years. However, a new study by noted [...]
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