According to Bloomberg, U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu is calling for a national energy policy that will promote the use of clean-energy technologies. This would include U.S. investment in advanced battery technologies, biofuels and efficient high-voltage transmission systems. Secretary Chu went on to say they are expecting wind and solar power may be able to compete with fossil fuels, without aid from government subsidies, within the next decade, rather than the three decades the U.S. Department of Energy was projecting earlier.
Posts Tagged ‘Energy’
Wind and solar may be competitive with coal without aid in a decade, Chu says
Posted in Global Warming, Renewables, tagged Coal, Energy, solar power, Texas, United States Secretary of Energy, wind on March 26, 2011 |
PUC Sunset bill give the agency more oversight of ERCOT
Posted in Energy, Sunset, Texas Legislature, tagged electric reliability council of texas, Electricity market, Energy, Public utilities commission, Sunset Advisory Commission, Texas on March 12, 2011 |
The Public Utility Commission (PUC) sunset bill (H.B. 2134) would give the PUC the authority to approve or change the annual budget of the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT), stipulates that no member of the PUC could work for ERCOT for at least two years after he or she had stepped down, and fines would quadruple (from a maximum of $25,000 per day to $100,000 per day) for any company found to have manipulated the electric market for its own gain under the Sunset bill that will be heard in House State Affairs Committee on Monday, March 14th.
Rep. Burt Solomons (R-Carrollton)
State Rep. Burt Solomons’ House Bill 2134 largely tracks the recommendations approved in January by the Sunset Advisory Commission and includes language that the Carrollton Republican has been advocating for at least two years to cut the number of ERCOT board members who have ties the electric industry.
State Affairs is scheduled to take up the Sunset bill during its hearing that convenes 30 minutes after the House adjourns Monday. The meeting will be held in Room 140 of the Reagan Building northwest of the Capitol.
To see the full text of H.B. 2134, click here.
Want solar but live under HOA rules that won’t allow it?
Posted in Renewables, tagged Energy, HB 450, renewable, solar, solar energy, Texas, Texas House Business and Industry Committee on March 10, 2011 |
The House Business and Industry Committee will meet next Monday and one of the bills that they will be taking testimony on is HB 450 filed by Representative Eddie Lucio, III (D-San Benito) that addresses the regulation of solar energy devices by a property owners’ association. If you are a homeowner who wants solar but your HOA rules prohibit the installation of solar panels, and you live in the district of one of the committee members, you might want to call your representative and let them know that you support this bill.
Feeling really passionate about this and plan on being in Austin next Monday – stop by the capitol after 2pm, go to the hearing room-E2.016 and sign up to testify for this bill.
Below is a list of the House Business and Industry committee members and their capitol office phone numbers.
Got Solar?
Posted in Energy, Renewables, solar, tagged Electricity generation, Energy, renewable, solar power, Texas on March 7, 2011 |
Senator John Carona (R-Dallas)
For many who want to add more rooftop and other on-site solar generating devices on homes and even commercial properties, there have been concerns about the prospect of being regulated as utilities. This concern has been seen as an overly burdensome barrier to the industry, however Senator John Carona (R-Dallas) filed legislation that would make clear that retail electric customers who install generation devices such as solar panels on their property are not regulated as generating companies as long as they don’t produce more than 2,000 kilowatts. To see the text of the SB 981, click here.
The legislation also would direct the Public Utility Commission (PUC) to conduct a study that would help to establish a fair market price for retail electric customers who generate surplus power that could be sold back to the grid.
A Brave New World according to new WWF report
Posted in Renewables, tagged Energy, renewable energy, sustainable energy, Texas on March 6, 2011 |
According to a new report from the World Wildlife Federation (WWF), a fully sustainable and renewable global energy system is possible by 2050. The Energy Report, researched for the WWF by Ecofys, a leading energy consulting firm in the Netherlands, shows that humanity could meet 95 percent of energy needs with renewables utilising today’s technologies, and that in four decades we can have a world of vibrant economies and societies powered entirely by clean, cheap and renewable energy, with a vastly improved quality of life.
Click here to check out the report.
Department of Energy launches initiative to bring down solar energy costs
Posted in Renewables, solar, tagged Energy, Renewables, solar energy, Texas, united states department of energy on March 5, 2011 |
The US Department of Energy (DOE) announced $27 million in projects to advance solar development and manufacturing through its SunShot Initiative whose goal is to achieve cost competitive solar energy by 2020.
The hope is that the SunShot initiative can reduce the total costs of photovoltaic solar energy systems by about 75 percent so that they are cost competitive at large scale with other forms of energy, without subsidies, before the end of the decade. This level of cost reduction would make the cost of solar roughly $1 a watt – which would correspond to roughly 6 cents per kilowatt-hour – spurring the broad deployment of solar energy systems across the country and, at these price points, helping regain American economic competitiveness in the global market for solar photovoltaics.
The SunShot program builds on the legacy of President Kennedy’s 1960s “moon shot” goal, which laid out a plan to regain the country’s lead in the space race and land a man on the moon. The program hopes to aggressively drive innovations in the ways that solar systems are conceived, designed, manufactured and installed.
In addition to investing in improvements in cell technologies and manufacturing, the SunShot initiative will also focus on steps to streamline and digitize local permitting processes that will reduce installation and permitting costs. To achieve the SunShot goal of reducing the total installed cost of large scale solar electricity by about 75 percent, DOE will be working closely with partners in government, industry, research laboratories and academic institutions across the country.
For more information and to follow the initiative’s progress, visit the SunShot Initiative webpage.
Energy self sufficiency vs. HOA control
Posted in Efficiency, Energy, Renewables, solar, tagged Energy, solar energy, Texas on March 4, 2011 |
Several bills filed this session, which included some heard at Wednesday’s hearing of the Senate Intergovernmental Relations Committee would preclude homeowners’ associations from restricting installation of solar energy devices. These are:
- Sen. Royce West (D-Dallas) – SB 238
- Sen. Jeff Wentworth (R-San Antonio) – SB 302
- Sen. Mike Jackson (R-La Porte) – SB 447 (identical to SB 302)
- Rep. Burt Solomons (R-Carrollton) – HB 362 heard last week in House Business and Industry Committee and almost identical to the Senate versions except it includes energy efficient “cool” roofs
Compromises may be in the works to tweak bills for smooth passage. At the hearing, West, who chairs the committee, reached out to the Homeowners Associations (HOA) in hopes of striking a balance and avoiding an impasse.
Homeowners have complained that HOAs are unfairly, and sometimes arbitrarily, preventing them from making their abodes more energy efficient using solar technology. The HOAs want to preserve their ability to protect property values from unsafe and unattractive equipment. The green energy industry, environmentalists, some developers and some realtors want to see more solar power used in Texas.
In the House, compromise language already is being crafted. One potential sticking point is whether to give HOAs any discretion over approval of the design or appearance of solar devices. Some members believe the issue has gone beyond property rights to include energy sufficiency, electricity conservation and grid stabilization.
West said he hopes that if he can convince his colleagues in both houses to ease HOA restrictions on solar energy, they may be more likely to pass SB 142, his latest attempt at comprehensive HOA reform. He has not yet set it for hearing.
CPS Energy: Leading San Antonio into the New Energy Economy
Posted in Global Warming, tagged CPS Energy, Energy, renewable, renewable energy, Texas on February 23, 2011 |
Doyle Beneby, CPS CEO and President
Solar Austin is hosting a special event featuring the CEO of San Antonio’s municipal utility, Doyle Beneby of CPS.
Mr. Beneby will discuss CPS Energy’s plan to pursue affordable renewable energy. This special event will take place at Malverde (400 W. 2nd, next to City Hall) with a Reception starting at 4pm and talk from 5 to 6pm.
WHO: CPS Energy CEO & President Doyle Beneby
WHAT: CPS Energy: Leading San Antonio into the New Energy Economy
WHEN: Wednesday, February 23 from 4:00 – 6:00 pm
WHERE: Malverde, 400 W. 2nd, Austin, TX (immediately NW of City Hall)
For more info: http://www.solaraustin.org/. To learn more about Doyle Beneby, click here.
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By promoting cleaner energy, cleaner government, and cleaner air for all Texans, we hope to provide for a healthy place to live and prosper. We are Public Citizen Texas.
NRG could pull out permanently from STP expansion by the end of the 2011 3rd quarter.
Posted in Energy, Nuclear, tagged Austin, Energy, loan guarantee, nrg energy, STP, Texas, toshiba, tx on February 22, 2011 |
NRG Energy, Inc. posted their 2010 Full-Year and Fourth Quarter results today. It appears that if no loan guarantees are forthcoming and the company fails to secure sufficient Power Purchase Agreements (PPA) for the STP expansion project by the third quarter of this year, NRG could make a final decision to pull the project.
For this reason, Central Texas utilities like Austin Energy, LCRA, and San Marcos are going to be lobbied heavily by NRG representatives in the coming months. Click here to read our earlier post on NRG’s approach to Austin Energy.
A section directly from their 4th quarter report is excerpted below:
On November 29, 2010, NINA awarded the EPC contract for the development of STP Units 3 and 4 to a restructured EPC consortium formed by Toshiba America Nuclear Energy Corporation and The Shaw Group Inc. Shaw is providing a $100 million credit facility to NINA to assist in financing STP. The credit facility will convert to equity in NINA upon the satisfaction of certain conditions including the project receiving full notice to proceed, which is expected in mid-2012. The project is presently scheduled to come online with one unit in 2016 and the second in 2017. The project remains subject to receipt of a conditional loan guarantee from the Department of Energy and to the satisfaction of certain conditions, most notably, the arrangement of long term PPAs for a significant portion of the plant’s capacity. It is anticipated that the pace of development and pre-construction work required to meet the 2016/2017 online schedule dictates that the loan guarantee needs to be received and critical conditions satisfied in the third quarter of 2011. As a result, NRG expects to make a final decision with respect to its continued funding of STP 3&4 during the third quarter of 2011.
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By promoting cleaner energy, cleaner government, and cleaner air for all Texans, we hope to provide for a healthy place to live and prosper. We are Public Citizen Texas.
PEC names new CEO
Posted in Co-op Reform, tagged Energy, General manager, money laundering, pedernales electric cooperative, Texas on February 22, 2011 |
The Pedernales Electric Cooperative (PEC) has named R.B Sloan as its new CEO. Sloan begins March 6, leaving his current job as director of utilities in Danville, VA. He also ran the city-owned electric company for Vero Beach, Fla.
PEC, the nation’s oldest and largest co-op has been plagued by scandal and management upheaval over the past few years. Sloan will come to Pedernales just three months after longtime General Manager Bennie Fuelberg was found guilty of a money-laundering scheme.
See our earlier posts on Fuelberg’s trial, conviction and sentencing.
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By promoting cleaner energy, cleaner government, and cleaner air for all Texans, we hope to provide for a healthy place to live and prosper. We are Public Citizen Texas.
Which power plants caused the rolling blackouts?
Posted in Energy, tagged electric reliability council of texas, Energy, ercot, natural gas, Rolling blackout, Texas on February 16, 2011 |
ERCOT just released an updated list of all of the power plants that were not operating Feb 2, contributing to the power shortages that caused the rolling blackouts. That document is here, but we present the data below for your convenience.
Notice a trend? Natural gas and Lignite coal were the main power sources that couldn’t cope.
Meanwhile, the wind really saved our bacon. And since wind companies’ standard operating procedure is to bid into the market at $0 for their extra capacity (no fuel charge, so it doesn’t cost them anything to turn on the extra turbines if the wind is blowin’: unlike a gas plant that has to, you know, pay for their gas. Assuming they can get gas, that is.) wind did not contribute to the high prices of energy or manipulate the market.
For an even more in depth rundown, please see our testimony our Deputy Director, David Power, gave in front of a special joint session of the Senate Business and Industry and the Senate Natural Resources Committees.
PS- Sorry if the formatting on this list is hard to read- we tried as best we could to get all the data on here. (more…)
Opinion: Combs’ wind energy report lacking facts
Posted in Global Warming, Renewables, tagged Electricity generation, Energy, Renewables, Texas, wind, wind power on February 14, 2011 |
Guest contributer - Paul Sadler
Paul Sadler is the executive director of the Wind Coalition, and a former Texas state legislator. He responds to the recent comptroller report which he believes did not accurately represent the job creation potential of wind energy.
If we are to believe a recent report from the comptroller’s office (“An Analysis of Texas Economic Development Incentives 2010”), wind energy creates only 500 jobs in Texas.
And if we are to believe another claim by the comptroller’s office, a weekend of Formula One racing at a taxpayer-subsidized track in Austin will bring 5,000 jobs. In other words, even though Texas is the sixth-largest producer of wind energy in the world, with enough installed capacity to power 2.5 million homes, we are supposed to believe it produces one-tenth the number of jobs as expensive cars driving along a track.
Texas Comptroller Susan Combs has indicated she does not believe the statute authorizing her report on economic development incentives allows her to look at the total economic impact of wind energy as she did for a Formula One race.
So, let’s introduce some facts missing from the comptroller’s report. (more…)
Will my rates go up because of last week’s electricity mess?
Posted in Energy, tagged electricity, Energy, public citizen texas, Rolling blackout, Texas on February 10, 2011 |
Will my rates go up because of last week’s electricity mess? That’s a question that the Texas Tribune, a nonpartisan, nonprofit media organization that promotes civic engagement and discourse on public policy, politics, government, and other matters of statewide concern, asked and their answer starts out:
Lots of Texans are asking that question in the wake of last week’s rolling blackouts, 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).
Click here to read the complete Texas Tribune article.
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By promoting cleaner energy, cleaner government, and cleaner air for all Texans, we hope to provide for a healthy place to live and prosper. We are Public Citizen Texas
NRC holding public meeting March 2nd for STP’s environmental review for their license renewal
Posted in Global Warming, tagged bay city, Energy, Nuclear, Nuclear Power, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, STP, Texas, tx on February 8, 2011 |
"Come Unto Me", a depiction of Jesus Christ at Cedarvale Bay City Cemetery - on Wikipedia
The U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission staff will hold two public meetings on the environmental review of South Texas Project (STP) Nuclear Operating Co.’s application to renew the operating licenses for the STP nuclear reactors near Bay City.
The public is invited to attend and comment on environmental issues the NRC should consider in its review of the proposed license renewal. Formal comments on environmental issues should be provided during either of the scheduled sessions.
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
In the afternoon from 1:30 p.m. until 4:30 p.m.
In the evening from 7:00 p.m. until 10:00 p.m.
NRC staff will host informal discussions an hour prior to
each meeting to answer questions and provide
additional information about the process.
Bay City Civic Center located at 201 7th St. in Bay City, Texas,
The meetings will include an NRC staff presentation on the license renewal process, after which members of the public will be given the opportunity to present their comments on what environmental issues the NRC should consider during its review.
For planning purposes, those who wish to present oral comments at the meeting are encouraged to contact Tam Tran, email at tam.tran@nrc.gov or telephone at 301- 415-3617. People may also register to speak before the start of each session. Individual comment time may be limited by the time available.
Both South Texas Project Units 1 and 2 are pressurized-water nuclear reactors, located 12 miles southwest of Bay City, Texas. The plant’s current operating licenses for Units 1 and 2 will expire on Aug. 20, 2027, and Dec. 15, 2028, respectively.
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