Waco Tribune:  Scammers targeting electric company customers

Dec. 17 — Customers should be suspicious of anyone claiming to be an employee of Reliant or other electricity company who asks for money to be loaded to a prepaid debit card or directs a customer to pay via money order, PayPal or by calling another number to make a payment.

— Waco Tribune

S&P Global: ERCOT sees 15.5% reserve margin, up from 2020’s 12.6%, down from May forecast

Dec. 17 —  The Electric Reliability Council of Texas on Dec. 16 forecast it will have a reserve margin of 15.5% in the summer of 2021, up from summer 2020’s 12.6% but down from the May forecast of 17.3% for summer 2021, which weakened summer forwards.

— S&P Global

Houston Chronicle: Summer power supplies could decrease electricity prices

Dec. 16 — Consumers will likely see lower electricity prices heading into summer after the manager of the state power grid signaled that supplies of electricity should be ample enough in summer though not as robust as previously estimated.

— Houston Chronicle

 

AP: Biden picks deal-makers, fighters for climate, energy team

Dec. 17 — While the president-elect’s picks have the experience to do the heavy lifting required in a climate overhaul of the U.S. economy, they also seem to be reassuring skeptics that he won’t neglect the low-income, working class and minority communities hit hardest by fossil fuel pollution and climate change.

Associated Press

S&P Global: Southwestern Electric Power coal burn rises in October

Dec. 15 — In October, up from 28.5% in September and 30.2% in October 2019, according to the filing published by the Public Utility Commission of Texas

— S&P Global

S&P Global: Wholesale power sales in Q3 2020 down 3% due largely to coronavirus pandemic

Dec. 15 — The sales in Q3 2020 totaled 1.53 billion MWh, compared to 1.58 billion MWh sold in Q3 2019, which was the largest quarterly sales total ever reported to FERC. The Q3 2020 total was also below the MWh sales volume reported to FERC in Q3 2018, which came to 1.57 billion MWh.

— S&P Global

Houston Chronicle: Griddy takes disruption to another ‘multilevel’

Dec. 14 — Griddy, the California-based startup that opened the wholesale electricity market to Texas consumers three years ago, is taking a page from some of its more traditional competitors and will sell power through commission-based networks.

— Houston Chronicle

KFDA: Energy companies see increase of customers struggling to pay bills since COVID-19 started

Dec. 15 — This year Atmos Energy has provided help to over double the number of their customers compared to last year.

— KFDA

 

 

Business Journal: $400M sale of CenterPoint Energy Services was a Deal of the Week in February

Dec. 16 — Through the end of December, we’re taking a look back on the Deals of the Week from 2020. This was the Deal of the Week for the Houston Business Journal’s Feb. 28-March 5 edition.

— Business Journal

Houston Chronicle: Summer power supplies could decrease electricity prices

Dec. 16 — Consumers will likely see lower electricity prices heading into summer after the manager of the state power grid signaled that supplies of electricity should be ample enough in summer though not as robust as previously estimated.

— Houston Chronicle

RTO Insider: Solar Power Boosts ERCOT’s Reserve Margins

Dec. 17 — ERCOT said that generation owners have added 5.6 GW of summer-rated capacity for 2021, which includes more than 3 GW of utility-scale solar.

— RTO Insider

S&P Global: ERCOT sees 15.5% reserve margin, up from 2020’s 12.6%, down from May forecast

Dec. 16 — The Electric Reliability Council of Texas on Dec. 16 forecast it will have a reserve margin of 15.5% in the summer of 2021, up from summer 2020’s 12.6% but down from the May forecast of 17.3% for summer 2021, which weakened summer forwards.

— S&P Global

 

ERO Insider: Grid Operations ‘Fundamentally Changing’, says NERC

Dec. 16 — The expansion of renewables over the next decade is expected to “fundamentally” change how the grid is planned and operated, NERC said.

— ERO Insider

Houston Chronicle: Texas Railroad Commission barred from waiving environmental rules

Dec. 11– The decision by a state judge means that the Railroad Commission of Texas will not be able to enforce a series of emergency rule-waivers announced in May. District Court Judge Jan Soifer faulted the agency for failing to give the public adequate forewarning, according to a ruling handed down on Thursday.

— Houston Chronicle

 

El Paso Herald-Post:  UTEP expands energy research to achieve global impact

Dec. 11 — A group of mechanical engineering faculty comprising several of the University’s engineering research centers are taking the lead on energy-related projects that provide unique solutions to some of the industry’s most pressing challenges. This includes using multiple energy sources to improve sustainability, reduce harmful emissions and foster affordable energy access.

— El Paso Herald-Post

 

Houston Business Journal: Longroad Energy plans $128M solar farm north of Houston

Dec. 11 — The company is looking to secure tax incentives from the local school district for the asset.

— Houston Business Journal

 

San Antonio Express-News (Commentary): CPS Energy’s defense of coal doesn’t hold up

Dec. 11 — Consultants at Synapse Energy Economics have demonstrated that CPS Energy could make more money by shutting down Spruce and replacing it with wind and solar energy. While extraordinarily high electricity prices temporarily made Spruce profitable two summers ago, those conditions are unpredictable. The Synapse analysis shows that the plant was likely losing money for the utility in prior years, and it is highly unlikely to be the most profitable option in the future.

— Community Impact Newspaper

 

Community Impact Newspaper: Brazoria County solar industry to power region and beyond

Dec. 11 — Years ago, Brazoria County was covered in rice fields. Over time, operations have been able to grow the same amount of rice on less land. As the land in the county becomes available, some of the most popular buyers are solar energy companies.

— Community Impact Newspaper

 

Houston Public Media: The World Is Shifting To Clean Fuels. Can Houston Still Be A Global Energy Leader?

Dec. 13 — The energy industry is changing, and Houston, long known for its dominance in oil and gas, plans to remain an international leader through the transition.

— Houston Public Media

 

Beaumont Enterprise: Entergy project aims for energy stability for businesses

Dec. 13 — The program, which Entergy is calling Power Through, offers commercial businesses and small-industrial sites a chance to become a host for a natural-gas powered generator that would provide them with dedicated power to keep operating during a disaster for a monthly fee based on their energy need.

— Beaumont Enterprise

 

S&P Global: ERCOT Tracker: Higher gas prices, lighter loads have offsetting impacts on ERCOT prices

Dec. 11 —  In the Electric Reliability Council of Texas wholesale power market, stronger wind output and lighter loads vied with stronger natural gas prices to result in mixed wholesale power prices this November compared with November 2019.

— S&P Global