The Guardian: Electric vehicles close to ‘tipping point’ of mass adoption
Jan. 22 — Sales increase 43% globally in 2020 as plunging battery costs mean the cars will soon be the cheapest vehicles to buy.
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Utility Dive: Biden moves to rejoin Paris climate accord on first day in office, signs order to quickly review Trump regulatory actions
Jan. 21 — Biden ran his campaign in part on bringing the U.S. electric grid to 100% carbon-free electricity by 2035, and decarbonizing the entire economy by mid-century. Though policy observers say that goal may be difficult to mandate, even with a majority Democratic Senate and House, Biden’s first day in office was marked by immediate action on climate and clean energy that will likely mark a very different executive branch than that of his predecessor.
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Utility Dive: Glick named FERC chair, promises ‘significant progress’ on energy transition
Jan. 21 — Glick opposed many of the actions FERC took under Chairmen Chatterjee and Danly, and his long list of dissents and public comments foreshadow a commission more bullish on its role in the power sector’s energy transition.
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Hays Free Press News-Dispatch: Rural telephone companies sue PUC for open meetings and rulemaking violations
Jan. 21 — Almost 50 rural Texas telephone companies have filed a lawsuit against the Public Utility Commission of Texas, accusing the state regulatory agency of illegally withholding universal service fund (USF) revenues crucial to maintaining the statewide telecommunications network in rural areas.
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Austin American-Statesman: Here’s how Joe Biden’s climate plan could affect the oil and gas industry in Texas
Jan. 18 — His proposals — from adopting tougher methane regulations to incentives for Americans to buy cars that do not run on gasoline — could have an outsized impact in Texas, which produces the most crude oil and natural gas in the country.
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Bloomberg:Texas railroad commissioner vents at France
Jan. 18 — Wayne Christian, one of three Texas Railroad Commissioners, seems to have just about had it with the French. And the Russians. And the Iranians. His latest missive — “An Assault from All Fronts on Energy Independence” — wasn’t published in all-caps; but it reads like the original draft was hammered out with the caps-lock on.
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S&P Global: PJM differs from Cal-ISO and ERCOT in how renewables are treated in markets
Jan. 15 — The PJM Interconnection’s “heavy handed” approach to maintaining sufficient capacity is likely to limit renewable development, but the California Independent System Operator and the Electric Reliability Council of Texas are likely to improve their reliability at reduced cost while maintaining renewable growth, according to participants in a recent webcast by the Enverus energy consultancy entitled, “2021 Outlook – What’s Next for US Power Markets.”
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CleanTechnica: Texas Wind Power Dominates Coal In Crossover Year
Jan. 17 — Everything is bigger in Texas, and wind power is no exception. Wind power has been growing in Texas for years. Now, for the first time, wind power has beaten coal power in the Lone Star State. In 2020, Texas received 22% of its electricity from wind and only 18% from coal. In contrast, in 2010, coal made up 40% of the grid’s power. Coal’s downfall, unfortunately, is also partly due to natural gas generation. However, in the coming years, 95% of the proposed investment into power generation will be renewable according to the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT).
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RTO Insider: Texas PUC Overturns ALJ on Price Corrections
Jan. 19 — Texas regulators denied complaints by two ERCOT market participants and rejected an administrative law judge’s decision related to the ISO’s price-correction practices.
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Utility Dive: Wind, solar to make up 70% of new US generating capacity in 2021 while batteries gain momentum
Jan. 13 — Wind and solar will represent more than two-thirds of new electric generating capacity to come online in 2021, while battery storage capacity is set to quadruple over the next year, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA).
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Utility Dive: New transmission approaches can cut billions in decarbonization costs, according to MIT
Jan. 13 — The research found that interstate coordination and an expansion of the nation’s transmission system could lower the cost of fully decarbonizing the electrical grid by 2040 by 46%, relative to an approach where states pursue individual goals.
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Houston Business Journal: Four pieces of clean energy legislation to watch this Texas legislative session
Jan. 17 — Two would limit the construction of new wind farms, while the others target energy usage by utilities.
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KFOX14: El Paso Electric to resume disconnections
Jan. 15 — During the pandemic, El Paso Electric had been helping their customers connect with resources and help more than 56,000 customers, able to allocate more than $7 million in assistance with other community organizations said Eddie Gutierrez with El Paso Electric. He said El Paso Electric has been available ad helpful to their customers.
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Austin American-Statesman: Why advocates are hopeful for environmental agenda in legislative session
Jan. 16 — State lawmakers will have their hands full during this year’s legislative session managing coronavirus pandemic response efforts, redrawing district lines for state and congressional districts, and balancing the state’s multibillion-dollar budget during a turbulent economic period.