Austonia: Tesla will build ‘the nation’s most sustainable’ solar neighborhood in Southeast Austin

July 9 — The first Tesla Solar neighborhood—dubbed the nation’s most sustainable residential community—will be built in Easton Park, a master-planned community in far Southeast Austin near McKinney Falls State Park. The newly built homes will feature Tesla solar roof tiles and Powerwall battery storage as well as electric vehicle charging stations.

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Texas Standard: So Who’s Going To Pay For Energy Facility Weatherization? It Might Be You.

July 15 — Lawmakers recently passed rules aimed at making the state’s electric grid better equipped to withstand harsh weather. But they didn’t specify who would pay.

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Natural Gas Intelligence: ERCOT Outlines Proposed Improvements to Texas Power Grid

July 15 — The fallout continues. Cailip Gas Marketing LLC filed a lawsuit earlier this month against Chevron Corp. for nearly $85 million. The lawsuit alleges Chevron was in breach of contract when it either missed gas deliveries or delivered less than what was contractually agreed upon.

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San Antonio Current: When it comes to utility failures during the February freeze, it’s time to stop playing ‘San Antonio nice’

July 15 — While the freeze now seems long ago, it’s vital that we don’t forget it, and that we pay full attention to its lessons for the future. For that, we can start with the late June report of the city’s Committee on Emergency Preparedness. With some 30 pages of text and color-filled graphics, along with 49 individual recommendations set out in bold, the document represents the formal response by our mayor and city council to Winter Storm Uri. It also leaves lots of questions.

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Texas Public Media: ERCOT Releases Plan To Strengthen Texas’ Electric Grid

July 15 — The outline comes amid angst over whether Gov. Greg Abbott and lawmakers did enough to improve the statewide electric grid during the regular legislative session.

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Houston Chronicle (Commentary): Texas oil and gas regulator needs to explain failure during February blackout

July 16 — Railroad Commission Chair Christi Craddick owes Texans an explanation.

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E&E News: Texas plans ‘monumental’ electricity overhaul

July 14 — Texas regulators vowed yesterday to remake the state’s main power market and put grid reliability front and center, a move that could alter the electricity mix significantly.

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Utility Dive: ERCOT releases plan to boost reliability after blackouts, as report outlines gas, electric failures

July 14 — ERCOT’s road map is a response to several bills passed by the legislature this year aiming to bolster regional electric reliability, as well as a letter from the governor sent last week that directed the Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUCT) to take “immediate action” to secure grid reliability. Former PUCT officials called the plan “a good start,” but said the state still needs to think about how it can improve demand response and energy efficiency programs. They also emphasized the need for a robust evaluation of what caused the February outages.

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KHOU TV: Report finds companies were paid to cut off power during February storm

July 14 — The UT researchers said that 67 sites were allowed to sign up for a voluntary “emergency response” program coordinated by ERCOT.

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Houston Chronicle: Failure of natural gas system ‘exacerbated’ winter storm blackouts

July 14 — A dozen researchers from UT’s Energy Institute found that while all power sources – including coal, wind, solar and nuclear – faltered during the winter storm, failures to weatherize natural gas wells and ensure electricity to critical equipment compounded the catastrophic power failure. The storm and blackouts killed at least 200 people and caused billions of dollars in property damage across Texas.

 

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