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March 11, 2010 AUSTIN APPROVES INCENTIVE PACKAGE FOR YINGLI The Austin City Council this afternoon approved an incentive package worth $354,000 in the effort to lure Chinese solar-panel manufacturer Yingli Green Energy Holdings to the city. Austin is competing with Phoenix to land the solar plant that could bring 300 jobs. The company is still waiting to hear if Gov. Rick Perry’s office will put money from the Texas Enterprise Fund on the table to sweeten the deal. The Rest of the Story, Subscribers Only By John Moritz |
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March 11, 2010 GARLAND, SOUTH TEXAS CO-OP TEAM UP ON CREZ The Public Utility Commission today laid the groundwork for awarding the city of Garland’s publicly owned electric company a share of the transmission lines that will carry West Texas wind power to the rest the state. The action, which came after a protracted discussion with representatives of three electric providers and PUC staff, came in response to a state judge’s order in January that the commissioners exceeded their authority when they left Garland Power and Light out of the selection process for the Competitive Renewable Energy Zones. Under a compromise discussed during today’s public hearing, GP&L will attempt to work a deal to jointly build a section of the CREZ lines with South Texas Electric Cooperative. The Rest of the Story, Subscribers Only By John Moritz |
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March 11, 2010 ARCH COAL INC. TO ACQUIRE 35% SHARE OF TENASKA PROJECT The nation’s second-largest coal company announced today that it plans to acquire a 35 percent share of the state-of-the-art generation plant planned for construction near Sweetwater that is designed to generate 600 megawatts of power and capture up to 90 percent of its carbon dioxide emissions. The company, Arch Coal Inc. of St. Louis, said in a news release that its investment in the Trailblazer Energy Center that’s being developed by Tenaska Energy of Omaha will be phased in over time as the projects reaches key milestones. The Rest of the Story, Subscribers Only By John Moritz |
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March 11, 2010 NEWSWEEK: T. BOONE PICKENS TEAMS WITH KERRY ON ENERGY BILL See the story from Newsweek here. By Texas Energy Report |
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March 11, 2010 EPA AWARDS FORT WORTH $400,000 FOR BROWNFIELD CLEANUP The city of Fort Worth will receive $400,000 from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to assist in the cleanup of properties damaged by industrial and energy pollution and return them to productive use, the federal agency said today. In government parlance, the damaged properties are known as “brownfields” because they’ve been abandoned but have the potential for redevelopment. The Rest of the Story, Subscribers Only By John Moritz |
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March 10, 2010 PERRY STEPS UP FIGHT AGAINST EPA WITH LETTER TO CONGRESSIONAL LEADERS Continuing his campaign against what he calls a federal overreach, Gov. Rick Perry sent a letter to congressional leaders of both parties today urging them to overturn the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s finding that greenhouse gases represent a public health threat. “The EP’As misguided plan paints a big target on the backs of Texas agriculture and energy producers and the hundreds of thousands of Texans they employ,” Perry said in his letter that also went out to the Texas congressional delegation. “Congress has a unique opportunity to prevent one-size-fits-all mandates from being imposed by un-elected federal bureaucrats and instead recognize the rights of states to tailor economic and environmental policies in the manner that are in the best interest of their citizens.” The Rest of the Story, Subscribers Only By Texas Energy Report |
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March 10, 2010 RAILROAD COMMISSIONERS JOIN STATE’S FIGHT AGAINST EPA The three members of the Texas Railroad Commission are joining the legal battle Texas launched last month against the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency over its finding that greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide pose a health threat to humans. Railroad Commission Chairman Victor Carrillo and Commissioners Elizabeth Ames Jones and Michael Williams voted on Tuesday to put their names alongside other statewide elected officials as Gov. Rick Perry, Attorney General Greg Abbott and Agriculture Commissioner Todd Staples joined in the state’s lawsuit and administrative petition against the federal agency. The Rest of the Story, Subscribers Only By John Moritz |
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March 10, 2010 EXXON EXEC SEES DEMAND FOR NATURAL GAS RISING FAST A top executive for Exxon Mobil said today that he expects global demand for natural gas to increase by 30 percent over the next 20 years as pressure continues to mount for power-generating fuels that pump less carbon-dioxide into the atmosphere. “Natural gas is a cleaner burning source of fuel and power generation that over the next 20 years will continue to form an increasingly important role in the global energy mix,” Tom Walters, president of Exxon’s gas and power marketing company, told an energy conference in Houston. “This can be attributed to its advantages of lower carbon emissions and greater flexibility into power generation.” The Rest of the Story, Subscribers Only By John Moritz |
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March 10, 2010 REBATES VAILABLE NEXT MONTH FOR ENERGY STAR APPLIANCES Next month, government rebates become available for the purchase of energy-efficient appliances such as room air-conditions, refrigerators and washing machines. The rebates get even higher for those who recycle their old appliances. The cash back is part of a $300 million federal program or consumers who buy eligible Energy Star appliances and replace the same type of old appliance that is still functional. Texas’ share for the program is about $23.3 million. Check out the Comptroller’s State Energy Conservation Office for start times, deadlines and other details. By John Moritz |
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March 9, 2010 NRG AWARDED $154 MILLION FROM DOE FOR CARBON-CAPTURING COAL PLANT The U.S. Department of Energy today announced that NRG Energy has been selected to receive up to $154 million from the federal stimulus and other government funding to build a 60-megawatt coal-fired generating plant in Texas that will capture and sequester carbon dioxide The post-combustion capture and sequestration project going up in the Trinity County town of Thompson will demonstrate advanced technology to reduce emissions of the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide, the DOE said. It will also assist with enhanced oil recovery efforts from a nearby oil field. “Advancing our carbon capture and storage technology will create new jobs in America and reduce our carbon pollution output,” said Energy Secretary Steven Chu. “It’s another example of our country’s innovation at work.” The NRG project was selected under the third round of the Clean Coal Power Initiative, which is a collaboration between the federal government and private industry to demonstrate low-emission carbon capture and storage technologies in advanced coal-based, power generation. The Rest of the Story, Subscribers Only By John Moritz |
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March 9, 2010 CARONA, DEUELL SAY GARLAND DESERVES A SHARE OF CREZ The two state senators who represent Garland are endorsing the city’s effort to take part in the construction of the vast network of power lines that will carry the wind-generated electricity from West Texas to the urban centers. Sens. John Carona, who lives in Garland, and Robert Deuell, whose district captures the eastern portion of the Dallas suburb, have each filed letters with the Public Utility Commission saying that Garland’s municipally owned electric company has the expertise and track record to share in the project. “Please note that Garland Power and Light has a wealth of experience in this area,” Carona said in a letter last week to the PUC. “Formed in 1923, it has grown from a relatively small enterprise to one that has more than 250 employees and reliably manages 20 substations and more than 135 miles of transmission lines.” The Rest of the Story, Subscribers Only By John Moritz |
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March 9, 2010 ENVIRONMENT TEXAS SAYS U.S. CAN GET 10% OF ITS ENERGY FROM SUN The United States should set a goal of using solar power to meet at least 10 percent of total energy needs within 20 years and could accomplish a significant part by capturing the sun’s energy from existing commercial building rooftops, installing panels on existing and new homes and retrofitting factories to harness the sun’s heat, a new report says. The report, “Building a Solar Future” by Environment Texas, offers several examples where thriving businesses are already cutting their traditional energy consumption – and lowering their operating costs – by taking advantage of solar energy. The Rest of the Story, Subscribers Only By John Moritz |
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March 5, 2010 NRG ANNOUNCES ACQUISITION OF FOURTH WIND FARM IN TEXAS NRG Energy has made a deal to acquire its fourth Texas wind farm, this one a 101-megawatt operation called South Trent near Sweetwater. The company announced yesterday that it signed a binding letter to purchase the farm that came on line in January 2009 with 44 turbines capable of generating enough power to meet the needs of 80,000 homes. “South Trent is a proven performer and … is indicative of the type of renewable project in which we are looking to invest in our core markets,” NRG President David Crane said. “We will continue to look both to develop and acquire contracted land-based and offshore wind projects as well as solar and other sustainable technology-based assets where it makes sense as we expand our clean energy portfolio.” The deal is subject to approval by the Public Utility Commission, and assuming there on no hitches on the horizon, NRG expects to put signatures on the final document in the second quarter of 2010. Before the agreement to sell the operation, AEP Energy had already signed a 20-year agreement to purchase all of the power generated by the site. South Trent will join the 120-megawatt Elbow Creek farm near Big Spring, the 150-megawatt Langford farm near San Angelo and Sherbino farm near San Angelo as NRG’s wind properties. The company is an equal partner with BP Alternative Energy on the Sherbino farm. By John Moritz |
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March 5, 2010 SECO IS TAKING APPLICATION FOR $6 MILLION IN GREEN JOBS GRANTS The State Office of Energy Conservation has sent out a reminder that the deadline for applying for a part of the $6 million available for the Green Jobs Initiative is March 19. The program is aimed at public junior colleges and technical schools to help offset the costs of equipment and training for jobs in the fields of energy efficiency, transportation efficiency and renewable energy technologies. The details for applying are available by clicking here. And speaking of green jobs, the Texas Clean Energy Park program and Good Company Associates are hosting a workshop called “Retrofitting the Workforce” on March 26 at the Texas Capitol for educators, employers and people seeking professional development. It’s free. Registration information is available here. By John Moritz |
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March 5, 2010 PEDERNALES POSTS RULES FOR CANDIDATES SEEKING BOARD SEATS Anyone thinking of running for one of the two seats on the Pedernales Electric Cooperative’s board of directors that will be contested this spring can see the “nomination-by-petition the co-op’s Web site. The open positions are District 4 and District 5. The to be elected, candidates must be served by Pedernales in their primary residence and must live in the district the seek to represent. District maps are on the Web site. Candidates must collect signatures on the sheets provided from at least 50 co-op members to be eligible for nomination. The co-op suggests that candidates submit more than 50 signatures in case some are ruled in valid. The nomination materials explain the rules for submitting biographical information, nomination requirements, a background verification authorization form, sheets for collecting member signatures and maps showing director districts. Completed and signed nomination petitions must be received at Pedernales headquarters by the board’s recording secretary by 5 p.m. on April 5 for candidates to be eligible for the election, which will conclude at the co-op’s June 19 annual membership meeting. By John Moritz |
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March 4, 2010 ONCOR, CENTERPOINT TELL PUC THEY BACK TESTING FOR ADVANCED METERS Two major electric transmission companies today assured the Public Utility Commission that they would conduct comprehensive testing of the advanced meters being installed in several markets across Texas, but stoutly defended the controversial new devices as accurately reflecting how much power each customer consumes. The promises made to the three-member commission by Oncor Electric Delivery of Dallas and Houston’s CenterPoint Energy came in a response to a letter sent Tuesday by state Sen. Troy Fraser (R-Horseshoe Bay) asking the panel to suspend further installation of the meters until independent testing could verify their reliability. Fraser, who chairs the Senate committee that oversees the PUC and much of the utility industry, sent the letter after hearing from numerous constituents in the Temple-Killeen area who believe that the huge spike in their electric bills is linked to the recent installation of the meters. Fraser was unable to attend the meeting but would be briefed about what the commission discussed, an aide said. The Rest of the Story, Subscribers Only By John Moritz |
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March 4, 2010 UT STUDENTS LEVY $5 GREEN FUND FEE ON THEMSELVES Students at the University of Texas at Austin have voted to raise the fees they pay for sundry services to establish a $500,000 fund such projects as recycling, energy efficiency and renewable energy. The $5 per semester charge will be levied under law passed during the 2009 session that allows Texas university students to essentially tax themselves if a majority of the student body votes on the idea. “The green fund will likely help a
lot of good projects on campus move forward,” said Jim Walker, the university's
director of sustainability. “Sustainability is a growing priority here on
campus, as this vote demonstrates. I look forward to working with students on
projects that show we're moving in a direction that is supported by the student
body.” For the complete report, see our Energy
Press section. By Texas Energy Report |
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March 3, 2010 PORTER SAYS WIN WAS EXPECTED, BUT THE BIG MARGIN WASN’T |
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David Porter, the Giddings accountant who stunned the political establishment with his lopsided win over seven-year Railroad Commissioner Victor Carrillo last night, said today that even though was outspent by his better known opponent he had always expected that he’d win the Republican nomination. “If I didn’t think I would win, probably wouldn’t have run,” Porter said in an interview. “But I didn’t think I’d win by so much.” Porter, in his first run for a major office and largely unknown to the both political insiders and to key players in the energy lobby, defeated Carrillo by a margin of 61 percent to 39. Except perhaps Porter himself, virtually no one saw it coming “We were all a little bit shocked,” said Bill Stevens of the Texas Alliance of Energy Producers. “The conventional wisdom going in was that Victor wouldn’t have any real trouble.” Porter credited his victory to his solid conservative message and a sense of dissatisfaction with the three-member Texas Railroad Commission among the energy sector outside of the Austin bubble. But Carrillo, who was appointed to the commission in 2003 and won both the GOP primary and the general election for a six-year term on the three-member panel the following year, said in a statement sent out to supporters that Porter’s path to victory Tuesday night was buffeted by his Anglo surname. The Rest of the Story, Subscribers Only By Texas Energy Report |
 Republican RRC nominee David Porter |
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March 2, 2010 UPSET APPEARS LIKELY IN RAILROAD COMMISSION RACE In perhaps the biggest upset of the night among the Republicans running statewide, Texas Railroad Commissioner Victor Carrillo appeared headed to a decisive defeat against little-known challenger David Porter, who ran a shoestring campaign against the seven-year incumbent. “Our opponent has spent at least 20 times what we have,” Porter, a certified public accountant who lives in Giddings said on his campaign Web page. “This campaign is a testament to the hundreds of people who helped my campaign and the thousands of voters across Texas who believe as I do: public office is a public trust, not a profession. I am very appreciative of the people from all across Texas that have supported us in this campaign.” The Rest of the Story, Subscribers Only By John Moritz |
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March 2, 2010 CARRILLO RUNNING BEHIND IN BID FOR SECOND TERM ON RRC Railroad Commission Chairman Victor Carrillo appears to be in trouble in his re-election bid with early returns showing him running about 60-40 behind low-key challenger David Porter of Giddings. Carrillo, appointed to the three-member panel that oversees the energy sector in 2003, is seeking his second full six-year term. Porter has stayed pretty much below the radar during most of the campaign. During the 2006 cycle, he was treasurer for the Texas Republican Legislative Campaign Committee, which was funded largely by conservative activist James Leininger. The Rest of the Story, Subscribers Only By John Moritz |
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March 2, 2010 FRASER CALLS FOR SUSPENSION OF SMART METER INSTALLATION |
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EDITOR'S NOTE: This item has been updated to include Oncor's response. State Sen. Troy Fraser today urged the Public Utility Commission to instruct companies to suspend the installation of advanced electric meters until independent testing can determine whether they might be responsible for huge spikes in some residential utility bills.Fraser, who chairs the Senate committee that oversees much of the electric market in Texas, made his request by letter to PUC Chairman Barry Smitherman and Commissioners Donna Nelson and Kenneth Anderson after his constituents in Bell County contacted his office in recent months complaining about inordinately high electric bills. An Oncor spokesman said the company believes the meters are accurate, but is also calling for independent testing "to remove any seeds of doubt." “Based on past usage, they question whether their extremely high electric bills are due to the weather or the installation of the new smart meters,” Fraser (R-Horseshoe Bay) said in his letter. He also asked the PUC to suspend the monthly surcharge for the meters until testing is complete. The Rest of the Story, Subscribers Only By John Moritz |
 State Sen. Troy Fraser (R-Horseshoe Bay) |
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March 1, 2010 AUSTIN COUNCIL TO CALL HEARING ON INCENTIVE PACKAGE FOR YINGLI The Austin City Council on Wednesday is
scheduled to set a public hearing on its plan to offer an incentive package to
lure the planned solar manufacturing plant by the Chinese company, Yingli
Green Energy. Last month, it appeared that Austin had lost out to Phoenix on its bid to land the 300-job photovoltaic panel plant. But officials from several levels of government in Texas have continued the dialog that began last fall in the effort to have the plant built in Austin. That effort appeared to pay at least some dividends last week when it was announced that Austin planned to $354,000 incentive package on the table to land the facility. At its Wednesday morning meeting, the Austin council is expected to set a March 11 date for hearing to take public input on the plan. The Rest of the Story, Subscribers Only By Texas Energy Report |
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March 1, 2010 LAWSUIT ON CHESAPEAKE’S $75 MILLION BONUS FOR CEO IS TOSSED OUT. A judge in Oklahoma has tossed out a lawsuit filed by shareholders of Chesapeake Energy who contended the gas-drilling company that’s active in North Texas’ Barnett Shale had failed in its fiduciary duty when it awarded a $75 million bonus to CEO Aubrey McClendon. According to a report by The Associated Press, the suit was dismissed on procedural grounds, which means that the plaintiffs have 60 days to amend it and refile it against the Oklahoma City-based company. See the full AP report here. By Texas Energy Report |
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February 26, 2010 CONSERVATION AND EFFICIENCY OFFERS LESSON IN UNITY A 10-month old advocacy organization whose membership list includes TXU, CenterPoint, Oncor, Luminant, Entergy and the Association of Electric Companies of Texas was described today as offering “a treasure trove of good information” and providing “a great public service.” So, which well-connected lobbyists were passing out such lavish praise? Well the first quote comes from Tom “Smitty” Smith of Texas Public Citizen. And the second one was offered by Luke Metzger, who runs Environment Texas. Seriously. The Rest of the Story, Subscribers Only By Texas Energy Report |
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February 26, 2010 RAILROAD COMMISSION RELEASES LATEST PRODUCTION STATS By Texas Energy Report |
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February 25, 2010 HOUSTON AREA COMPANY GETS $300,000 IN STATE AID TO BUILD FACILITY IN CUERO A Houston area company that manufactures equipment for both the traditional energy and the renewables sector today received a $300,000 boost from the Texas Enterprise Fund for its planned facility in Cuero that will employ up to 100 people. Gov. Rick Perry traveled to Cuero to formally announce the investment in SIPCO Mechanical Linkage Solutions, which plans to have the facility up and running by year’s end. Eduardo Ervesun, the company’s director of operations, said the new plant will manufacture high-precision gear products for motion control and power transmission equipment that will serve companies specializing in solar, wind, biomass generation as well as fossil fuel generation. The Rest of the Story, Subscribers Only By John Moritz |
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February 25, 2010 SOLAR COMPANIES GET TOP AWARDS FROM RENEWABLES EXPO Solar projects won six of the seven awards handed out at this week’s Renewable Energy World Conference & Expo, including the nation’s first-ever full-scale solar power plant. The Pasadena, Calif., company eSolar won Project of the Year from the conference for its 5-megawatt Sierra SunTower that was unveiled last August and will power 4,000 homes. The winners were announced by the Renewable Energy World network of publications after receiving nominations from editors and readers. The three-day conference that was expected to attract about 5,000 people ended today. The Rest of the Story, Subscribers Only By John Moritz |
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February 25, 2010 ANTI-COAL LEADER OF PUBLIC CITIZEN TAKES ISSUE WITH SMITHERMAN Ryan Rittenhouse, who campaigns against coal-fired power plants for Texas Public Citizen, takes issue with comments from PUC Chairman Barry Smitherman in Tuesday's Energy Buzz regarding Texas’ ranking as the second-leading state in the race to reduce carbon-dioxide emissions. “This is true, IF you completely ignore the plethora of new coal plants being proposed and built in Texas,” Rittenhouse says in a blog post today on the Public Citizen Web site. “Texas already has 17 coal plants (more than any other state), and there are 12 or 13 more being proposed or built (also more than any other state - by far). The Rest of the Story, Subscribers Only By John Moritz |
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Copyright March 11, 2010, Harvey Kronberg, www.texasenergyreport.com, All rights are reserved Texas Energy Report is is owned and operated by Texas Energy Analysts
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All rights reserved.