Archives–Texas Electric News Clips 2013
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For the Week of 12/27/13 — 1/3/14
Today’s News Flash by Texas Electric News
News Flash Archive
Texas Headlines
Energy Future Holdings
Dec 30, 2013: Energy Future Holdings Faces Probable Bankruptcy In Fall 2014
Dec 30, 2013: Court Agrees To Close Portion Of FM 1794, Luminant Co. To Build New County Road
Generation Adequacy
Jan 1, 2013: In Texas, Natural Gas And Renewables Expected To Meet Future Energy Needs
Dec 31, 2013: FERC Accepts PJM’s Streamlined Emergency Demand Response Registration Process
Dec 28, 2013: Texas Electricity Prices Jump as Power Demand Exceeds Forecast
Dec 28, 2013: New England, With Capacity Market, Seeing More Retail Energy Suppliers Default than “Volatile” Texas Energy-Only Market
Headlines
Jan 2, 2013: Texas REP Offering $60 Monthly Credit to Customers with High Usage
Jan 2, 2013: Electricity’s Next Frontier: Putting The Customer In Control
Jan 2, 2013: Entergy Utilities Complete MISO Integration
Jan 2, 2013: Winter Storms Cost the American Economy Billions of Dollars
Jan 2, 2013: White House Regulatory Office Releases Final Rule Covering Electrical Power Safety
Dec 31, 2013: Ten Biggest Energy Stories Of 2013
Dec 31, 2013: White House Releases Electrical-Safety Regulations
Dec 31, 2013: Discovery Could Lead to Efficient Electric Power Delivery
Dec 30, 2013: Sabine River Authority of Texas and Sabine River Authority, State of Louisiana; Notice of Availability of the Final Environmental Impact Statement for the Toledo Bend Hydroelectric Project
Dec 28, 2013: New Energy Struggles on Its Way to Markets
Renewable Power
Jan 2, 2013: Power-Line Network Done
Jan 2, 2013: New Energy Struggles on Its Way to Markets
Jan 2, 2013: Finding Ways to Minimize Power Grid Disruptions from Wind Power
Jan 2, 2013: Buffet Backs Wind Power; Some Communities Displeased
Jan 2, 2013: Congress Allows Wind Tax Subsidies To Fizzle Out
Dec 31, 2013: Austin’s First True All Solar Neighborhood
Dec 31, 2013: Texas Is A Leader In Clean Energy Jobs. Let’s Keep It That Way
Dec 31, 2013: New Year Brings Good and Bad News For Texas Wind Power
Dec 31, 2013: Wind Tax Credit Expires At Midnight
Dec 31, 2013: Good Things Are In The Wind
Dec 30, 2013: Will Berkshire’s Bets on Wind Power Pay Off?
Dec 30, 2013: Where is the U.S. Wind Energy Sector Headed?
Dec 30, 2013: How Wind Is Helping Deliver Record-Cheap Solar
Dec 30, 2013: Wind Tax Credit Set to Expire
Dec 30, 2013: Utilities Feeling Rooftop Solar Heat Start Fighting Back
Dec 30, 2013: How Next-Gen Geothermal Could Boost The Future Of Energy
Dec 30, 2013: Geothermal Energy Goes Global
Dec 28, 2013: West Texas Wind Soon Will Light Up The Region
Dec 28, 2013: Texas Wind Industry Might Face A Future Without Incentives
Dec 27, 2013: Invenergy Completes Project Financing For Texas Wind Power Project
Dec 27, 2013: Wind-Turbine Project To Bring Jobs To The Area
Dec 27, 2013: Wind Energy Developers Rush To Get Federal Tax Credits
Dec 27, 2013: Pattern Energy To Buy Two Wind Power Projects, One in Texas
Dec 27, 2013: It’s Time For Wind Power To Stand Or Fall On Its Own
Dec 27, 2013: Coal, Wind, Solar Power Generation Up Through September
Other News
Jan 2, 2013: Texas Retail Provider Under New Ownership
Jan 2, 2013: Shoppers Stockpiling Old-Fashioned Incandescent Bulbs
Jan 2, 2013: Ford Developing Solar-Powered Vehicle
Dec 31, 2013: TriEagle Energy Names New President, COO
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For the Week of 12/20/13 — 12/27/13
Today’s News Flash by Texas Electric News
News Flash Archive
Texas Headlines
Generation Adequacy
Dec 27, 2013: PJM Reports “Poor Generator Response” Led to “Operational Issues” on Day Firm Load Shed
Headlines
Dec 26, 2013: Deregulation Has Brought $22 Billion More In Electric Bills For Texas Residents
Dec 26, 2013: Report: Texas Deregulated Retail Prices Now Below National Average; Progress Risked by New Capacity Mandate
Dec 24, 2013: Year in Review: Energy in Texas
Dec 26, 2013: Light Bulb Law Brings Changes, Options
Dec 26, 2013: Coal In Their Stockings
Dec 23, 2013: Christmas Lights? Electricity Price Index At All-Time High In U.S.
Dec 20, 2013: Sharyland to File Smart Meter Deployment Plan, Stipulation Reached on Charges to Texas REPs in New Choice Areas
Dec 20, 2013: CPS Energy Doesn’t Need A Tower
Dec 20, 2013: Voters Should Have Say If Board Sought For Austin Energy
Dec 20, 2013: The 10 Craziest Energy Stories Of 2013
Dec 20, 2013: Electric Power Sector Making Record Investments In Transmission And Distribution
Dec 20, 2013: Threats to the Utility Compact
Renewable Power
Dec 26, 2013: How One Austin Church Could Lead To More Urban Solar Power
Dec 26, 2013: Principal Solar Gets Backing From Carlyle To Become Solar Utility
Dec 26, 2013: Wind Power Developers Race The Clock To Secure A Subsidy
Dec 26, 2013: Where Do Solar Companies Go From Here?
Dec 23, 2013: Kaco New Energy Opens Inverter Manufacturing Facility In Texas
Dec 23, 2013: Warren Buffet Boosts Wind Power with $1B Investment
Dec 23, 2013: Paying For Solar Power Isn’t What It Used To Be
Dec 23, 2013: Are Utilities Wilting From Heat of Solar Competition?
Dec 23, 2013: DOE Invests In New Solar Energy Projects
Dec 23, 2013: Cleanest Coal-Fired Power Plant Has Dirty Trade-Off
Dec 23, 2013: Geothermal Energy in 2013: Expanding Global Growth
Dec 23, 2013: Clean Energy Presents “Perfect Storm” for Utilities
Dec 20, 2013: Texas Inches Its Way Toward Big Solar
Dec 20, 2013: Energy Company Donates Solar Array For New Stephen F. Austin State University Facility
Dec 20, 2013: Vestas Wins Second U.S. Wind Turbine Order for Texas Project in Three Day
Dec 20, 2013: Making Wind Work; Offshore Generation Project Near South Padre Island Seeks To Drive Down Cost
Dec 20, 2013: Mary Jo Woodall Gets Probation In Jonestown Wind Energy Fraud Case
Dec 20, 2013: 13 Major Clean Energy Breakthroughs of 2013
Dec 20, 2013: Total U.S. November Power Generation Gains
Dec 20, 2013: How Next-Gen Geothermal Could Boost The Future Of Energy
Other News
Dec 26, 2013: Depreciation Hits Electric Cars Hard
Dec 25, 2013: Utilities Mimic Cable With Monthly Fee to Preserve Grid
Dec 24, 2013: Enertrade Electric Seeks Texas REP Certificate
Dec 23, 2013: Texas Neighborhoods Where Climate Change Could Hurt
Dec 20, 2013: IEA World Outlook: Six Key Trends Shaping the Energy Future
Dec 20, 2013: Canada Banks Steal Quiet March As Wall Street Retreats From Energy
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For the Week of 12/13/13 — 12/20/13
Today’s News Flash by Texas Electric News
News Flash Archive
Texas Headlines
Energy Future Holdings
Dec 13, 2013: How A Luminant Bankruptcy Might Affect Milam County
Generation Adequacy
Dec 19, 2013: Texas Electricity Prices Decline As Demand Falls Below Forecast
Dec 19, 2013: Natural Gas-Fired Power Plants Help Bolster State In Drought
Dec 19, 2013: Noble Americas Retail Provider Warns Capacity Market in Texas Will Lead to Customer Dissatisfaction with REPs, Competition
Dec 17, 2013: Texas Power Prices Rise as Demand Increases Above Forecast
Dec 17, 2013: NRG Statement: Capacity Supplier Performance Is “Excused” due to “Gas Unavailability” (Gas Unavailability Major Cause of Most Recent Texas Blackout)
Dec 17, 2013: H-E-B, Shell Oppose Texas Capacity Market
Dec 17, 2013: Latest Six-Year Fixed Product from FirstEnergy Solutions Reinforces How Capacity Market Skews Playing Field in Retail Market
Dec 17, 2013: NRG to Receive Subsidized, State-Arranged Contract to Repower New York Capacity
Dec 16, 2013: Keep Capacity Markets For Electricity Out Of Texas
Dec 14, 2013: Ice Storm Power Outages Leave Questions
Dec 15, 2013: New 2012 Data Show That 3 States Used 23% Of U.S. Electricity
Headlines
Dec 19, 2013: Entergy Hands Off Control Of Power Grid To MISO
Dec 19, 2013: Texas Commissioner Concerned Proposed Change to POLR Rule Does Not Sufficiently Protect Market
Dec 19, 2013: PUC Approves $86,000 Settlement with Retail Supplier
Dec 19, 2013: Texas Electricity Provider 4Change Energy Lets Customers Know That Now is the Season 4Change
Dec 19, 2013: Texas Electric Rates Below National Average For First Time In A Decade
Dec 19, 2013: Oncor: More Than 800,000 People Lost Power In Ice Storm
Dec 19, 2013: Dawn of Microgrids
Dec 18, 2013: Report: Texas Electricity Prices Falling Since Deregulation
Dec 18, 2013: Txdot Chief Resigning To Lead Austin-Area Water, Electricity Provider
Dec 18, 2013: LCRA Board Taps Phil Wilson, State Transportation Chief, As Its New Leader
Dec 18, 2013: MISO Taking Control of Entergy System Will Extend Grid to Gulf
Dec 18, 2013: The Energy Reform Bill in Mexico
Dec 17, 2013: Centrica’s Direct Energy To Sell Texas Gas-fired Power Stations To Blackstone
Dec 17, 2013: Blackstone Buys Power Sites From Centrica Unit for $685 Million
Dec 17, 2013: Much At Stake as LCRA Chooses a New Leader
Dec 17, 2013: Utilities Propose New Transmission Lines In West Texas
Dec 17, 2013: Austin Energy Can Have Independent Board Without Referendum, AG Says
Dec 17, 2013: Fitch Affirms and Withdraws Ratings on NRG and GenOn Entities
Dec 17, 2013: Two CPS Linemen Shocked
Dec 17, 2013: TXU Energy Investment in Trees Delivers Community Benefits for Decades
Dec 17, 2013: Did Texas Hurt Industry By Fighting EPA Greenhouse Gas Regulations?
Dec 17, 2013: Fitch: U.S. Net Metering Set to Grow, but Effect on Electric Utilities Uncertain
Dec 17, 2013: EPA Rules, Plant Economics Drive M&A Interest In Generation’s ‘Used Car Lot’
Dec 16, 2013: Oncor Plans Partnership With Richardson On Project
Dec 16, 2013: Oncor: Bird Causes Power Outage In Killeen
Dec 13, 2013: Despite Enron And California, Retail Electricity Reform Has Not Been Zapped
Dec 13, 2013: ITC Holdings Ends Proposed Transaction
Dec 14, 2013: ITC Holdings Ends $1.8 Billion Entergy Purchase
Dec 13, 2013: Texas Consumer Advocate Agency’s Aim: ‘Provide A Voice’ For Consumers On Utility Rates
Dec 15, 2013: Blackout Came As No Surprise For This Town
Dec 13, 2013: CPS Eyes Building New HQ
Dec 14, 2013: Smart Grids Could Fix Decrepit US Power Grid
Dec 12, 2013: Looking at Cybersecurity Today: Attacks and Options
Renewable Power
Dec 19, 2013: Largest Solar Plant in Texas Online
Dec 18, 2013: EDF Renewable Energy Acquires Longhorn North Wind Project from RES Americas
Dec 18, 2013: OCI Solar Power Completes Texas’ Largest Solar Farm
Dec 18, 2013: OCI Solar’s Project For CPS Bringing More Jobs To San Antonio Than Anticipated
Dec 18, 2013: Real Goods Solar Reports Results Of 2013 Annual Meeting
Dec 18, 2013: Solar Power: The Idea, the Reality, and the Future
Dec 18, 2013: Blade Dynamics to Build 80-Meter Long Wind Turbine Blade
Dec 17, 2013: Natural Gas, Wind Power Are Texas’ Electric Future
Dec 17, 2013: New Analysis Sees Strong Future For Renewables In Texas
Dec 17, 2013: Solar Power Installation Costs Fall Through The Floor
Dec 13, 2013: 5 Steps to Making Your Windows More Energy Efficient
Dec 14, 2013: Houston’s Growing Alternative-Fuel Fleet Among Nation’s Largest
Dec 12, 2013: Offshore Generation Project in Texas Seeks To Drive Down Cost
Dec 12, 2013: Small Wind Power Market to Reach over $3 Billion by 2020
Dec 13, 2013: Solar Jobs In US On The Rise
Other News
Dec 18, 2013: R. Scott Gahn Named to Board of Just Energy
Dec 18, 2013: Retail Supplier Offering Two Years of Free Electricity With Solar Lease
Dec 15, 2013: Oncor Rewards Kaufman County With Over $10,000 For Energy Efficiency
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For the Week of 12/6/13 — 12/13/13
Today’s News Flash by Texas Electric News
News Flash Archive
Texas Headlines
Energy Future Holdings
Dec 13, 2013: How A Luminant Bankruptcy Might Affect Milam County
Dec 8, 2013: Energy Future Holdings CEO Has Hope For Spring Deal With Creditors
Generation Adequacy
Dec 12, 2013: Noting “Major” Software Projects to Start in 2014, ERCOT Reports Full Co-optimization Would Take Over Three Years to Implement
Dec 10, 2013: Chastened by ’11 Debacle, Texas Utilities Kept Plants Up In Latest Freeze
Dec 10, 2013: Four Proposed Coal Export Terminals Have Now Failed This Year Due To ‘Diminished’ Market
Dec 10, 2013: State Denies Acquisition of Entergy Transmission by ITC Subsidiary (Another Opportunity for Texas to Go Back to Drawing Board on Future of Entergy Texas)
Dec 9, 2013: PUC Commissioner Says NRG Overstated Costs On Power Study
Dec 9, 2013: PUCT Commissioner Anderson Staff Analysis: CRA/NRG Study On Capacity Market “Savings” Filled With Errors, Omissions And Incorrect Assumptions
Dec 9, 2013: Texas Power Prices Rise As Chill Pushes Demand Above Forecast
Dec 9, 2013: ERCOT Sets New December Peak Load Record With Frigid Weather
Dec 9, 2013: Icy Weather Sends Texas’ December Power Use To New Record
Dec 9, 2013: Oncor Nears Complete Power Restoration After Texas Ice Storms
Dec 9, 2013: Most Electricity Restored In Texas After Ice Storm
Dec 8, 2013: Oncor Targets Late Sunday For Full Power Restoration
Headlines
Dec 12, 2013: Texas Staff Make Recommendation on Review of Retail Provider Certification, POLR Rules in Light of Higher Offer Caps
Dec 12, 2013: Texas Staff File Proposed Revisions Related to Utility/Affiliate Code of Conduct, Marketing Rules
Dec 12, 2013: Texas Staff Propose Questions Regarding REP Sharing of Customer Information
Dec 12, 2013: Texas Staff File Proposal for Adoption to Allow Affiliate to Assume REP’s Non-Volunteer POLR Obligation
Dec 12, 2013: U. S. Supreme Court Hears Texas’ Challenge To Epa’s Unlawful Cross-State Air Pollution Rule
Dec 12, 2013: EPA Should Count Energy Efficiency Toward Standards For Existing Power Plants
Dec 12, 2013: Fitch: 2014 Public Power & Electric Coops Outlook Stable Despite Potential Environmental Regulations
Dec 12, 2013: Fluor’s NuScale Power Awarded U.S. DOE Funding to Advance Nuclear Small Modular Reactor Technology
Dec 12, 2013: MISO Board of Directors Re-elected at Annual Meeting
Dec 12, 2013: Merger Pace Picking Up Again In Power Industry
Dec 11, 2013: Guess Who Supports Opt-Out Municipal Aggregation
Dec 11, 2013: Fitch Ratings Upholds High Rating For South Texas Electric Cooperative
Dec 11, 2013: El Paso Far East Community and El Paso Electric Come to Agreement on Montana Power Station
Dec 11, 2013: Xcel Energy Inc. Board Declares Dividend on Common Stock
Dec 11, 2013: Texas Coal Export Terminal Scrapped
Dec 11, 2013: Justices May Back EPA On Air Pollution Rule
Dec 11, 2013: The Shifting Economics Of Coal-Fired Generation
Dec 11, 2013: Podesta Will Dig Into Energy And Climate Policy
Dec 10, 2013: Groups Ask Texas Commission to Require Re-certification of Retail Electric Providers Every Two Years
Dec 10, 2013: ITC Holdings Issues Statement on Mississippi Public Service Commission Ruling
Dec 10, 2013: Entergy Issues Statement on Mississippi Regulators’ Decision on ITC Holdings Transaction
Dec 10, 2013: TCEC-Led Report Finds Renewable Energy And Natural Gas Both Play Substantial Roles In Future Texas Electric Market
Dec 10, 2013: Fitch Affirms South Texas Electric Coop at ‘A-‘; Outlook Stable
Dec 10, 2013: Co-ops Battling Ice in Many States
Dec 10, 2013: Why Doesn’t Texas Want Clean Air?
Dec 9, 2013: ERCOT Proposes Changes to POLR Notification, Mailer Process
Dec 9, 2013: ETT Energizes Last Of Seven CREZ Transmission Lines In West Texas
Dec 9, 2013: Finish Line For Texas Wind Links
Dec 9, 2013: The Irony Of Texas Taking Over Ghg Permitting Authority
Dec 9, 2013: NRDC Power Plant Proposal Cuts Carbon Pollution At Low Cost With Major Benefits
Dec 9, 2013: Obama’s Pollution-Control Agenda Goes to Court Tomorrow
Dec 8, 2013: New Law Leads To Light Bulb Hoarders
Dec 8, 2013: Acting FERC Chairman Outlines Preliminary Priorities In Wide-Ranging Discussion With Lawmakers
Dec 8, 2013: Dodd-Frank and Electric Utilities
Renewable Power
Dec 12, 2013: E.ON Climate & Renewables closes financing for Panther Creek Wind Farm I&II, LLC in Texas
Dec 12, 2013: 230 US Civil Society Groups Call For Offshore Action
Dec 12, 2013: DOE Investment To Drive Solar Manufacturing
Dec 12, 2013: Solar Energy Reaches A Major Milestone In The US
Dec 12, 2013: Nextera Energy’s Corporate Responsibility Report Details Billions In Clean Energy Investment
Dec 11, 2013: UBS to acquire 50% stake in Spinning Spur II wind farm project in Texas
Dec 11, 2013: Big Batteries Needed To Make Fickle Wind And Solar Power Work
Dec 11, 2013: Eagle Deaths Split Wind-Farm Debate
Dec 11, 2013: Congress Should Extend Wind Energy Tax Credit
Dec 11, 2013: DOE Invests $13 Million To Drive U.S. Solar Power Manufacturing
Dec 11, 2013: American Solar Pick: SunPower Vs. SolarCity Vs. First Solar
Dec 11, 2013: Solar’s 2014 Boom Is Coming
Dec 10, 2013: UBS Partners EDF For Texas Wind
Dec 10, 2013: U.S. Solar Gained 35% in Third Quarter Led by Big Plants
Dec 10, 2013: Innovative Wind Towers Won’t Harm Eagles
Dec 10, 2013: New Legislation Could Cause Investments in Wind Energy to Climb
Dec 10, 2013: Green Power Gridlock: Why Renewable Energy Is No Alternative
Dec 10, 2013: The Koch Brothers Are Still Trying to Break Wind
Dec 10, 2013: US Fossil Fuels Losing Out To Wind And Solar
Dec 10, 2013: Solar Liberator Sets Out To Revolutionize The Use Of Solar Power
Dec 10, 2013: US Solar Power Sector Small But Growing
Dec 10, 2013: U.S. Rooftop Solar Power Shatters Third Quarter Records
Dec 10, 2013: Geothermal Energy Association Announced GEA Honors Winners
Dec 9, 2013: Blackrock Purchases Majority Interest In Ownenergy’s New 68MW Texas Wind Farm
Dec 9, 2013: Renewable Energy Generation Reaches New Heights In Texas
Dec 9, 2013: Wind And Solar Costs Challenge Fossil Fuels In Us
Dec 9, 2013: U.S. Eases Wind Power Bird-Death Rule
Dec 9, 2013: How Bright Is The Future Of Solar Power?
Dec 8, 2013: Study Finds Texas Biggest Earner From Wind Tax Credit
Dec 8, 2013: Officials Missed Numerous Opportunities To Prevent Jonestown Wind Project Failure
Dec 8, 2013: Nuclear Proponent Stumbles With Attacks On Wind Power’s Efficiency
Dec 8, 2013: Wind Farms: Interior Department Sacrifices Eagle Protection For Alternative Energy
Dec 8, 2013: Are Solar Stocks in a Bubble?
Other News
Dec 12, 2013: National Retail Energy Supplier To Be Acquired by Private Equity-Backed Company
Dec 12, 2013: Science Panel: “Abrupt” Impacts Of Climate Change Need Vigilant Attention
Dec 11, 2013: Megatons To Megawatts: Russian Warheads Fuel U.S. Power Plants
Dec 10, 2013: Texas Sees Growth in Natural Gas-Powered Vehicles
Dec 9, 2013: Retail Supplier Acquires Dallas Based Broker, Network Marketer
Dec 9, 2013: Report: Consumers Beware Prepaid Electricity Plans and Fees
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For the Week of 11/29/13 — 12/6/13
News Flash Archive
Texas Headlines
Energy Future Holdings
Dec 5, 2013: When Will Luminant File For Bankruptcy?
Dec 3, 2013: Fitch Affirms IDRs of TCEH and EFCH at ‘C’ and EFH and EFIH at ‘CC’
Nov 27, 2013: Luminant Fined $750,000 In Massive 2011 Power Outage
Nov 29, 2013: Oncor Considering Additional Transmission Lines
Generation Adequacy
Dec 6, 2013: Ice Leaves More Than 250,000 Without Power; DART Suspends Rail Service; Txdot Plowing
Dec 6, 2013: Oncor Responds to Winter Storm
Dec 5, 2013: ERCOT Says There’s Enough Power as Storm Arrives
Dec 5, 2013: Perry Directs PUC, TXDOT And Military To Help In Storm
Dec 5, 2013: TXU Energy Urges Conservation During Winter Storm
Dec 4, 2013: In Texas, Reliability Concerns Pit Manufacturers Against Generators
Dec 4, 2013: Subsidies for Texas Electric Plant Construction Stir Legal, Financial Concerns
Dec 3, 2013: Power Plant Deal To Augment Calpine’s Share Of State Market
Dec 3, 2013: The $4 Billion Texas Electric Bill
Dec 1, 2013: Neeley: Rule Could Mean Lights Out In Texas
Dec 2, 2013: Calpine To Buy Texas Power Plant But Delay Plan For New Units
Dec 2, 2013: Calpine to Purchase Power Plant Near S.A.
Dec 2, 2013: Debate Over a Changing Texas Energy Market Heats Up at Senate Natural Resources Committee Hearing
Dec 2, 2013: ERCOT Files 4CP Report with PUCT
Dec 2, 2013: Calpine to Purchase Texas Power Plant for $625 Million
Dec 1, 2013: Power Companies Face Grim Reality As Commodity Bets Expire
Headlines
Dec 5, 2013: Austin Energy Relaxes Rules For Customers Whose Electricity Is Disconnected
Dec 5, 2013: Oil Exports, Coal Woes Lead Energy Trends
Dec 5, 2013: On the Hot Seat: EPA and FERC
Dec 5, 2013: MISO: Adverse Court Decision On JOA Tussle With SPP Will Not Impact Entergy’s Integration
Dec 5, 2013: Florida Power & Light Company Sends Crews To Arkansas And Texas To Support Anticipated Power Restoration Efforts
Dec 5, 2013: NEC Ushers In New Era For The Co-Op With Grand Opening Of New Headquarters
Dec 5, 2013: New FERC Energy Storage Rule Boosts Industry Presence
Dec 4, 2013: Holiday Storms Spark Co-op Outages
Dec 4, 2013: When Customers Talk, TXU Energy Listens
Dec 5, 2013: Texas REP Offering $200 Incentive for Enrollments
Dec 4, 2013: Texas Congressman Gene Green To Keynote Transforum Texas
Dec 4, 2013: Large Companies Prepared to Pay Price on Carbon
Dec 3, 2013: FERC Chairman and NEMA Falk Award Winner Jon Wellinghoff to Step Down
Dec 3, 2013: NRG Says Markets Could Adjust To Carbon Trading: Analysis
Dec 3, 2013: White House To Utilities: Do A Better Job With Multifamily Customers
Dec 3, 2013: Northeast Retail Supplier to Enter Texas Market
Dec 2, 2013: The EPA’s Bold New Agenda
Dec 2, 2013: GE Power & Water Closing Houston Plant
Dec 2, 2013: Dow Chemical Looking To Spin Off, Sell 40 Plants
Dec 2, 2013: Constellation Energy Partners Borrowing Base Set at $55 Million
Dec 2, 2013: Can Electricity Grids Withstand The Next Superstorm?
Nov 30, 2013: The $38 Billion Nuclear Waste Fiasco
Renewable Power
Dec 5, 2013: Obama Tells Government to Increase Renewable Power to 20 Percent
Dec 5, 2013: Solarcity Turns To Tesla For Batteries To Soak Up Solar Power
Dec 5, 2013: Solar Energy Generation Shows Growth In 2012
Dec 5, 2013: NRECA Providing Online Training for Integration of Renewable Energy on Co-op Lines
Dec 5, 2013: New Facebook Data Center To Be Powered By Wind Energy
Dec 5, 2013: Utility-Scale Solar Power Will Grow with the Help of Natural Gas
Dec 4, 2013: Friedman, Luzzatto & Co. And Duncan-Williams Complete Underwriting For Waste Energy Project In San Antonio
Dec 4, 2013: ALEC Calls for Penalties on “Freerider” Solar Customers
Dec 4, 2013: 3 Lessons Energy Efficiency Can Borrow From Fracking
Dec 4, 2013: 15,000 New Green Jobs Announced Across America In 3Q 2013
Dec 4, 2013: Electric Car Owner Arrested For Stealing 5 Cents’ Worth of Power
Dec 4, 2013: Kemp: Coal, The Dirty But Indispensable Fuel
Dec 3, 2013: City-Owned Texas Utility Already Serves 40% Renewable Energy
Dec 3, 2013: Renewable Electricity Production Grows In Texas
Dec 3, 2013: The Wind Energy Threat to Birds Is Overblown
Dec 3, 2013: Solar Thin Films Aims for a Hole in One in Golf Market
Dec 3, 2013: Corporate America’s Biggest Names are Going Solar
Dec 2, 2013: Renewable Electricity Production Grows In Texas
Dec 2, 2013: Construction Continues at Iberdrola Renewables’ Baffin Wind Farm in Texas
Dec 2, 2013: Texas Landfill Gas Project Financed With Taxable Revenue Bond
Dec 2, 2013: Tesla Versus Texas
Dec 2, 2013: Adding More Local Wind Power Does Not Affect Property
Dec 2, 2013: Solar Startup Could Make At-Home Renewable Energy Purchases As Easy As Booking Travel
Dec 2, 2013: Getting Renewable Energy To The Grid
Nov 29, 2013: Algonquin Power To Buy Remaining Stake In 400-MW Wind Portfolio For $117M including the Texas Senate Project
Nov 29, 2013: Rooftop Solar Can Meet 58% Of Peak Power Demand
Nov 28, 2013: Wind Power Is Brought To Justice
Nov 29, 2013: Scientists Seek A Newer, Cheaper Solar Panel
Nov 29, 2013: Is Geothermal the Only Baseload Power Replacement that Makes Sense?
Nov 29, 2013: Solar Data Trove Cutting Power Use in Threat to Utilities
Other News
Dec 5, 2013: Alternative Fuel Grant Funding Available For Propane Autogas Fueling Stations in Texas
Dec 3, 2013: US Federal Court Vacates FERC Decision On MISO-SPP Agreement
Dec 3, 2013: Water Watch for Electric Energy Production
Dec 2, 2013: Texas Company Buys Five Ameren Plants in Illionis
Nov 29, 2013: FERC Amends Pro Forma SGIP and SGIA
Nov 29, 2013: Now Where’s the Uranium Going to Come From?
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For the Week of 11/22/13 — 11/29/13
Today’s News Flash by Texas Electric News
ERCOT May Delay Its Capacity, Demand, and Reserves (CDR) Report by Two Months
Copyright 2013 by Competitive Assets, LLC. All rights reserved
At the last ERCOT Board meeting, on 11/19/13, there was a discussion about the issuance of the next Capacity, Demand, and Reserves (CDR) report, planned for 12/1/13. The discussion and uncertainty about the load data led the Board Chair to recommend delaying the report, until after the next Board meeting, on 12/10/13. This would give members an opportunity to review the results of the revised load forecast and compare them to the previous methodology. A few days after that, Reuters reported on a statement by ERCOT’s CEO Trip Doggett that the CDR may be delayed by up to two months, because of the decision to let the revised load data go through the stakeholder review. Consequently, the just-issued agenda for the Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) meeting on 12/3/13, features as one of the first items an update on the “Process for Finalizing the Load Forecast Methodology for the CDR Report.” It is not, however, shown as a voting item.
Does ERCOT Need New Ancillary Services?
Copyright 2013 by Competitive Assets, LLC. All rights reserved
Earlier this year, ERCOT staff undertook a comprehensive redesign of the existing Ancillary Services and published a white paper with the new proposal on 9/30/13. Since then, they held a workshop to discuss the proposed services and implementation, revised the paper, and received comments. A second workshop has been planned for 12/13/13. Read the details of the proposal and preliminary stakeholder discussions in the latest issue of the Texas Electric Watch. To read more,, please subscribe to Texas Electric Watch. If you are interested in purchasing this TEW issue (including the supplemental issue), please click here. If you are interested in subscribing the Texas Electric Watch, please click here or call Competitive Assets at 512-581-0151.
News Flash Archive
Texas Headlines
Energy Future Holdings
Nov 26, 2013: Luminant to Pay $750,000 Under Settlement with Texas Staff
Nov 25, 2013: Berkshire Said to Reduce Its Energy Future Bond Stake
Nov 25, 2013: Newly Released Documents Shed Light On Feds’ Case Against Luminant
Generation Adequacy
Nov 26, 2013: Cold Pushes Texas Electricity Use To New Record For November
Nov 26, 2013: Texas Regulators Warned Against Power Capacity Market Without Legislator Support
Nov 26, 2013: Industry Group Proposes Alternative To Capacity Market In Texas
Nov 26, 2013: Industrial Group Calls Power Plan Too Costly
Nov 25, 2013: Manufacturers Strongly Oppose Moving Texas Power to a Capacity Market
Nov 25, 2013: On Market Decision, Lawmakers Question PUC’s Authority
Nov 25, 2013: Lawmaker Says Texas Agency Moving Too Fast To Reform Power Market
Nov 25, 2013: Texas House Representative Turner: A Windfall For Power Dealers
Nov 25, 2013: Texas Manufacturers Criticize Proposed Changes To Power Grid
Nov 25, 2013: Wal-Mart, Valero Oppose Texas Capacity Mandate, Would “Increase Costs and Harm Texas Economy”
Nov 25, 2013: Texas Electric Demands Are Slowing, State Grid Chief Says
Nov 25, 2013: Opinion: Capacity Market Facing 1,000 MW Deficit of Existing Resources
Nov 25, 2013: Latest New England Capacity Market Mess Shows Fantasy of “Texas-Style” Capacity Market
Nov 25, 2013: Pressure Mounts Against Corporate Welfare For Texas Electric Industry
Nov 25, 2013: Texas Senators Question Electricity Pricing Plan
Nov 24, 2013: Grid Plan May Overload Power Bills
Headlines
Nov 26, 2013: No Thanksgiving Holiday For Electric Linemen At Rio Grande Electric Co-Op
Nov 26, 2013: Ice Storm Causes Power Outages in West Texas
Nov 26, 2013: Thousands Lose Electricity In Parts Of Texas After Wintry Storms, Crews Work To Restore Power
Nov 26, 2013: Texas REP Offering $100 Incentive for Enrollment
Nov 25, 2013: Thousands Lose Power In Texas After Wintry Storms
Nov 25, 2013: Ex-Texas Comptroller’s Employee Mary Jo Woodall Takes Plea In Jonestown Energy Fraud Case
Nov 25, 2013: Hacking The Grid: What You Should Know About Cyber Risks
Nov 25, 2013: Power Grid Drill Reveals Dire Predictions
Nov 25, 2013: Oncor Estimates 23,000 Without Power From Storm Damage
Nov 25, 2013: Start-Up Texas REP, Affiliate of Existing Retail Provider, Receives License
Nov 22, 2013: Central Texas Energy Startup’s Stock Jumps In First Day Of Trading
Nov 22, 2013: Council Oks New Seasonal Stabilization Plan To Flatten Peaks, Valleys On LP&L Bills
Nov 21, 2013: PBS To Feature Austin Energy Nationwide
Nov 22, 2013: Price Of Electricity Hit Record For October; Up 42% In Decade
Nov 22, 2013: Exelon, Entergy: Low-Cost Merchant Power Producers For A Market Turn
Nov 22, 2013: House Energy Bills Called Irresponsible By NRDC Official
Renewable Power
Nov 26, 2013: Texas Wind Energy Project Breaks Ground
Nov 26, 2013: Power Failure: Electric Vehicles Top List Of Cars And Trucks That Depreciate The Fastest
Nov 26, 2013: Ecosphere Technologies Receives U.S. Patent for Mobile Solar Power System
Nov 26, 2013: Let The Wind Production Tax Credit Expire
Nov 26, 2013: Solar power dominates October in US
Nov 25, 2013: Fueling Cities with West Texas Wind as CREZ Comes Online
Nov 25, 2013: Your New House In Texas Could Come With Free Solar Panels
Nov 25, 2013: Pattern Energy Rides Wind To Fuel Cash For Dividends
Nov 25, 2013: Lincoln Renewable Starts Construction on Texas Wind Farm
Nov 25, 2013: Wind Farms Continue To Spring Up In Texas Panhandle
Nov 25, 2013: El Paso Electric announces addition of 20kW Van Horn Solar Installation
Nov 25, 2013: Financial Innovation Has Given Residential Solar Much To Be Thankful For This Year
Nov 25, 2013: Duke Energy To Pay US $1 Million In Plea Over Wind Turbine Bird Deaths
Nov 25, 2013: The US Has 43 Nuclear Power Plants’ Worth Of Solar Energy In The Pipeline
Nov 25, 2013: New FERC Rule May ‘Nudge’ States To Modify Distributed Solar Interconnection
Nov 22, 2013: Solarcity Inks New Home Deal With Texas House Builder
Nov 22, 2013: Texas Company To Provide Battery System For Kauai PV Project
Nov 22, 2013: Xcel Energy Receives Approval From New Mexico Regulators For Wind Purchases
Nov 22, 2013: Analysis: Microsoft, Facebook, Google — Powered By Wind
Nov 22, 2013: Patrick: Are Solar Panels Really Facing The Wrong Direction?
Nov 22, 2013: Tesla Test Is A Whoosh Come True
Nov 22, 2013: Wind Energy Threat to Birds Is Overblown
Other News
Nov 25, 2013: Ecom-Energy Receives New License in Texas
Nov 25, 2013: Larson Electronics Introduces 25 Watt LED Waterproof Light
Nov 25, 2013: New Hydrogen Fuel Cell Cars Provide Opportunity for HyperSolar’s Renewable Hydrogen Technology
Nov 25, 2013: TXU Energy Presents Houston Zoo Lights Continues through Jan. 5, 2014
===============================================================
For the Week of 11/15/13 — 11/22/13
Today’s News Flash by Texas Electric News
News Flash Archive
Texas Headlines
Energy Future Holdings
Nov 21, 2013: Fidelity Divide Shows Energy Future Debt Knot: Corporate Finance
Generation Adequacy
Nov 21, 2013: Delay Of Texas Summer Reserve Report Could Be Months-Official
Nov 21, 2013: Texas Employer: Capacity Market Would be “Serious Mistake”, Endanger Economic Prosperity
Nov 20, 2013: Texas Grid Agency To Delay 2014 Reserve-Margin Report
Nov 19, 2013: ERCOT Board of Directors Qualify TAS Energy’s Generation Storage as Energy Storage Resource Eligible for Wholesale Load Treatment
Nov 21, 2013: Opinion:Texas Cities Best in Job Creation, Economic Strength (Despite Generators “Talking Down” Texas Business Climate; Capacity Market States Again Absent from Rankings)
Nov 19, 2013: Municipal Groups Knock Proposed Changes In Texas Power Market
Nov 19, 2013: Texas Coalition for Affordable Power: Capacity Market for Electricity Would Result in Higher Bills, More Regulations
Nov 18, 2013: More Texas Economic Engines (TI, Oil Producers) Line Up Against Capacity Market
Nov 18, 2013: Texas Capacity Market Supporter Warns Customers of Added Costs from ISO-NE’s Need to Procure “Backup Generation” (Capacity Market Not Providing Reliability)
Nov 15, 2013: Debating the future of Texas electricity in Dallas
Headlines
Nov 21, 2013: Sam Houston Electric Cooperative Names New Board President
Nov 21, 2013: Exelon Says Competitive Markets Are Most Efficient Way to Ensure a Sustainable Energy Future
Nov 20, 2013: LCRA Names Interim General Manager
Nov 20, 2013: Texas Commission Approves SWEPCO Rates for Increase
Nov 20, 2013: Texas Creates Dockets on Sharing of AMI Data, Customer Info
Nov 20, 2013: Is The Texas State Climatologist Doing His Job?
Nov 21, 2013: Cogeneration Equipment Market Driven By The Increasing Demand For Electrical Power
Nov 19, 2013: Texas PUC Commissioner Cheers Nuclear Waste Fee Ruling
Nov 19, 2013: Verizon To Guard Smart Meters From Hackers
Nov 19, 2013: Clean Air Standards Create Opportunities, Not Problems for Texas
Nov 19, 2013: White House Waves Veto Pen At GOP Fracking, Energy Bills
Nov 19, 2013: Conservative Group To Lawmakers: Your Fracking Vote Counts
Nov 18, 2013: Central Texas Energy Startup Ideal Power Files For Initial Public Stock Offering
Nov 18, 2013: ERCOT to Increase System Admin. Fee
Nov 18, 2013: Champion Energy to Expand Smart Energy Service to Commercial Market in 2014
Nov 18, 2013: Allconnect Acquires Leading Texas based Rival in Broker, Home Service Connection Space
Nov 18, 2013: NextEra Energy Announces Common Stock Offering
Nov 18, 2013: TEPA Panel: Current Retail Market Climate Not Sustainable, “Something Has to Give”
Nov 19, 2013: Reinventing Retail Energy –- Taking Customer Focus to a New Level
Nov 17, 2013: What’s Stronger Than Nuclear Power? Falling Electricity Prices
Nov 18, 2013: DOE To Resume Transient Testing Of Nuclear Fuels And Materials
Nov 17, 2013: Is THIS the Biggest Invention of the Decade?
Nov 15, 2013: BBB On Homes: Beware Of Billing Scheme Targeting Electricity Customers
Nov 14, 2013: Whitfield’s Subcommittee Reviews EPA’s Unworkable Power Plant Proposal And Bipartisan Legislative Solution
Nov 14, 2013: Gridex II Simulates Security Breach To U.S. Power Grid
Renewable Power
Nov 21, 2013: ERCAM Delivers Trackers To First Phase Of Alamo I Solar Project In Texas
Nov 21, 2013: Wind Farm Bill Would Let Utilities, Developers Be Sued
Nov 21, 2013: Affordable Solar Power Is Focus Of New Research
Nov 21, 2013: US Installed 504MW Of Solar Power In October: FERC
Nov 19, 2013: Colleyville Man Accused In Wind Farm Scam
Nov 19, 2013: Texas, The Wind Friendly State?
Nov 18, 2013: Could First U.S. Offshore Wind Farm Be In Texas
Nov 18, 2013: One Stop Shop For Solar In Austin, Texas
Nov 18, 2013: Report: Residential Solar Systems Reduce Summer Peak Demand by Over 50% in Texas research trial
Nov 18, 2013: Pecan Street’s Study Shows Electric Vehicles Won’t Overload the Electric Grid.
Nov 18, 2013: A New Scale For Green
Nov 15, 2013: Coal Plant Shutdowns Create Market For Wind Power Project
Nov 18, 2013: Obama Admin. Not Prosecuting Wind Farms For Bird Deaths
Nov 17, 2013: Ed Markey’s First Senate Bill Aims To Ramp Up Renewables
Nov 15, 2013: Google’s Latest Solar Projects Turn It A Deeper Shade Of Green
Nov 15, 2013: Xcel Energy Approved For Wind-Power Project
Nov 15, 2013: EPA Action Adds Fuel To Renewable Debate
Nov 15, 2013: Almost Everyone Is Angling Solar Panels The Wrong Way
Nov 15, 2013: Turning Old Oil Fields Into Renewable Power Plants, Thanks To CO2
Nov 14, 2013: Is It Really That Simple? Study Finds Cheap Solution To Increasing Solar Power
Nov 14, 2013: Pattern Energy’s Mike Garland on Wind Energy Subsidies
Nov 14, 2013: Congressman Pompeo: End the Wind Production Tax Credit
Other News
Nov 21, 2013: Iberdrola Re-organizes All U.S. Operations Under Single Holding Company
Nov 20, 2013: Direct Energy Launches Residential Service in New Territories
Nov 19, 2013: Company Said to Be First to Offer Flexible Synchronous Reserves for PJM Demand Response Customers
Nov 15, 2013: Mixed Result: Arizona Keeps Net Metering, But Levies Smaller Solar Fee
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For the Week of 11/8/13 — 11/15/13
Today’s News Flash by Texas Electric News
News Flash Archive
Texas Headlines
Energy Future Holdings
Nov 8, 2013: Luminant Suspends Nuclear Plant Licensing Effort In Texas
Nov 8, 2013: Luminant To End Work On License For New North Texas Reactors
Nov 5, 2013: Energy Future Default Possible by Year-End, CreditSights Says
Generation Adequacy
Nov 15, 2013: Drivers of Texas Economic Growth Say Mandating a Reserve Margin Premature
Nov 13, 2013: ERCOT Panel Keeps Alive Proposal To Ban Intra-Day Offer Changes
Nov 13, 2013: Texas REP: NRG’s Actions Show Energy-Only Market Driving Investment in Capacity; REP Also Says Legislature Did Not Intend for ERCOT to Run “Capacity” Market
Headlines
Nov 15, 2013: Direct Energy Parent: Margins in Texas Reduced due to “Intensified” Competition
Nov 15, 2013: Agreement in Principle Reached in Sharyland Unbundling Case (May Allow Implementation of Choice on Schedule)
Nov 13, 2013: Fitch Publishes Utilities, Power, and Gas Monthly Rating Report
Nov 14, 2013: Attack Ravages Power Grid. (Just A Test.)
Nov 14, 2013: Energy Mergers, Yes. Neglected Grid? Probably Not
Nov 13, 2013: AEP Electricity Consumers Are Reminded: Don’t Fall Victim To The “Green Dot” Scam
Nov 13, 2013: Fitch Publishes Utilities, Power, and Gas Monthly Rating Report
Nov 13, 2013: Grid Drill: Preparedness To Be Focus
Nov 13, 2013: ITC Holdings Corp. Declares Dividend to Shareholders
Nov 13, 2013: Americans Back Greenhouse Gas Cuts From Power Plants
Nov 13, 2013: Future for Texas Ratepayers? Customers File FERC Complaint Over “Unjust and Unreasonable” Transmission Rates in MISO
Nov 13, 2013: Opinion: NRG: Retail Not Even a “Secondary” Consideration in Edison Mission Acquisition; But Does Allow a Second Look at Municipal Aggregation Market
Nov 12, 2013: Choose Energy Names E-commerce Executive Kerry Cooper as New CEO
Nov 11, 2013: What’s Holding Back Nuclear Energy
Nov 11, 2013: Combined Heat and Power Emerging as Key Technology for Microgrid Resiliency
Nov 12, 2013: AEP To Spend Billions Shoring Up Power Grid
Nov 12, 2013: Texas REP Launches New Discount Program for Military
Nov 12, 2013: NRG Reports Significant Slowdown in Retail Customer Growth; Texas Mass Market Margins “Steady”
Nov 11, 2013: Just Energy: Retail Suppliers “Will Only Stay Relevant If They Are Bundling”
Nov 7, 2013: Council Approves Rate Boost For CPS
Nov 11, 2013: Texas Staff File Draft Proposal for Adoption Concerning REPs’ Obligations When Disconnecting Multi-Family Dwellings
Nov 11, 2013: Calpine Names New CEO To Take Over In May
Nov 11, 2013: American Electric Power Narrows 2014 Operating Earnings
Nov 11, 2013: Reinvent the Co-op Safety Committee
Nov 12, 2013: America and Israel Created a Monster Computer Virus Which Now Threatens Nuclear Reactors Worldwide
Nov 8, 2013: Utech To Become Obama’s Top Climate, Energy Adviser
Nov 11, 2013: Utilities Are Now In the Business Of Protecting National Security
Renewable Power
Nov 14, 2013: Fact Check: 5 Things Bjoern Lomborg Gets Wrong About Federal Incentives Supporting Wind Power
Nov 14, 2013: Texas A&M Professor Balog Gives Invited Talk At Alternative Energy Symposium
Nov 14, 2013: Solar Plants Are Burning Birds’ Wings
Nov 14, 2013: Solar Working Group Releases Standard Contracts
Nov 13, 2013: Microsoft Signs A 20-Yr Pact For Wind Energy In Texas
Nov 13, 2013: Brian Janous: The Texas Tribune Interview
Nov 11, 2013: Solar Power Begins to Shine as Environmental Benefits Pay Off
Nov 11, 2013: The Hunt for Biofuels Looks Beyond Ethanol
Nov 12, 2013: Tesla’s Musk: Stock’s High Price Was A Distraction, Seems A Better Deal Now
Nov 11, 2013: Tea Party’s Green Faction Fights for Solar in Red States
Nov 11, 2013: Xcel Continues to Attack Rooftop Solar
Nov 12, 2013: We Energies’ 50-MW Facility Biomass Plant Now Produces Renewable Energy From Woody Biomass
Nov 10, 2013: Energy Analyst Describes Where Uncle Sam’s Money Is: Renewables
Nov 8, 2013: Solar Liberator Uses Crowd Funding to Launch Plug-in Solar Solution
Nov 7, 2013: Wireless Device Converts ‘Lost’ Energy Into Electric Power
Nov 11, 2013: The Secret, Dirty Cost of Obama’s Green Power Push
Nov 11, 2013: U.S. Military On Cutting Edge Of Energy Efficiency And Smart Conservation Technologies
Nov 11, 2013: Ford And Microsoft Invest In $1 Billion Bond For Climate Projects
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For the Week of 11/1/13 — 11/8/13
Today’s News Flash by Texas Electric News
News Flash Archive
Texas Headlines
Energy Future Holdings
Nov 3, 2013: Schnurman: Regulation All Bad? It’s Softening Impact Of Energy Future Holdings’ Fall
Oct 31, 2013: Energy Future Debt Payment Risks Ire of Creditors as March Looms
Nov 2, 2013: Energy Future Holdings Posts First Profit In 3 Years
Nov 2, 2013: Energy Future Holdings Breaks Long String Of Losses, Post $5 Million Profit
Nov 1, 2013: Oncor Schedules Third Quarter 2013 Investor Call
Generation Adequacy
Nov 7, 2013: Opinion: Texas Capacity Market Supporter Continues to Call New Capacity Investments in PJM Capacity Market “Questionable”, Again Says New Plants “Unlikely to be Completed”
Nov 5, 2013: Bennett: Idea For ‘Capacity Market’ In Electricity Would Hurt Us All
Nov 4, 2013: This Electricity Market Change Could Cost Texans Billions and Pollute the Air
Nov 3, 2013: ERCOT Expects Sufficient Electricity This Winter and Next Spring
Nov 1, 2013: Texas Grid Operator Predicts Plenty Of Winter Power
Nov 3, 2013: ERCOT Expects Sufficient Electricity This Winter and Next Spring
Headlines
Nov 7, 2013: Natural Gas Or Nuclear Among Choices For CPS Energy
Nov 7, 2013: Family Of Dead CPS Lineman Sues Utility
Nov 7, 2013: Just Energy Sees Decline in Mass Market Customer Base; Gross Additions Slower on Margin Discipline
Nov 7, 2013: EPA Pollution Meeting Yields Sharply Different Views
Nov 7, 2013: David Hudson To Take Top Leadership Role At SPS
Nov 6, 2013: Christi Craddick: Texans Ask To Give Input To EPA Regarding Emission Standards
Nov 6, 2013: Reasonable Power Plant Rules Will Strengthen Texas Economy Says NMA
Nov 6, 2013: Texas TDU Reports “Strong” Customer Growth
Nov 6, 2013: Fitch Rates MidAmerican Energy Holdings Co.’s $2B Sr. Unsecured Notes ‘BBB+’; Outlook Stable
Nov 6, 2013: El Paso Electric Announces Third Quarter Financial Results
Nov 6, 2013: NRG Said to Invest in Energy Management/Technology Company, And Home Energy Services Firm
Nov 5, 2013: Fitch Rates Calpine’s 5.875% Senior Notes Due 2024 ‘BB+/RR1’
Nov 4, 2013: Texas REPs Warn of “Rate Shock” — from Potential Delay in Sharyland Transition to Competition
Nov 4, 2013: Texas TDU to Cease Billing Hurricane Charge Applicable to REPs
Nov 4, 2013: Measuring Attorney General Candidates on Smart Meters
Oct 31, 2013: Direct Energy Launches Postpay Free Saturdays Product in Texas (Expands from Prepay Only)
Oct 31, 2013: Sharyland Files List Of Default REPs For Its Customers Who Do Not Select A REP Prior To The Transition Of its Brady, Celeste, Colorado City, And Stanton Divisions To The Competitive Electric Market
Nov 3, 2013: Texas QSE to Pay $12,500 to Resolve Failure to Deploy EILS
Oct 31, 2013: RUS Loans Help Co-ops Upgrade Grid
Oct 31, 2013: Post Sandy, U.S. Pushes Microgrids For Backup Power
Nov 1, 2013: Bill Would Restrict EPA’s Power Plant Rules
Renewable Power
Nov 7, 2013: Texas Emerges As Unlikely Leader On Wind Power
Nov 7, 2013: Texas Offers Road To Rebates
Nov 7, 2013: Yet Another Model S Fire Puts Heat On Tesla
Nov 7, 2013: Why Is Google Helping The Kochs Attack Wind Power?
Nov 7, 2013: Wal-Mart, Champion Of Solar Power?
Nov 6, 2013: Some Texans Soon Can Claim $2,500 Rebates On Cleaner-Fuel Cars
Nov 6, 2013: Graph Of The Day: US Wind Power Gets Kick From Falling Prices
Nov 6, 2013: Conservative Groups Want Congress To Let Wind Tax Credit Expire
Nov 5, 2013: French Firm Buys Texas Panhandle Area Wind Farm
Nov 5, 2013: National Science Foundation $400K Grant Supports UTSA Wind Energy Research
Nov 5, 2013: Wind Tax Credit Could Take A Big Hit In Tax Battle
Nov 5, 2013: Flat Tire For Tesla: Shares Slide After Earnings
Nov 5, 2013: On-Site Power May Weaken Centrally-Generated Wind And Solar Energy
Nov 4, 2013: EDF Renewable Energy Reaches Agreement to Acquire Longhorn Wind Project
Nov 4, 2013: Microsoft To Buy Wind Power For Data Center In Texas
Nov 4, 2013: Microsoft Enters 20-Year Deal For Texas Wind Power
Nov 4, 2013: Power Plants Try Burning Wood With Coal to Cut Carbon Emissions
Nov 4, 2013: Wind Energy: Staggering Turbines Improves Performance 33%
Nov 4, 2013: Will SolarCity Beat Out First Solar and SunPower?
Nov 2, 2013: Sold On Solar Power
Nov 3, 2013: Texas’ Lead In Wind Power Is About To Grow
Nov 2, 2013: Little Fanfare For Texas’ $7 Billion Clean-Energy Project
Nov 1, 2013: Sales, Backlog Hit Records For Wind Tower Maker
Nov 1, 2013: Utilities Across The U.S. Are Cashing In On The Lower Price Of Wind Power
Nov 1, 2013: Wind Power Installations Down 96% In Q3 From 2012, But Orders Looking Up
Oct 31, 2013: U.S. Wind Power Slumps in 2013 After Tax Credit Drives 2012 Boom
Nov 2, 2013: Battle Of The Plug-In Hybrids: Accord, Volt And Fusion Energi
Nov 1, 2013: Apple Plans To Plug Iphones Directly Into Solar Panels For Power
Nov 1, 2013: New “Flexible” Power Plants Sway to Keep Up with Renewables
Other News
Nov 7, 2013: Smitherman Brags On Texas, Oil Production
Nov 7, 2013: Driving Hunger Out Of Rural Texas
Nov 4, 2013: Downtown Drivers May See Detours As Oncor Inspects Infrastructure
Nov 3, 2013: Direct Energy Completes Acquisition of Retail Book
Nov 3, 2013: Squirrel Causes 4,700 To Lose Power In Dallas
Nov 2, 2013: Texas Tech Powering the South Plains
Nov 3, 2013: Direct Energy Completes Acquisition of Retail Book
Nov 3, 2013: Squirrel Causes 4,700 To Lose Power In Dallas
================================================================================
For the Week of 10/18/13 — 10/25/13
Today’s News Flash by Texas Electric News
News Flash Archive
Texas Headlines
Energy Future Holdings
Oct 25, 2013: Buyout Firms Clash Over Energy Future Holdings, the Biggest-Ever LBO
Oct 24, 2013: EFH Restructuring Talks Expand, Forge On Ahead Of Looming Payment
Oct 24, 2013: Oncor insulated against EFH bankruptcy, Moody’s says
Oct 24, 2013: TCEQ Rejects Doctor’s Claims On Luminant Coal Plants
Oct 22, 2013: The Biggest Leveraged Buyout In History Is On The Brink Of Collapse—And Fracking Is To Blame
Oct 22, 2013: How Did Energy Future Holdings Fail?
Oct 21, 2013: No Matter What, Energy Future Holdings Will Keep Lights On
Oct 22, 2013: KKR to Goldman Skirmish for Scraps as LBO Bankruptcy Looms
Oct 19, 2013: Energy Future’s Reduced Earnings to Sap Credit Recovery Values
Generation Adequacy
Oct 24, 2013: Opinion: Investors Say They’re Willing to Take on Risk of Texas New Build — Then Advocate Market Design Eliminating Any Substantive Risk
Oct 24, 2013: Opinion: Merchant Generator Cites “Inability” of Capacity Markets to Appropriately Pay Long-Term Investors
Oct 23, 2013: Opinion: Texas Capacity Owners Misrepresent Position of Independent Market Monitor in Pushing for Capacity Market
Oct 23, 2013: Opinion: Texas REP: Capacity Market Would Allow Capacity-Owning REPs to Put Me Out of Business
Oct 21, 2013: Vanadium Flow Batteries Could Become a Cost Effective Solution for Balancing Texas’ Power Grid
Oct 18, 2013: ERCOT Overhauling Power Forecasting Methods For Texas
Oct 20, 2013: Hunker: PUC Should Make The Right Call
Oct 21, 2013: GDF SUEZ Proposes Increasing ERCOT Value of Lost Load to $25,000 due to Use of Cumulative Distribution Function in Operating Reserves Demand Curve
Headlines
Oct 24, 2013: Texas Gives Tesla the Cold Shoulder
Oct 24, 2013: Nuclear Technology In Your Life Today
Oct 24, 2013: EPA: Texas Still No. 1 In Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Oct 24, 2013: EPA, EIA: Power Plant Carbon Emissions Saw Drastic Drop in 2012
Oct 23, 2013: Texas Smart Meters become Money Meters
Oct 23, 2013: Nuevo Midstream Selects Broker for Electricity Supply Management in Texas
Oct 23, 2013: Scammers Increasingly Using Texas Retail Providers’ Names in Disconnection Payment Con
Oct 23, 2013: Texas Rejects Dallas County Doctors’ Bid To Cut Coal Pollution
Oct 23, 2013: Centerpoint Energy Declares $0.2075 Quarterly Dividend
Oct 23, 2013: AEP Reports Falling Electric Sales, Sees Mostly Flat Load Growth
Oct 23, 2013: El Paso County To Intervene In Proposed Montana Power Plant
Oct 23, 2013: Sakelaris: Zero Oil Imports Is The Goal, Smitherman Tells Energy Execs
Oct 23, 2013: Hackers Targeting Energy Subcontractors For Big Steals
Oct 23, 2013: US Power Plant GHG Emissions Down 10pc Since 2010
Oct 23, 2013: Emission Information Said to be Engaged by NRG for Mobile App for Retail Customers
Oct 22, 2013: AEP Increases Quarterly Dividend To 50 Cents A Share
Oct 22, 2013: CPS Energy Lineman Dies After Fall From Pole
Oct 22, 2013: El Paso Electric To Break Ground On Multimillion-Dollar Operations Center In East El Paso
Oct 22, 2013: Duke Energy Declares Quarterly Dividend
Oct 22, 2013: US Nuclear Plants Rely on By-product of China, Russia’s Nuclear Weapons
Oct 22, 2013: U.S. Carbon Emissions Fell Sharply In 2012. But Don’t Expect That To Last
Oct 22, 2013: Texas Complaint Addresses Average Pricing for Time of Use Product
Oct 22, 2013: NRG: “Testing” Beacon 10 Gas/Solar-Powered Distributed Gen Tech in Homes, Businesses
Oct 22, 2013: Source Power & Gas Launches Online Enrollment for Small Businesses
Oct 21, 2013: NRG Energy Agrees to Buy Edison Mission for $2.6 Billion
Oct 21, 2013: ‘War On Coal’ Good For Natural Gas Industry As U.S. Prepares To Expand Power Plant Network
Oct 21, 2013: Utilities Roll Out Distribution Automation as Key Smart-Grid Element
Oct 21, 2013: Texas Staff Propose Changes to REP Certification Rules
Oct 18, 2013: Battery system dedicated at Reese Technology Center at Lubbock
Oct 19, 2013: Cause Of October GEUS Power Plant Blast Found
Oct 18, 2013: Lubbock Mayor Robertson Seeks Investigation Into Lubbock Power & Light’s 2019 Power Search
Oct 18, 2013: FERC Issues Reports on Assessment of Demand Response and Advanced Metering
Oct 18, 2013: James L. Robo Appointed Chairman of NextEra Energy
Oct 18, 2013: Electrical Grid Is Called Vulnerable to Power Shutdown
Oct 18, 2013: Power Plant Plight: US Utilities’ Soft Underbelly For Hackers
Oct 18, 2013: FERC Signs Off On Revisions To Transmission Planning Reliability Standard
Renewable Power
Oct 24, 2013: Pecan Street Study: Electric Vehicles Might Not Stress Grids
Oct 24, 2013: Will Texas Wind Farms Miss Out On Key Tax Incentive?
Oct 24, 2013: Wind Energy Tax Credit Likely Over, But Effect May Not Hurt Like Before
Oct 23, 2013: Wind Energy Proving Itself A Critical Solution To Achieve Large, Long-Lasting Reductions In Carbon Pollution
Oct 23, 2013: DOE Announces $60 Million to Drive Affordable, Efficient Solar Power
Oct 23, 2013: Is It Finally Time for Solar?
Oct 23, 2013: US Companies’ Use of Solar Increases 40% Over 2012
Oct 22, 2013: Meet The Super Efficient Lego® Brick-Like Solar Panel
Oct 22, 2013: NRG Energy Introduces Solar Canopy to Extend Energy Independence Beyond the Rooftop
Oct 22, 2013: Wind Power Proves Effective CO2 Saver
Oct 22, 2013: Wind Can Supply Energy For Turbines From An Unexpected Direction
Oct 22, 2013: US Air Force Pilots New Solar Energy Storage System
Oct 22, 2013: US Solar Industry Must Silence Its Enemies, Says SEIA Chief
Oct 21, 2013: Austin Energy Seeks Solar Addition
Oct 21, 2013: Tax Credit for Texas Wind Could Lapse
Oct 22, 2013: NRG Energy Introduces Solar Canopy Solution
Oct 22, 2013: Parent of Retail Supplier Makes Investment in OneRoof Energy
Oct 21, 2013: Principal Solar Names Former Oncor Executive Brenda Jackson to Board of Directors
Oct 21, 2013: Empowering Schools with Solar Energy: NRDC’s First Crowd-Funded Campaign
Oct 21, 2013: The Rapid Recovery Of American Wind Power
Oct 21, 2013: Solar Power to the People: The Rise of Rooftop Solar Among the Middle Class
Oct 21, 2013: Global Non-Energy Companies Out To Harness Solar Power
Oct 21, 2013: More than 600 Companies to Demonstrate the Latest Solar Energy Products, Technology and Solutions this Week at Solar Power International in Chicago
Oct 21, 2013: Time to Consider Solar Net Metering Alternatives: Storage
Oct 18, 2013: Two Wind Power Projects To Be Built In Starr County, Effect On Local Birds Questionable
Oct 19, 2013: New Lines To Take Wind Power From West Texas To Rest Of State
Oct 18, 2013: Texas Finishing Up Transmission Lines to Double Energy From Wind
Oct 18, 2013: A Staff of Robots Can Clean and Install Solar Panels
Oct 18, 2013: Where Is Wind Energy Cheaper than Natural Gas?
Oct 18, 2013: Global Wind Market Slowly Closes In On 300 GW Milestone
Oct 18, 2013: Into the Sun: Trade Group Study Says Businesses Are Sold on Solar
Oct 18, 2013: U.S. Renewables Outpace Coal, Oil And Nuclear Combined
Other News
Oct 22, 2013: Barry Smitherman’s Stint on the Texas Railroad Commission Is a Magnificent Fundraising Tool
==================================================================================
For the Week of 10/11/13 — 10/18/13
Today’s News Flash by Texas Electric News
News Flash Archive
Texas Headlines
Energy Future Holdings
Oct 17, 2013: Watchdog: Energy Future Holdings Bankruptcy Could Place Texas Taxpayers on the Hook
Oct 17, 2013: Energy Future’s Pre-Bankruptcy Talks Continue as Lender Leaves
Oct 16, 2013: Oncor Lower Earnings Forecast Cuts Valuation, CreditSights Says
Oct 16, 2013: Green Groups Seek Assurances Energy Future Can Clean Up Coal Mines
Oct 17, 2013: Environmentalists Criticize EFH, Regulators Over Mining Reclamation
Oct 15, 2013: Energy Future Holdings Says Unsecured Creditors Not Participating In Restructuring Talks
Oct 15, 2013: Energy Future, (Formerly TXU), Says No Deal Yet; Some Creditors Retreat From Talks
Oct 15, 2013: Creditors Squabble Over Utility’s Future
Oct 15, 2013: TXU Parent Forecasting Lower Retail Revenues, as Various Restructuring Proposals Made Public
Oct 14, 2013: Energy Future Creditors Still At Odds On Bankruptcy Talks -Sources
Oct 14, 2013: EFH Creditors Can’t Agree On Reworking Massive Debt
Oct 15, 2013: TXU Parent Forecasting Lower Retail Revenues, as Various Restructuring Proposals Made Public
Generation Adequacy
Oct 16, 2013: FERC Schedules Technical Conference To Address PJM Demand Response Proposal
Oct 15, 2013: PUC Member Hints At Adopting Mandatory Power Reserves
Oct 15, 2013: Key Decision On Possible Changes To Texas Power Market May Come In Early ’14, Official Says
Oct 10, 2013: Power Prices Move Mixed; ERCOT Runs $5 Higher With Demand Outlook
Headlines
Oct 17, 2013: CPS Energy Brings Deely Unit Back After September Explosion
Oct 17, 2013: Calpine Corporation Announces Cash Tender Offer and Consent Solicitation for Its 7.25% Senior Secure
Oct 17, 2013: Calpine Corporation Announces Upsizing and Pricing of Senior Secured Notes Offering
Oct 17, 2013: EBay, Ellison Embrace Microgrids in Threat to Utilities
Oct 17, 2013: Why Colleges Are Big Believers In Microgrids
Oct 17, 2013: Here’s Exactly How A Cyberattack Will Bring Down Your Utility
Oct 17, 2013: Researchers Uncover Holes That Open Power Stations to Hacking
Oct 16, 2013: NRG Energy, Inc. Announces Quarterly Dividend
Oct 16, 2013: Combating Climate Change With Nuclear Power And Fracking
Oct 16, 2013: Supreme Court’s EPA Ruling A Setback For Obama’s Climate Action Plan To Reduce Carbon Emissions By 17%?
Oct 15, 2013: GEUS Board Considers Plans In The Event Of An Extended Government Shutdown
Oct 15, 2013: Report Tallies Texas Nuclear Plant Violations
Oct 15, 2013: PUCT Commission Discusses REP Complaint Issue
Oct 15, 2013: Supreme Court to Hear Texas Challenge to Greenhouse Gas Regulations
Oct 15, 2013: Entergy Provides Preliminary Third Quarter Earnings Guidance
Oct 15, 2013: NextEra: A Quality Utility For Both Growth And Income
Oct 15, 2013: Why So Many Dams In Texas Are in Bad Condition
Oct 15, 2013: Electric Companies Brace For New Worker Safety Rules
Oct 15, 2013: Time to Act — Climate Science is Clear
Oct 15, 2013: Severe Weather, Climate Change Not Linked
Oct 13, 2013: After Decades Of Doubt, Deregulation Delivers Lower Electricity Prices
Oct 14, 2013: U.S. FERC Sues Barclays Over Power Market Manipulation
Oct 12, 2013: In The World Of Texas Electricity, Free Is Not Always Free
Oct 14, 2013: $7 Billion Crez Project Nears Finish, Aiding Wind Power
Renewable Power
Oct 17, 2013: Zenn Motor Company Reports Inconsistent Test Results On Electricity Storage
Oct 17, 2013: Clean Energy Investment Headed for Second Annual Decline
Oct 17, 2013: New Power Lines Set To Transform Texas Wind Energy Market
Oct 17, 2013: Walmart Tops US Solar Rankings With 89.43MW Capacity
Oct 17, 2013: IKEA Ranked In The Top 25 US Commercial Solar Users
Oct 16, 2013: Texas Leads Nation In Wind Energy Production Sweetwater Mayor Says
Oct 16, 2013: Texas Gulf Coast Beckons Wind Farms
Oct 16, 2013: Southwest Power Pool Grid Keeps Breaking Wind Energy Records
Oct 16, 2013: Only One U.S. Wind Farm Came Online During The Third Quarter
Oct 16, 2013: Majority of American Consumers Would Consider Residential Solar Installations, Even When Educated on Costs
Oct 15, 2013: Market Report On U.S. Wind Technologies In Distributed Applications
Oct 15, 2013: U.S. DOE Highlights Wind Energy Financing Model by United Wind
Oct 15, 2013: The Air Up There: Wind Energy Remote Sensing Gains Ground
Oct 15, 2013: Study: Wind Power Costs Taxpayers Billions of Dollars
Oct 15, 2013: Small Business Receives Last Contract For Geothermal Technology From The Army
Oct 15, 2013: New Report Shows Top U.S. Companies Investing Big in Solar
Oct 15, 2013: The US Corporate Boom In Solar Power Explained In Five Charts
Oct 14, 2013: Showcasing Solar Power: Free Home Tour Set For This Weekend
Oct 14, 2013: Triboelectric Generator Sources Power From The Sea
Oct 14, 2013:Report Highlights Investments Coming Into The Solar Energy Field
Oct 11, 2013: How Bill Gates Invested in Smart Grid Technology
Other News
Oct 17, 2013: Broker Names Former Hudson, Direct Energy Sales Exec as New President
============================================================================================
For the Week of 10/4/13 — 10/11/13
Today’s News Flash by Texas Electric News
News Flash Archive
Texas Headlines
Energy Future Holdings
Oct 10, 2013: Energy Future Holdings, Texas’ Biggest Power Generator, May File for Bankruptcy This Month
Oct 10, 2013: Energy Future Holdings Reportedly Close To $3B Loan
Oct 10, 2013: Energy Future Said Near Bankruptcy Loan Exceeding $3 Billion
Oct 9, 2013: Who’s Who of TXU (Advisers)
Oct 9, 2013: Fidelity Fails To Convince Fellow EFH Creditors Over Debt Restructuring Proposal
Oct 8, 2013: Energy Future Term Loan Drops Before November Coupon Payment Due
Oct 8, 2013: Fidelity Pitches Other Creditors on Energy Future Restructuring Plan
Generation Adequacy
Oct 10, 2013: ERCOT OKs Luminant Plan To Mothball Texas Coal Unit
Oct 10, 2013: ERCOT Approves Luminant To Partially Suspend 750 MW Coal-Fired Unit
Oct 10, 2013: Opinion: Electric Markets Research Foundation Releases Initial Report and Gets ERCOT Offer Cap Wrong
Oct 9, 2013: Texas Utility Commission To Weigh Changes To Market
Oct 9, 2013: Report: Correcting for Load Forecast Errors “Debunks” Myth ERCOT Facing Resource Adequacy Shortage
Oct 8, 2013: Texas Power Providers Seek Fees To Insure Generation Reserves
Oct 8, 2013: Debate Over State’s Power Reserves Raises More Questions
Oct 8, 2013: Resource Adequacy Hype Doesn’t Fit the Facts
Oct 8, 2013: 2011: Calpine Says “Far Too Soon” to Know Whether PJM Capacity Market A Success or Failure — Says Capacity Market Has “Proven Track Record” One Year Later
Oct 8, 2013: Opinion: Texas Market Monitor: “Not Sure” Any Capacity Market a “Good Facilitator” of Decision to Invest
Oct 8, 2013: Opinion: Texas Energy Consultant Details Innovative Generation Development Under Current Market Design
Oct 8, 2013: Koch Industries Unit To Buy Power Plant In West Texas
Oct 8, 2013: Koch Industries Unit To Buy 1,055 MW Gas-Fired Power Plant In Texas
Oct 8, 2013: Texas Representative Sylvester Turner Files Comments with PUCT before Today’s Resource Adequate Workshop
Oct 7, 2013: Moravec: Perils Of This Electricity Plan in ERCOT
Oct 7, 2013: Changes In ERCOT Electricity Market Carry Risks
Oct 7, 2013: PUCT Staff Posts Final Agenda for Today’s (10/8/13) Workshop on Resource Adequacy Project
Oct 7, 2013: PUCT Staff Posts Agenda for Oct 17 Workshop for Project No. 41641, Regarding Potential Impact of the Increases to the System-Wide Offer Cap on Retail Markets
Oct 7, 2013: Olivine, VEIC, and EnergyHub Join the Association for DR Smart Grid
Oct 6, 2013: PUCT New Commissioner’s Mission: Affordable, Reliable Power
Oct 7, 2013: Texas TDUs: Retail Electric Provider Capital Requirements Should Be Raised, If There Are Additional Risks in Market
Oct 4, 2013: Texas Developer Guadalupe Receives Air Quality Approval For New Gas Turbines
Headlines
Oct 10, 2013: Gov. Perry Appoints Baer to Office of Public Utility Counsel
Oct 10, 2013: Former PUCT Staffer Appointed to OPUC
Oct 10, 2013: Texas Regulators Take First Steps to Acquire Greenhouse Gas Permitting Authority
Oct 10, 2013: Report: American Electric Power Expects Stable Natural Gas, Volatile Coal Prices
Oct 9, 2013: Texas REP Would Pay $60,000 to Resolve Staff Investigation
Oct 9, 2013: FERC Alleges Violations by Constellation Division
Oct 9, 2013: SPP Set To Launch Transmission Congestion Rights As Market Redesign Progresses
Oct 8, 2013: El Paso Electric Announces Executive Appointments
Oct 8, 2013: CPS Cutting Rate-boost Bid 0.5%
Oct 8, 2013: Bonuses at CPS To Again Decrease
Oct 8, 2013: Proton Energy Formally Responds to Texas Staff Petition to Revoke REP Certificate
Oct 7, 2013: U.S. Supreme Court Won’t Hear Luminant Appeal On Emissions
Oct 7, 2013: Fitch Rates Lower Colorado River Authority’s Rev Bonds ‘A’; Outlook Stable
Oct 7, 2013: West Texas Better Prepared For An Energy Boom, Railroad Commissioner Says
Oct 7, 2013: Texas REP Seeks to Mandate $2 Million Shareholders’ Equity, $1 Million Letter of Credit for Certification as REP
Oct 7, 2013: EPA Must Reveal Papers on Luminant Oversight
Oct 5, 2013: Texas Regulators Approve Cost Recovery For SWEPCO’s Turk, Stall Plants
Oct 5, 2013: Comanche Peak’s Declining Value Proves Costly For Once-Flush Somervell County
Renewable Power
Oct 10, 2013: Gamesa To Equip Texas Wind Project With Wind Turbines
Oct 10, 2013: Solar Power When The Sun Goes Down
Oct 9, 2013: Gamesa to Supply Iberdrola Wind Farm in Texas With 202 Megawatts
Oct 9, 2013: Gamesa Will Deliver 101 G97-2.0 MW Wind Turbines In The Baffin Wind Farm Project, In Southern Texas
Oct 9, 2013: VW Selects Retail Supplier to Offer Green Power to EV Owners
Oct 9, 2013: American Wind Energy Association’s Statement to the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform on the wind energy Production Tax Credit
Oct 9, 2013: Will a New Guide for Regulators Settle the Debate About the Value of Rooftop Solar?
Oct 9, 2013: Battery-Stored Solar Power Sparks Backlash From Utilities
Oct 8, 2013: At SWSX ECO, NRG Energy Imagines An Eco Friendly Home Electric Generator
Oct 8, 2013: The Wind Behind Wind Power: Goodbye, PTC; Hello, Carbon Tax
Oct 8, 2013: Wind Turbine Blade Maker Ramps Up In US
Oct 7, 2013: New Proposals, New Hurdles For Mcallen’s Electric Bus Project
Oct 7, 2013: At Taylor High School, Students Experiment With Solar, Wind Power
Oct 7, 2013: Texas Launches Initiative To Promote Electric Vehicles
Oct 7, 2013: Battery-Stored Solar Power Sparks Backlash From Utilities
Oct 7, 2013: Margins Tightening As Solar Markets Mature
Oct 7, 2013: Update on US Wind: Most Components Made in USA
Oct 7, 2013: Wind Turbine Blade Manufacturer Adds U.S. Production And Jobs
Oct 4, 2013: Honda Selects S.A. For Hybrid Launch Partly For Its Hill Country Access
Oct 4, 2013: Duke Hunts More Wind Texas Funds
Oct 4, 2013: Austin Embraces a Future of Wind
Oct 4, 2013: Solar Vs Solar: Would-Be Utility Targets Rooftop Model
Oct 4, 2013: Bond strategy: Sell Treasurys, Buy … Solar, like Buffett?
Oct 4, 2013: Ikea To Sell Solar Panels In British Stores, But U.S. Must Wait
Oct 4, 2013: Clean Energy Fuels Wants You To Fill It Up With Landfill Gas
Other News
Oct 9, 2013: PJM investing billions to brace for Mother Nature
Oct 6, 2013: Tradition Energy Selected by Texas Community College Cooperative Purchasing Network
Oct 4, 2013: Railroad Commission Of Texas Taps CGI To Fuel Performance Gains
============================================================================================
For the Week of 9/27/13 — 10/4/13
Today’s News Flash by Texas Electric News
News Flash Archive
Texas Headlines
Energy Future Holdings
Oct 2, 2013: Fitch: Energy Future Holdings and OGX May Push 4Q High Yield Default Rate to 3.5%
Oct 2, 2013: Fidelity Hires Advisers For Energy Future Reshuffle Plan -Sources
Oct 1, 2013: Energy Future’s Debt Climbs After Making Bond’s Coupon Payment
Generation Adequacy
Oct 3, 2013: Texas Power Plant Obtains Permit As Developers Await PUC Action
Oct 3, 2013: Opinion: With 30 States Having No Electric Choice, Compete Coalition Decides to Air Ads in — Texas?? (Compete “Reliability” Radio Ads Warn of Texas “Power Shortages”)
Oct 2, 2013: Keeping The Lights On In Texas
Oct 2, 2013: Texas Public Policy Foundation Releases Paper Examining Capacity Markets: Reliability Concerns Do Not Warrant The Heavy Regulation Of A Capacity Market
Oct 2, 2013: Tanton: Texas Should Switch To A Capacity Market To Ensure Reliability
Oct 1, 2013: Battle Over Power Capacity In Texas Heats Up
Oct 1, 2013: Opinion: Exelon SVP: PJM Capacity Market a “Recipe” for What Can Happen in Texas
Oct 1, 2013: FERC Suspends PJM’s Sought Tariff Revisions to Change Demand Response Rules for Capacity Market Participation; Sets Technical Conference
Sept. 30, 2013: PUCT Staff files Agenda for October 8 Workshop for Resource Adequacy Project
Sept. 30, 2013: ERCOT Protocol Revision Filed to Shorten Settlement Timeline to Five Days
Sept. 30, 2013: ERCOT Receives NSO for AES Deepwater Units
Sept. 30, 2013: Talk To EPA About Carbon Pollution At Existing Power Plants
Sept. 30, 2013: Natural Gas Loses Steam For Power Generation
Sept. 27, 2013: PJM Called 5 Blackouts To Prevent Cascading Outages During September Heat Wave
Headlines
Oct 3, 2013: CPS Eyes New Cuts To Bonus Program
Oct 3, 2013: GEUS Explosion in Greenville Still Under Investigation
Oct 2, 2013: After Two Years, Texas Switch Holds Remain About 1% of Residential ESI IDs
Oct 1, 2013: Ron Binz Drops Out Of Consideration As FERC Chair
Oct 1, 2013: On-Site Power Delivers A Jolt To US Utilities
Oct 1, 2013: Balance of Power: Water Utilities Find Ways to Reduce Energy Costs through Demand Response
Oct 1, 2013: Cyberthreat Tsunami Threatens Utilities: DOE Awards $30 Million To Fight Back
Sept. 30, 2013: Texas TDUs File Fees for Advanced Meter Opt-Out
Sept. 30, 2013: Opinion: Texas TDUs’ Estimates of Customers Electing to Opt-Out of Advanced Metering Vary Widely
Sept. 30, 2013: Chicago’s Power2switch Service Acquired By Texas Firm
Sept. 30, 2013: Bill Gates Backs Power Grid Networking Startup Varentec
Sept. 30, 2013: Real-Time Monitoring Yields Payoffs in Power Distribution
Sept. 30, 2013: Is The Power Grid Ready for Worst-Case Scenarios?
Sept. 30, 2013: What Can Utilities Learn From This Past Summer?
Sept. 30, 2013: Texas Coalition for Affordable Power: Electricity Complaints Lowest Point Since Deregulation
Sept. 30, 2013: Report: Electric Deregulation Drives Complaints
Sept. 29, 2013: Watchdog: Is This The Worst Electricity Company In Texas?
Sept. 27, 2013: Fitch Affirms Texas Muni Power Agency Revs at ‘A+’; Outlook Stable
Sept. 30, 2013: Texas QSE to Pay $30,000 to Settle NSRS Non-Performance
Sept. 30, 2013: Choose Energy Acquires Competing Online Energy Shopping Platform, Business
Sept. 26, 2013: Smart Meters and Transactive Energy
Sept. 27, 2013: Yale Polls: Texans Aren’t As Different On Climate Issues As Some Might Think
Sept. 26, 2013: Obama Energy Nominee Ron Binz Becomes Climate Change Battleground
Renewable Power
Oct 2, 2013: Wind Power Project Coming to Crosby County in Texas
Oct 3, 2013: Texas Universities Exhibit At The Solar Decathlon And Drive Clean Energy Research
Oct 3, 2013: Wind Energy’s Tax Break Still Spins In Debate
Oct 3, 2013: Turning Wood Chips Into Gasoline? NJ Firm Hopes To
Oct 3, 2013: Tesla Model S Fire Points To Challenges For Electric Cars; Experts Vouch For Safety
Oct 3, 2013: Gates Has Another Punt On Clean-Tech
Oct 2, 2013: Congress Weighs Future of Wind Energy Tax Credit
Oct 2, 2013: US Air Force Trains For Combat On Wind Power
Oct 2, 2013: US Army Moves Toward Solar Energy to Save Lives
Oct 2, 2013: Tracking the Billions Invested in Residential Solar Finance
Oct 1, 2013: Texas Wind Power Growing Fast
Oct 1, 2013: Wind Farm Company Seeks Tax Break In Cameron County
Oct 1, 2013: Lower Natural Gas Prices Could Impact Solar, Wind
Oct 1, 2013: The Eagle Has Landed … On a Wind Turbine
Oct 1, 2013: Coalition to Congress: End the Wind Production Tax Credit Now
Sept. 30, 2013: EPA To Be Hit Hard In Shutdown, Could Delay Renewable Fuel Standard
Sept. 30, 2013: Exploding Fuel Tankers Driving U.S. Army to Solar Power
Sept. 30, 2013: First-Half U.S. Wind Power Production Up 20% Year-Over-Year
Sept. 30, 2013: Solar Power’s Growth Outpaces Wind Energy
Sept. 30, 2013: Supercomputers Improve Solar Power Forecasts
Sept. 30, 2013: Virtual Power Plants: A New Model for Renewables Integration
Sept. 27, 2013: Vestas Wins 400MW Wind Turbine Order In Texas
Sept. 27, 2013: Duke Energy Plans To Build 2 Texas Wind Projects Totaling 400 MW
Sept. 30, 2013: IKEA Starts Selling Solar Panels For Homes
Sept. 27, 2013: Wind Power Company Pattern’s Shares Rise 10 Percent In Debut
Sept. 27, 2013: Solar Industry Searches for Next Emerging US Markets
Other News
Oct 2, 2013: Source Power & Gas Names Retail Vets as New VPs of Direct, Channel Sales
Oct 1, 2013: Start-up Backed by Private Equity Receives Texas REP Certificate
Oct 1, 2013: Jellyfish Invasion Paralyzes Swedish Reactor
Sept. 30, 2013: Texas REP Granted Use of Trade Name Beyond Power
Sept. 30, 2013: Burglars Claiming To Be TXU Utility Workers Lure Elderly Couple Out Of Home To Steal Cash
===========================================================================
For the Week of 9/20/13 — 9/27/13
Today’s News Flash by Texas Electric News
News Flash Archive
Texas Headlines
Energy Future Holdings
Sept. 25, 2013: Who’s Who of TXU (Advisors)
Sept. 23, 2013: EFH Creditors Mull Strategy To Bridge Value Gap -Sources
Sept. 21, 2013: Schnurman: Energy Future Holdings’ Restructuring May Get Messy
Generation Adequacy
Sept. 26, 2013: E.P.A. Rules on Emissions at Existing Coal Plants Might Give States Leeway
Sept. 25, 2013: Texas Industrials Pose Alternate Plan to Steer Talk Away From Capacity Market
Sept. 24, 2013: Texas Industrial Customers: New Generation Being Built in Texas Belie Claims of Impending Disaster
Sept. 24, 2013: Opinion: Parent of Texas REP Says Electricity “Essential Part of Life”, Texans “Deserve Electric Service 100% of the Time” (Will REP Cease Disconnects for Non-Pay?)
Sept. 24, 2013: Opinion: Texas Customers Universal in Opposition to Mandated Reserve Margin, Capacity Market
Sept. 26, 2013: Opinion: Capacity Owner CFO: Experience in PJM Capacity Market Has Been Like “Whack-A-Mole”; Warns “Steel in the Ground” Being Replaced by New-Build Generation That “May Not Be There”
Sept. 26, 2013: Opinion: Constellation: Retail Business Challenged By Lack of Volatility, Competitors’ (Lack of) Pricing of Risk
Sept. 25, 2013: America’s Electric Infrastructure Too Dependent On Water
Sept. 24, 2013: ERCOT Board Brings Demand Response To The Real-Time Electric Market
Sept. 25, 2013: In Letter on Capacity Market, House Republicans Urge FERC to Ensure Wholesale Markets Don’t Become “Mere Administrative Constructs” Dependent on Increasing Inputs from Regulators
Sept. 23, 2013: Luminant’s Operations Mean A Lot To Rusk County
Sept. 22, 2013: Dallas-based Luminant Calls Obama’s Proposed Carbon Limits on Power Plants “Unworkable”
Sept. 22, 2013: White: Are Texas Power Plants The Cleanest Or The Dirtiest?
Sept. 22, 2013: Texas Electric Grid Getting Greener Even Before EPA Crackdown
Sept. 22, 2013: ERCOT Delays Implementation of NPRR 416, Creation of the RUC Resource Buyback Provision
Headlines
Sept. 26, 2013: Entergy Seeks Higher Rates By April
Sept. 26, 2013: Texas Staff Proposes Assessments On Reps To Fund Broadcasting Of PUCT Meetings
Sept. 26, 2013: Texas Staff File Draft to Implement Cease and Desist Authority
Sept. 26, 2013: Climate Panel: Warming ‘Extremely Likely’ Man-Made
Sept. 26, 2013: Senate Aide: White House Weighing Other Options For FERC Chair
Sept. 26, 2013: Atomic Goal: 800 Years of Power From Waste
Sept. 26, 2013: Upton, Green Propose Standardizing Energy Cross-Border Permitting
Sept. 26, 2013: Big Data From Smart Grid Tells Utilities More Than They Want To Know
Sept. 26, 2013: Coal Makes Comeback in U.S. Power Generation
Sept. 26, 2013: In Depth: The Debate Over the EPA’s New Carbon Capture Climate Scheme
Sept. 25, 2013: FERC Has Authority To Reform Power Planning, DC Circ. Told
Sept. 25, 2013: A Pause, Not an End, to Warming
Sept. 25, 2013: Nuclear power still viable, not valued in U.S. electricity market
Sept. 25, 2013: Fitch: Significant Erosion in Power Plant Valuations
Sept. 25, 2013: Are The Lights Going Out For Electric Utilities?
Sept. 25, 2013: Utilities Dumbstruck By Big Data From Smarter Grid
Sept. 25, 2013: Coal Reclaims Some Market Share Lost To Gas
Sept. 25, 2013: The Real War On Coal
Sept. 24, 2013: CenterPoint Energy Services marks one year of helping Houstonians save money on their electric bills
Sept. 25, 2013: Texas REPs Seek to Prohibit Use of Logo, Brand By Both Utility and Competitive Affiliate
Sept. 25, 2013: ERCOT Board Approves Loads in SCED Protocol
Sept. 24, 2013: Yale Survey: Most Texans Believe in Global Warming
Sept. 24, 2013: Utilities Tap Power of Social Media
Sept. 23, 2013: EPA’s Latest Limits Draw Little Protest in Texas
Sept. 23, 2013: Frisco Mayor’s Letter Outlines Opposition To Power Lines
Sept. 23, 2013: Northeast Texas Powered By Coal
Sept. 23, 2013: Fitch Rates NextEra Energy Capital Holdings’ Debentures ‘A-‘
Sept. 23, 2013: GEUS Board Expected To Approve Budget
Sept. 23, 2013: Fitch: EPA Proposal Would Limit Public Power’s Options
Sept. 23, 2013: EPA Chief Offers Glimpse Into Climate Rules for Existing Power Plants
Sept. 23, 2013: New-Build Coal Plants Get CO2 Emission Cap in EPA’s Draft Rules
Sept. 23, 2013: U.S. E.P.A. Proposes Standards To Cut Carbon Pollution From New Power Plants
Sept. 23, 2013: EPA Chief Downplays Business Impact Of Emissions Caps
Sept. 23, 2013: Interest Groups Deliver Their Reactions to EPA’s Carbon Rules for Power Plants
Sept. 20, 2013: Rate Unchanged for Some Xcel Customers in Texas
Sept. 20, 2013: Kerrville PUB Passes Budget, Gives Staff Raises
Sept. 20, 2013: World’s Top Climate Scientists Told To ‘Cover Up’ The Fact That The Earth’s Temperature Hasn’t Risen For The Last 15 Years
Sept. 21, 2013 Rep. Barton Is Fired Up About Obama’s “War On Coal”
Sept. 21, 2013: Pollution Rule Hurts Coal, Helps Other Sources
Sept. 21, 2013: Obama Moves To Limit Power-Plant Carbon Pollution
Sept. 21, 2013: Administration to Press Ahead With Carbon Limits
Sept. 20, 2013: Feds Propose First-Ever Rules To Curb Power Plant Carbon Emissions
Sept. 20, 2013: Will The USA’s New Power Plant Pollution Limits Kill Coal?
Sept. 20, 2013: Analysis: U.S. Industry Sees Carbon-Capture As Legal Chink In EPA Rules
Sept. 20, 2013: Obama Renews Support For FERC Nominee Despite Senators’ Concerns
Sept. 20, 2013: Energy Dept. Awards $30M For Improved Protection Against Cyberattacks
Renewable Power
Sept. 26, 2013: Duke Energy Renewables Two Build Two Wind Power Facilities Near Brownsville, Texas
Sept. 26, 2013: Google Nearly Doubles Wind Energy Portfolio
Sept. 26, 2013: In Search for Renewables, Google Finds More Texas Wind
Sept. 26, 2013: Google’s Solar Energy Investment Shows Signs Of Life
Sept. 26, 2013: Annual Solar Installs to Beat Wind for First Time
Sept. 26, 2013: Six Myths About Renewable Energy
Sept. 26, 2013: Green Mountain Energy Company Introduces First 100% Solar Electricity Offer in Texas
Sept. 26, 2013: Green Mountain Energy Offering Texas Customers New Product, Rebate Program To Help Build New Solar
Sept. 26, 2013: Duke Energy To Build Two Wind Power Projects In South Texas
Sept. 26, 2013: Duke to Expand Wind Power Projects in South Texas
Sept. 25, 2013: Largest Community-Owned Wind Farm Coming to Texas South Plains
Sept. 25, 2013: Malouff Gets 15 Years in Jonestown Wind Energy Fraud Case
Sept. 25, 2013: US Receives Mediocre Ratings For Energy Sustainability
Sept. 25, 2013: Renewable Gas Push Fueling Wild Swings In Ethanol Credit Prices
Sept. 25, 2013: U.S. Manufacturers Save $1 Billion, 11 Million Tons of CO2 through Energy Efficiency Investments
Sept. 25, 2013: Energi Partners with NREL to Evaluate Uninsurable Risk in Small Building Energy Efficiency Projects
Sept. 25, 2013: Intel, Apple, Kohl’s Win EPA Green Power Leadership Awards
Sept. 24, 2013: Country’s Largest Wind Farm Planned In Texas Panhandle
Sept. 24, 2013: Texas AG Files Lawsuit Against Solar Power Facility
Sept. 24, 2013: CPS Energy Will Take A Pass On Buying Power From North Texas Wind Farm
Sept. 24, 2013: IRS Extends Subsidy To Wind Power Producers
Sept. 24, 2013: Is America In An Innovation Boom?
Sept. 24, 2013: What Are the Impacts of High Wind and Solar Penetration on the Grid?
Sept. 23, 2013: Top California Democrat Travels To Texas To Honor Bush Center With Environmental Award
Sept. 23, 2013: Kohl’s Receives Green Power Award From The EPA
Sept. 23, 2013: Renewables Top 14 Percent of U.S. Electrical Generation
Sept. 23, 2013: Four Ways The Solar Boom Has Rattled Utilities
Sept. 23, 2013: Big Solar Is Having a Banner Year
Sept. 20, 2013: ERCOT Signs 631 MW Of Wind Projects For Interconnection
Sept. 21, 2013: Wind Power Generation Surges In Texas
Sept. 21, 2013: Wind Energy Export System at ERCOT Might Be Too Small
Sept. 21, 2013: Solar Energy Earns Rankings For Two Texas Cities
Sept. 20, 2013: Can Leasing Jump-Start Distributed Wind as It Has Done for Solar?
Sept. 20, 2013: Forced Localization – A Growing Threat To U.S. Solar Exports
Sept. 20, 2013: FERC Report Indicates U.S. Added Bioenergy Capacity in August
Sept. 20, 2013: The Smart Grid is Coming: Are You Ready?
Other News
Sept. 26, 2013: Constellation Sees Opportunity in Risk Products from Exit of Financial Players
Sept. 23, 2013: Home Energy Checkup Can Find Costly Ailments
==================================================
For the Week of 9/13/13 — 9/20/13
Today’s News Flash by Texas Electric News
News Flash Archive
Texas Headlines
Energy Future Holdings
Sept. 19, 2013: Creditors Circle Around Dallas-Based Energy Future Holdings
Sept. 17, 2013: Creditors Circle Energy Future Holdings Before Potential Bankruptcy
Sept. 17, 2013: Energy Future Holdings Creditors To Meet, But No Deal Close -Sources
Sept. 17, 2013: KKR to TPG Stakes Seen Cut Down in Energy Future Workout
Sept. 17, 2013: EFH Owners Dangle Bigger Cut For Creditors In Bankruptcy Offer
Sept. 17, 2013: EFH Creditors Seek Bigger Stake In Reorganization, Sources Say
Sept. 17, 2013: Energy Future Lenders Prepare Bankruptcy Plan: Corporate Finance
Generation Adequacy
Sept. 20, 2013: Opinion: Texas Mandated Reserve Margin, Capacity Market Would Be Inconsistent With Governor’s Competitiveness Council, State Energy Plan
Sept. 20, 2013: ISO New England: “Difficult” to Call Capacity Market a Success When Resources Fail to Perform, and NERC Violation Occurs
Sept. 19, 2013: FERC Members Focus On Electric Capacity Markets Ahead Of Wednesday Meeting
Sept. 19, 2013: Luminant Officials Clarify Reports Of ‘Shutdown’
Sept. 19, 2013: Texas Eyes PACE Loans to Boost Energy Efficiency
Sept. 19, 2013: Texas, Where Oil Rules, Turns Its Eye To Energy Efficiency
Sept. 17, 2013: Luminant To Shut 3rd Texas Coal Unit, Citing Low Power Prices
Sept. 17, 2013: Dallas-based Luminant Seeks to “Suspend Operations” at Martin Lake Power Plant Unit Due to Cheap Electricity Prices
Sept. 17, 2013: Luminant To Suspend Operations At Third Texas Coal-Fired Unit
Sept. 18, 2013: ERCOT Announces Posting of Updated Backcast Tool For Interim Solution B+
Sept. 17, 2013: Opinion: ISO-NE Capacity Market Fails
Sept. 16, 2013: Texas Agency Puzzled By Summer Power Use That Didn’t Materialize
Sept. 16, 2013: Northeast Capacity Owner CEO Warns of “Disastrous” Consequences from Current Capacity Market Design; Calls Markets “Not Sustainable”
Sept. 16, 2013: Opinion: Pennsylvania PUC Chair Cites “Reliability,” “Jobs” Concerns from Plant Closure, Validating Other States’ Long-Term Contracting; Capacity Owner Cites Market “Dysfunction” in PJM
Headlines
Sept. 20, 2013: Proton Energy Denies Allegations by Texas Staff, Alleges Misuse of Power
Sept. 19, 2013: PUCT Seeks To Suspend Fort Worth-Based Electricity Provider
Sept. 19, 2013: West Texas Municipal Power Agency Chairman Confirms Non-Posted Lunch Meeting Ahead Of Budget Vote
Sept. 19, 2013: CPS Execs Grilled Over Bonuses
Sept. 19, 2013: Fitch Upgrades $2B MidAmerican Energy Co Sr Unsecured Notes to ‘A+’; Outlook Stable
Sept. 19, 2013: EPA Moves To Limit Emissions Of Future Coal- And Gas-Fired Power Plants
Sept. 19, 2013: Top Climate Scientists Admit Global Warming Forecasts Were Wrong
Sept. 19, 2013: Utilities Contend White House Carbon Capture Mandate Is Premature
Sept. 19, 2013: DOE to Bolster Grid Cyber Security with $30M
Sept. 19, 2013: US Making Progress On Gas-Electric Coordination: US FERC Staff
Sept. 19, 2013: Odds Grow Longer for Obama’s Nominee to U.S. Energy Panel
Sept. 18, 2013: Head of LCRA Announces Resignation
Sept. 18, 2013: City To Fight El Paso Electric Co.’S Request To Expand Montana Power Station, Increase Fee
Sept. 18, 2013: Texas Staff Seek to Revoke Retail Electric Provider’s Certificate
Sept. 18, 2013: North Texans Learning To Live Off The Grid
Sept. 18, 2013: Hearing Leaves Ron Binz With Few Votes To Spare
Sept. 18, 2013: An Unusual Public Battle Over An Energy Nomination
Sept. 18, 2013: University Of Texas-Environmental Defense Fund Shale Gas Study Unmasks Politics Of Anti-Fracking Activist Cornell Scientists
Sept. 18, 2013: Reliability Ensures Coal’s Future
Sept. 18, 2013: Google Puts More Wind In Its Sales
Sept. 18, 2013: Google Is On the Way to Quietly Becoming an Electric Utility
Sept. 17, 2013: TXU Launches Refer-a-Friend Program with Unlimited Earning Potential
Sept. 17, 2013: Reliant Launches New App
Sept. 17, 2013: LP&L Hires New General Counsel, Will Play ‘Key Role’ In Securing Power Supply
Sept. 17, 2013: CPS Set To Revise Its Bonus Program
Sept. 17, 2013: American Electric Power To Reaffirm 2013 Operating EPS Guidance
Sept. 17, 2013: Power Plant Carbon Standards: The EPA Should Use the Clean Air Act’s Flexibility to Help Reduce Emissions
Sept. 17, 2013: 4 Reasons Why the EPA Rules Won’t Change Coal’s Outlook
Sept. 17, 2013: USDA To Fund Electric Power Grid Upgrades In Seven States Including Texas
Sept. 17, 2013: Three Regulatory Models That Could Help Utilities Embrace the Future
Sept. 17, 2013: FERC: Leveling the Power Transmission “Playing Field”
Sept. 17, 2013: FERC Clarifies Order Accepting MISO’s Resource Adequacy Plan For Integrating LSEs
Sept. 17, 2013: Conservatives Go All Out Against FERC Nominee
Sept. 17, 2013: Wyden: FERC Does Not Pick Energy Winners and Losers
Sept. 16, 2013: Duke Energy’s Battery Storage Project In Texas Wins Top North American Award
Sept. 16, 2013: The 50 Dirtiest Power Plants In The U.S. Generate More Pollution Than Most Countries
Sept. 16, 2013: Fracking May Not “Significantly Contribute” To Global Warming After All
Sept. 16, 2013: NMA Warns New Power Plant Rules Means Higher Utility Bills
Sept. 16, 2013: Policy Changes Needed As US Power System Is Remade: Report
Sept. 16, 2013: States Warn EPA Of Fight Over Power Plant GHG Rules
Sept. 16, 2013: USDA Provides Millions More In Smart Grid Funding
Sept. 16, 2013: NRG Retail Business Acquires Customer Book of Texas REP
Sept. 15, 2013: Austin Energy To Collect Legal Fees From Suburban Customers
Sept. 12, 2013: CPS’ Deely Power Plant Unit Still Closed After Tuesday’s Blast
Sept. 14, 2013: Straus Names Rep. Johe Frullo of Lubbock To Energy Council
Renewable Power
Sept. 19, 2013: Google’s Texas Wind Power Bluff
Sept. 19, 2013: Dallas Getting Greener, Environmental Group Says
Sept. 19, 2013: Abbott Calls Out Farmers Branch Solar Company’s “Made In The USA” Claim
Sept. 19, 2013: NREL Highlights 2012 Utility Green Power Leaders
Sept. 19, 2013: Capturing Solar Energy in Space for the World’s Remotest Region
Sept. 19, 2013: FERC: US Connected 578MW Of Large-Scale PV In August
Sept. 19, 2013: Utility Targets Driving Commercial Solar Energy Storage
Sept. 18, 2013: The Texas Wind Rush: It Started With An Unlikely Leader
Sept. 18, 2013: Google Makes Texas Wind Farm Agreement
Sept. 18, 2013: Volkswagen Says It Will Bring Electric Vehicle To U.S. In Two Years
Sept. 18, 2013: Cities Take Up Energy Conservation Charge
Sept. 18, 2013: Vestas and EDF in US Wind Turbine Deal
Sept. 18, 2013: Why Are Some Big Utilities Embracing Small-Scale Solar Power?
Sept. 18, 2013: Infograhic: State of US Solar 2013
Sept. 18, 2013: Commercial Solar Market: The Big Boom To Come
Sept. 17, 2013: Austin Ranks High Among U.S. Energy-Efficient Cities
Sept. 17, 2013: Utility-Scale Solar Grows But Not In North Texas
Sept. 17, 2013: Texas Purchase Marks Google’s Biggest Energy Deal Yet
Sept. 17, 2013: Google To “Buy” 100% Of Electricity From 240 MW Texas Wind Farm
Sept. 17, 2013: Homeowners Take Shine to Solar
Sept. 17, 2013: GM Takes On Tesla With Plans For 200-Mile Electric Car
Sept. 17, 2013: Washington Gas Energy Systems Selected by U.S. Army as a Solar Technology Contractor on $7 Billion Renewable Energy Multiple Award Task Order Contracts
Sept. 17, 2013: Arista Power Receives $625,000 U.S. Army Contract To Continue Development Of Intelligent Micro-Grid System
Sept. 17, 2013: First Wind Selected for Multiple Award Task Order Contract by U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Sept. 17, 2013: Study Says Clean Energy Best Answer To U.S. Power Costs
Sept. 17, 2013: Using Technology to Monitor and Maintain Wind Turbines
Sept. 16, 2013: Book Excerpt: “Go Get Smart on Wind”
Sept. 16, 2013: SheerWind Develops the World’s First 25MW Wind Tower
Sept. 16, 2013: Moxa to Demonstrate Cloud-Based Solar System Monitoring at Solar Power International in Chicago
Sept. 16, 2013: Wind Investments Blow Pickens Off The Forbes 400 List
Sept. 16, 2013: ACORE’s Renewable Energy in the 50 States: Western Region Report Illustrates How States Are Leading the Way Toward Sustainable Power
Sept. 16, 2013: Solar Plane Pioneers Team Up with Google
Sept. 13, 2013: Group Calls for New Texas Building Code
Sept. 15, 2013: ‘Blend Wall’ Closes In, And Lobbies Spar Over Impact
Sept. 13, 2013: Utilities Add Solar, But Panel Growth Slows Elsewhere
===============================================
For the Week of 9/6/13 — 9/13/13
Today’s News Flash by Texas Electric News
News Flash Archive
Texas Headlines
Energy Future Holdings
Sept. 12, 2013: Former TXU’s Likely Bankruptcy is Not the Final Chapter on Utility Restructuring
Sept. 11, 2013: Chances Slim For Prepackaged Bankruptcy For Energy Future
Sept. 11, 2013: TXU’s Imminent Bankruptcy Reveals Deregulation’s Failure
Sept. 10, 2013: Analyst: Energy Future Holdings Could File for Bankruptcy by Nov. 1
Sept. 9, 2013: Moody’s: Energy Future Holdings Bankruptcy Coming Soon
Sept. 9, 2013: Energy Future Holdings Bankruptcy Would Rank Among Biggest In Decades
Sept. 9, 2013: Moody’s Puts Energy Future Holdings On Bankruptcy Watch
Sept. 9, 2013: Moody’s: Energy Future Holdings Corp. Bankruptcy Likely By End Of Year
Sept. 6, 2013: Energy Future Holdings, Texas Competitive CDS Show Severe Stress
Generation Adequacy
Sept. 12, 2013: Texas Advances Operating Reserves Demand Curve, Sets Major Parameters, NPRR to Be Issued Next Week
Sept. 12, 2013: Texas Generator Submits Seasonal Mothball Notice
Sept. 11, 2013: ERCOT Prepared for Upcoming Fall and Winter Demand
Sept. 12, 2013: Opinion: Paying for Mandated Reserve Margin, Capacity Market Can’t Save Customers in Ohio, Pennsylvania, Michigan from Involuntary Load Shed, Outages due to Lack of Available Supply
Sept. 12, 2013: Opinion: With Blackouts in Capacity-Market Dependent PJM, Texas Has Its Answer on Whether It Needs Mandated Reserve Margin
Sept. 12, 2013: Texas Generator Pushes for Capacity Market Day After Capacity Market RTO Forced to Involuntarily Shed Load Due to Inadequate Supply
Sept. 10, 2013: Mild Temperatures Cool Off Texas Electricity Prices In August
Sept. 10, 2013: EIA: Cooler Temperatures In August Keep Peak Prices Lower In Texas Power Market
Sept. 11, 2013: Opinion: Mandated Texas Reserve Margin Would Waste Investment in Smart Meters; Make Customers Subsidize REP R&D
Sept. 9, 2013: With a Cooler-than-Normal August, Texas Grid Catches a Break
Sept. 10, 2013: Opinion: Economist: “Vast Majority” of Capacity Market Payments in RTOs Go To “Resources That Are Economic” That Will “Operate The Same” Regardless of Capacity Payment
Sept. 10, 2013: Texas Public Policy Foundation’s Q&A on Texas Electricity Market
Sept. 8, 2013: More and More, Proposed Changes to Texas Electricity Market Just Look Like Windfall for Generators
Headlines
Sept. 12, 2013: LCRA Energizes Its Final CREZ Transmission Line
Sept. 12, 2013: Entergy Ranks as National Leader in Economic Development for Six Consecutive Years
Sept. 12, 2013: Texas REP to Pay $28,000 to Resolve Staff Investigation on Unauthorized Switches
Sept. 12, 2013: Push For More Energy Regulation Lamented By Politicians, Execs At Bush Institute Conference
Sept. 12, 2013: Environmental Group Says Coal Power Plants Are “Putting Texas In The Frying Pan”
Sept. 12, 2013: 50 “Dirtiest” U.S. Power Plants Release More Greenhouse Gases than All But 6 Nations
Sept. 12, 2013: Coal Industry Cries Foul Over Obama Emission Rules
Sept. 12, 2013: Report: Obama Admin To Propose Sweeping Coal Regs
Sept. 12, 2013: Obama Said To Ban New Coal Plants Without Carbon Controls
Sept. 11, 2013: Entergy Texas Warns of Dangers of Stealing Electrical Equipment, Metal
Sept. 11, 2013: 140-Mile Electric Transmission Line Working Texas
Sept. 11, 2013: El Paso Electric Plans To Add Pair Of 88-MW Peaking Units To Power Station
Sept. 11, 2013: Bastrop Electric Utility Sues Tree Trimmer Over 2011 Wildfires
Sept. 11, 2013: Obama to Ban New Coal Plants Without Costly Carbon Controls
Sept. 11, 2013: U.S. Nuclear Power in Decline
Sept. 11, 2013: Anfield Group Says Incentives Needed to Protect Nation’s Power Grid From Cyber Attacks
Sept. 11, 2013: Texas Named Top State for Doing Business By Area Development Magazine; Perry Says Government Needs to “Get Out of the Way”
Sept. 10, 2013: Centerpoint Energy Amends And Extends Credit Facilities Totaling $2.1 Billion
Sept. 10, 2013: CPS Closes Deely Unit after Explosion
Sept. 11, 2013: Texas A/S Provider to Pay $52,000 Under Settlement Related to Non-Spin Deployment
Sept. 10, 2013: Biggest Polluters In U.S. Ranked By Greenhouse Gas Emissions In New Report
Sept. 10, 2013: Report: Texas Ranks 1st In Power Plant Carbon Emissions
Sept. 10, 2013: Microgrids: Sandy Forces Rethink Of US Power Supply
Sept. 10, 2013: Electric Utility Lobbying Declines, But Focus On Cybersecurity Remains
Sept. 10, 2013: Report: 76% Of Utilities Plan To Procure Grid Data Analytics Software
Sept. 10, 2013: Our Fragile, Challenged Electric System
Sept. 10, 2013: TruSmart Energy Offering New Time-Based, Usage-Based Products in Texas
Sept. 9, 2013: Texas Boasts Most Modern Power Grid In The Country
Sept. 9, 2013: Few Protest CPS Rate Increase
Sept. 9, 2013: Wyden, Feinstein Statement on CFTC, FERC Energy Market Oversight
Sept. 8, 2013: Delays Call Into Question Entergy’s Plan To Spin Off Electricity Transmission To Itc Holdings
Sept. 9, 2013:Texas Staff File Draft to Implement List of REPs Offering Bill Assistance to Military Veterans with Severe Burns
Renewable Power
Sept. 12, 2013: Fast Park Completes Solar Install At Texas Airport Facility
Sept. 12, 2013: EDF Renewable Energy Signs 200 MW Wind Turbine Deal With GE
Sept. 12, 2013: Texas Shows Transmission Benefit For Wind Power
Sept. 12, 2013: Efficiency Bill May Energize A Wider Debate
Sept. 12, 2013: Electric Car Can Charge Four Times Faster Than Previous Models
Sept. 12, 2013: Wind Industry Missing Out On Potential Sources Of Bank Financing, US Official Says
Sept. 12, 2013: U.S. Installs 832 MW of Solar PV in Q2 2013, According to New U.S. Solar Market Insight Report
Sept. 11, 2013: CPS Energy Lets Some Sun Shine In
Sept. 11, 2013: How Texas Dealers Slammed The Door On Tesla
Sept. 11, 2013: First Wind takes Route 66 in Texas
Sept. 11, 2013: Westerly Wind Sells Texas Wind Project to First Wind
Sept. 11, 2013: Wind Industry Expects Upswing Through 2013, Sees Potential For Another 13 GW From PTC
Sept. 11, 2013: ACCIONA Shortlisted for U.S. Army Wind Power Projects Under $7 billion Renewable Energy Program
Sept. 11, 2013: Combination Of Solar And On-Site Storage An Emerging Threat To Utilities
Sept. 11, 2013: Direct Energy Teams Up To Finance Solar Plants
Sept. 11, 2013: SolarCity And Direct Energy Create US$124 Million Solar Investment Fund
Sept. 11, 2013: DOE Announces Funding For Hydrokinetic Power Projects
Sept. 11, 2013: Federal Biologists Tally ‘Alarming’ Eagle Deaths At U.S. Wind Farms
Sept. 10, 2013: U.S. Army chooses 17 companies for $7 billion wind energy build-out
Sept. 10, 2013:Wind Turbines no Longer a Threat to the US Army
Sept. 10, 2013: Solar Power, Energy Storage to Create Billion-dollar Industry
Sept. 10, 2013: US Navy Battery Testing Facility Goes Solar
Sept. 10, 2013: How Utilities Use Solar Energy To Woo Customers
Sept. 10, 2013: Direct Energy Business Customers May Get a Deal on Solar Electricity
Sept. 10, 2013: Honda Says Accord Hybrid Has MPG Lead Amid Mileage Fray
Sept. 10, 2013: Comment: Tidal Gaining Traction In The U.S?
Sept. 9, 2013: The Largest Federal Wind Farm in Texas Will Power The Dismantling Of Nuclear Weapons
Sept. 10, 2013:Direct Energy and SolarCity Sign Multimillion Dollar Deal to Expand Distributed Solar
Sept. 9, 2013: Clean Energy: Don’t Believe The Shakeout Hype
Sept. 9, 2013: Rooftop Solar Panels Become New Enemy Of U.S. Firefighters
Sept. 9, 2013: Stanford Scientists Calculate The Energy Required To Store Wind And Solar Power On The Grid
Sept. 9, 2013: Wind Energy Company Launches $320 Million IPO
Sept. 6, 2013: Texas Has The Largest Solar Potential In The Country
Sept. 6, 2013: NRG Energy Calls Off 10-MW Texas Solar Project
Sept. 6, 2013: Wind Power Generation Reducing Use Of Baseload Capacity In Southwest Power Pool
Sept. 8, 2013: New Solar Device Kills Germs On Surgical Equipment (And Everything Else)
Sept. 6, 2013: Physicists Find A Compound To More Efficiently Convert Waste Heat To Electrical Power
Sept. 6, 2013: How to Harness the Power of 70,000 Suns
Sept. 6, 2013: Why the US Military is Falling in Love with Electric Vehicles
Sept. 6, 2013: How Energy Storage Is Transforming The Electric Power System
Sept. 6, 2013: Energy Department Loses $42m On Clean-Energy Loan To Mich. Van Company
Sept. 6, 2013: Overcoming Obstacles in Wind Energy Construction
Other News
Sept. 12, 2013: Start-Up Texas REP Seeks License, Use of Name “Nova Power”
Sept. 12, 2013: Pioneer Power Re-applies for Texas REP Certificate
Sept. 11, 2013: Palo Alto College To Offer Gas And Technology Degrees
Sept. 10, 2013: TNMP Announces Date for REP Workshop
Sept. 10, 2013: Texas REP Files to Use Trade Name Beyond Power
Sept. 10, 2013: Retail Energy Group Issues Tips for Consumers on Dealing with Door-to-Door, Telesales
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For the Week of 8/30/13 — 9/6/13
Today’s News Flash by Texas Electric News
News Flash Archive
======================================================================
Special Reports by Competitive Assets –Do you need to know how to make CONFIDENTIAL filings at the Public Utility Commission of Texas? –Do you find the description in the PUCT rules is just not enough to know how to prepare them? –Perhaps you have had a confidential filing rejected by the PUCT staff. –Or perhaps you have new staff in charge of this task at your company and they are not accustomed to the detailed requirements of the PUCT for these filings. Competitive Assets has solutions for you. Written by our expert familiar with PUCT filings, these reports can guide you to make successful confidential filings at the PUCT:
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=============================================================
Generation Adequacy
Sept. 5, 2013: Texas Power Neared $5,000 Cap Tuesday after Plants Shut
Sept. 5, 2013: Report: Real-Time Co-Optimization in ERCOT Would Cost Less Than 1% of Annual Capacity Market Costs
Sept. 5, 2013: Opinion: Arizona Commissioner Frustrated with Polarization of Retail Choice Investigation, Suggests Hearing and Issues Supplemental Questions — Texas Capacity Issues to Take Center Stage
Sept. 4, 2013: ERCOT Anticipates Plenty of Power for Fall and Winter
Sept. 3, 2013: No electricity Shortage Expected in Fall, Winter
August 29, 2013: Texas Regulators Advance Plan to Raise Prices When Supplies Tighten
Sept. 3, 2013: Generation Owner: PJM Capacity Market “Deeply Flawed,” and “Needs to be Fixed on Many Levels”
Headlines
Sept. 5, 2013: Customers in Greenville Keeping Tabs on Thermostat
Sept. 5, 2013: Lubbock Power & Light looks for transparency, cost savings with hire of new CFO
Sept. 5, 2013: CPS Promises More Transparency in Future Energy Deals
Sept. 5, 2013: Sierra Club Ramps Up Climate Fight Against Gas-fired Power Plants
Sept. 5, 2013: FERC Reveals Intention to Consider Loosening Dividend Payment Restrictions
Sept. 4, 2013: Power Grid Down Drill To Be Conducted By US Government
Sept. 4, 2013: Grid Security Exercise / Grid Security Conference 2013 by NERC
Sept. 4, 2013: Experts Suggest Various Causes for Earthquakes in East Texas
Sept. 4, 2013: Smart Meters are Getting Smarter at Distributing Electricity
Sept. 4, 2013: 43 Percent of Energy Leaders Plan to Invest More in Efficiency Next Year, According to Schneider Electric Survey
Sept. 4, 2013: Nuclear Trashmen Gain From Record U.S. Reactor Shutdowns: Energy
Sept. 4, 2013: New Utility Case Study Released by the Association for Demand Response & Smart Grid
Sept. 3, 2013: Frisco City Council Opposes High-voltage Transmission Lines
Sept. 2, 2013: Oil Booms Strain on ERCOT Electrical Grid Continues
Sept. 2, 2013: Slaves’ Descendants Fight Coal Mining Company to Keep Land
Sept. 3, 2013: Greenhouse-Gas Fight Escalates
Sept. 3, 2013: Once-powerful Nuclear Industry Starts to Sputter Out
Sept. 3, 2013: Electric Utilities Benefit From Line Design Software on the Cloud
Sept. 2 , 2013: Choose Energy Grows Online Partnership with Electricity Supplier, TriEagle Energy, Achieves Significant Milestone
Sept. 2, 2013: Texas Grid Leads the Way
Sept. 3, 2013: Meeting Future Energy Needs, Reducing Costs and Building the Local Economy
August 30, 2013: Opinion: Lamar Smith, Hold Climate Hearings in Texas
Renewable Power
Sept. 5, 2013: Solar Panels Rise in Walmart Parking Lot
Sept. 5, 2013: Agricultural Energy Consumers Association: One Million Broken Promises: Legislation Would Harm Solar Energy Users, Billions of Dollars Jeopardized
Sept. 5, 2013: Boost from the Sun Could Help Gas Power Plants Generate More Electricity, Run More Cleanly
Sept. 4, 2013: Geothermal Power Rising Worldwide
Sept. 5, 2013: Geothermal Power Has Nearly Doubled Since ’96
Sept. 5, 2013: State’s Wind Power Industry Surges
Sept. 4, 2013: Midland ISD Hopes to Save Millions with New Energy Specialists
Sept. 4, 2013: My Cleantech Journey: From California to Texas and Beyond
Sept. 4, 2013: US Adds 976MW New Solar PV Capacity In 2Q As California Sets Record
Sept. 4, 2013: US Leads, Europe Second as Wind Industry Spends $430 Million on Patent Protection
Sept. 4, 2013: U.S. Holds its First Offshore Wind Energy Lease Auctions
Sept. 4, 2013: US Solar Capacity to Total 50GW by End of 2016, Says Deutsche Bank
Sept. 4, 2013: Skanska Reveals Plans for New Energy Corridor Development in Houston
Sept. 3, 2013: Ocean Energy to Get a Wave of Federal Funding
Sept. 3, 2013: Wind Turbine Demand to Drop for First Time in Five Years
Sept. 3, 2013: US Leads, Europe Second as Wind Industry Spends $430 Million on Patent Protection
Sept. 3, 2013: Government Subsidies Help Power Progress in Renewable Energy
Sept. 3, 2013: Army’s Big Renewables Buy Turns To Solar
August 30, 2013: Valero Adjusts Renewable Energy Portfolio
August 28, 2013: Texas Ranks in Top 10 for New Clean Energy Jobs
August 30, 2013: Texas Land Commissioner Patterson Considers On-site Power Generation from Natural Gas, Wind Energy
August 30, 2013: How Xcel Saved $22 Million with Weather and Wind Forecasting
Sept. 2, 2013: Wave Energy Technology Produces both Clean Water and Clean Energy
Sept. 1, 2013: Modern Electric Cars Look to the Past
Other News
Sept. 1, 2013: South Texas Students Unsure of Finishing Program
==========================================================
For the Week of 8/23/13 — 8/30/13
Today’s News Flash by Texas Electric News
Texas Headlines
Energy Future Holdings
August 28, 2013: Doctors Ask State to Cut Air Pollution from Martin Lake, other Coal-fired Power Plants
August 28, 2013: Luminant Response to Ongoing Environmental Activism Campaign
August 28, 2013: Wind Surge Saps Bondholder Hope for Energy Future Payout
August 27, 2013: Doctors, Environmental Groups Want Tighter Emissions Limits on Energy Future Holdings’ Coal Plants
August 27, 2013: Dallas Doctors Ask Texas to Clean Up Luminant’s Coal Plants, Citing Asthma, Heart Attacks, and “Premature Death”
August 27, 2013: Dallas County doctors Enter the Fray over Luminant’s Oldest Coal Plants
August 26, 2013: State Lets Near-bankrupt Luminant Expand Mines
August 26, 2013: Texas Lets Company Near Bankruptcy Expand Mines
Generation Adequacy
August 29, 2013: PUCT Inches Ahead on Plan to Address Power Reserve Issue
August 30, 2013: Texas Commission to Address Question of Mandated Reserve Margin; Directs Drafting of Operating Reserves Demand Curve Protocols
August 28, 2013: Opinion: Study: Texas Capacity Market to Cost $4.7 Billion Annually
August 28, 2013: NRG Study: Texas Will See Outages, $14 Billion in Losses Under Current Electricity Market
August 23, 2013: Power Prices Gain on Texas Grid as Hotter Weather Lifts Demand
August 24, 2013: A Kilowatt Saved is a Kilowatt Earned
August 23, 2013: FERC Staff Report: Centralized Capacity Market Design Elements
August 26, 2013: Opinion: FERC Staff Report Confirms Capacity Market Designs Not Ready for Prime Time, Texas Implementation
Headlines
August 29, 2013: GEUS at Greenville, Texas Starts Rate and Cost of Service Study
August 29, 2013: NextEra Energy Announces Settlement Rate for Equity Units Issued in September 2010
August 29, 2013: One Of The Largest U.S. Electric Utilities, AEP, To Deploy PRiSM Online Condition Monitoring Software
August 29, 2013: Power, Gas Industries Argue for Some Control on Communications
August 29, 2013: Texas to Hold Workshop on REP Collateral Requirements, POLR Rates, Other SWOC Impacts; Issues Questions for Comment
August 28, 2013: Texas Electric Trucks Could Run On The Wind
August 28, 2013: Texas Owns Title of the Country’s ‘Best Business Climate’
August 28, 2013: Opinion: Texas Ranked “Best Business Climate” by Business Facilities Despite (Or Because of?) Energy-Only Market
August 28, 2013: Georgetown Considers Changes to Electric, Water Rates
August 28, 2013: As Worries Over the Power Grid Rise, a Drill Will Simulate a Knockout Blow
August 28, 2013: New Data Shows Shifting US Energy Landscape, as Petroleum Exports Soar
August 27, 2013: Fraud Charges over Jonestown Wind Energy Project Go to Jury
August 27, 2013: UT Study Finds South Texas Quakes Tied to Oil Production
August 27, 2013: Hundreds Oppose Possible Paths for New Utility Line in West Frisco
August 27, 2013: Texas Electric Co-op Taps Itron For Smart Meter Deployment
August 27, 2013: Electricity Demand Patterns Matter for Valuing Electricity Supply Resources
August 27, 2013: Energy Secretary: Emission Cuts to be ‘Practical’
August 27, 2013: Entergy’s Nuclear Exit Positions Industry For Accelerated Rebound
August 27, 2013: GE and XD Electric Launch Global Transmission and Distribution Partnership
August 27, 2013: Smart Grids Opt for Deployment of ‘Synchrophasor Technologies’
August 27, 2013: Texas Generator Files Complaint at PUC Regarding ERCOT Settlement, Manual Override of High Dispatch Limit
August 27, 2013: Frontier Utilities Names New VP to Lead Commercial & Industrial Growth
August 27, 2013: Texas REP Names New CEO, Management Additions
August 27, 2013: National Petroleum and Fuels Marketer Launching Retail Energy Supply Business, Seeks Texas License
August 25, 2013: U.S.Electrical Grid on the Edge of Failure
August 23, 2013: Texans are No Slouches on Power Use
August 24, 2013: LCRA Suit Against Georgetown May Continue, Court Rules
August 26, 2013: Commodity Futures Trading Commission “Not of the View” that Retail Energy Transactions Fall Within Dodd-Frank Regulated Exchange Section
August 25, 2013: Western Union’s Failed Plan To Drive the Digital Revolution Is A Cautionary Tale For Electric Utilities
Renewable Power
August 28, 2013: Just Add Water: GE, Berkeley Lab Explore Possible Key to Energy Storage for Electric Vehicles
August 28, 2013: Willacy County, Texas Reaps wind Farm Windfall
August 29, 2013: Army Qualifies 22 Companies to Build Solar Projects under $7B Renewable Energy RFP
August 29, 2013: DOE Invests $16 million to Harness Wave and Tidal Power
August 29, 2013: Energy Efficiency Finding New Approaches
August 28, 2013: Who’s the Greenest? Environment Texas Releases 2013 Scorecard
August 28, 2013: PetersenDean Roofing and Solar Announces New Home Solar Fund
August 28, 2013: Wind Projects Form New Hale County LLC in Texas
August 28, 2013: Malouff Found Guilty in Wind Energy Fraud Case
August 28, 2013: Novel Combination Ensures Entire Solar Spectrum Harnessed
August 28, 2013: Energy Storage: Important New Industry
August 28, 2013: NREL: Wind, Solar Energy Won’t Need Federal Help by 2025
August 28, 2013: US Army Awards Contracts to 22 Solar Developers
August 27, 2013: Renewable Energy Provides 14% of US Electrical Generation During First Half of 2013
August 27, 2013: Solar Stocks Have a Day in the Sun, or Is It Just a Flare?
August 27, 2013: All of the Above” Energy Means More Fracking, Renewables, Nukes and Clean Coal
August 27, 2013: Tesla outsells Porsche, Jaguar, others in California
August 27, 2013: When a wind turbine comes knocking: Wind farms have no impact on home values
August 27, 2013: Valuation of Solar Generation Assets
August 25, 2013: Defense Spreads the Blame for Failed Wind Energy Project
August 25, 2013: Ethanol Advances Versus Gasoline as Heat Wave May Slow Output
August 25, 2013: Distributed Generation Poses Existential Threat To Utilities
August 25, 2013: When Energy Dreams Fall Short
August 23, 2013: Solar Power: Texas College Moves Forward Using Green Energy
August 23, 2013: In Texas, Big Wind Benefits From New Transmission
August 23, 2013: Renewable Energy Generates Jobs in Texas, Nationwide
August 22, 2013: Mortenson Construction Begins Construction on Spinning Spur II Wind Project in Texas
August 22, 2013: Concrete Key to Bigger Wind Towers
August 22, 2013: How Big Power Companies Are Trying To Quash The Disownership Economy
Other News
August 29, 2013: TXU Energy Named Official Electricity Sponsor of Baylor Athletics
August 28, 2013: Amerex Energy Services Launches New Website
August 29, 2013: NRG Launching New Retail Brand to Engage Customers to Think Differently About Energy, Offering Customization, 2-Cent Sundays, NFL-Themed Products in Northeast
August 25, 2013: Trees Available to Oncor Customers
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For the Week of 8/16/13 — 8/23/13
Today’s News Flash by Texas Electric News
News Flash Archive
Texas Headlines
Energy Future Holdings
August 22, 2013: David Stockman: The Texas Gas Bubble Massacre
August 21, 2013: Oncor Worth 8% Less After Interest Rates Rise, CreditSights Says
August 20, 2013: Luminant Will Fight DOJ Clean Air Act Lawsuit, Says it Is “Without Merit”
August 20, 2013: Luminant Says it Will Contest New EPA Lawsuit
August 19,2013: Marathon’s Richards Sees TXU Debt Restructuring Before November
August 16, 2013: U.S. sues Dallas-based Luminant, Alleging Coal plant Violations
August 16, 2013: Justice, EPA Sue Luminant on Emissions from two Texas Coal Plants, but the Public isn’t Allowed to Read the Suit Yet
August 18, 2013: Dallas Based Luminant Sued For Pollution
Generation Adequacy
August 22, 2013: Industrial Growth will Add Pressure to Texas Power Grid, Analysts Say
August 22, 2013: Companies Plan New Generation Even as Texas Power Reform Stalls
August 22, 2013: Texas Appeals Court Dismisses Coal-fired Las Brisas Case
August 21, 2013: Texas Names Third Utility Commissioner as Power Woes Loom
August 21, 2013: Rick Perry Names his Former Chief of Staff to PUC
August 21, 2013: Can a Tweak to Texas’ Energy Market Unlock Demand Response?
August 21, 2013: Could Texas Power Market be Rigged? It’s Happened Before
August 20, 2013: Opinion: Competitive Suppliers in Arizona: Outlook for Dire Resource Adequacy Consequences in Texas “Wholly Overstated”
Headlines
August 22, 2013: Back to School Contributes to Morning Electricity Spikes, TXU Energy Finds
August 22, 2013: NRG’s Reliant and ThinkEco Bring Energy-Saving Technology to Texas Businesses
August 22, 2013: NRG Energy to Offer Demand Response Capability Through Acquisition of Energy Curtailment Specialists
August 22, 2013: Former Retail Energy Vice President Launching New Online Auction Energy Broker
August 23, 2013: Texas Aggregator Adopts New Trade Name
August 22, 2013: Spicewood Property Owners Sue Pedernales Electric Cooperative over 2011 Wildfire
August 22, 2013: Councilman Klein seeks stabilized utility rates, citizen task force for Lubbock Power &Light
August 22, 2013: Projects in Texas to Keep Xcel Crews Busy
August 21, 2013: Oncor Offers Trees, Energy Savings Through New Program
August 21, 2013: Texas Coal Plant Permit Fight Dropped Amid Finance Woes
August 21, 2013: Utility Co-op Proposes Substation Project, Transmission Line Through Frisco
August 21, 2013: 10 Years After Record Blackout, is U.S. Any Better Prepared?
August 21, 2013: NERC to Hold 2nd Industrywide Grid Security Exercise
August 20, 2013: Texas-sized Power Bills Dwarf Electricity Use in Other States
August 20, 2013: Retail Supply Companies 2013 Inc. 5000 Rankings
August 20, 2013: Justice Department investigating JPMorgan Chase
August 20, 2013: Xcel Energy Subsidiary Southwestern Public Service Company Announces Debt Financing
August 20, 2013: FERC Works to Remove Barriers to Transmission Provider, Pipeline Communications
August 20, 2013: Sharyland Reports Number of Texas REPs Testing to Participate in Retail Choice in 2014, Sends Notice of Choice to Customers
August 19, 2013: ERCOT Updates App with Electricity Prices and New Look
August 19, 2013: Poor Texans’ Electric Bills to Dive, Then Go Back Up
August 19, 2013: In Texas Shale Patch, Drillers Bring Power to the Pump
August 19, 2013: Power Companies Dangle Free Nights and Weekends
August 19, 2013: U.S. Power Plants, Utilities Face Growing Cyber Vulnerability
August 17, 2013: Harker Heights Officials Demand Electricity Refund
August 19, 2013: MISO Files CONE Value Applicable to Texas Capacity Obligation
August 19, 2013: Texas Court Allows CenterPoint Utility to Collect Additional Charges from REPs
August 16, 2013: CPS Energy Rate Request Needs Thorough Look
August 16, 2013: Private Equity Preps for Power Plays in U.S. Electricity
August 16, 2013: Nuclear Plants Still Vulnerable in Many Ways, Says Univ. of Texas Report
August 15, 2013: California Ratepayers Get $750 Million in Energy Crisis Settlement
Renewable Power
August 22, 2013: The Most Attractive States for Renewable Energy
August 21, 2013: Wind Power Capacity Expanding Rapidly in U.S
August 21, 2013: Remote Sensing Will Play an Increasingly Important Role in the Wind Power Market
August 20, 2013: Pattern, GE, Citi Enter Texas Panhandle Wind Market
August 20, 2013: Construction Begins on Texas Panhandle Wind Power Project
August 20, 2013: A Solar System Is Installed in the US Every 4 Minutes
August 20, 2013: Using Dynamic Pricing to Balance Solar Power With the Smart Grid
August 20, 2013: Cost of Solar Power to Drop 75% by 2020? US Military Embraces It
August 19, 2013: University of Texas at Brownsville’s ‘Green’ Center to Close
August 19, 2013: In Texas, Oil is Big But Solar is Cheap
August 19, 2013: GE and Sandia Work on Quieter and More Productive Wind Turbines
August 19, 2013: DOE Starts Construction on New Wind Project
August 19, 2013: Defense Accuses State of ‘Selective Prosecution’ in Wind Energy Fraud Case
August 19, 2013: How Solar Power and Ice Energy Can Play Together
August 19, 2013: IBM Expert Says Utilities Should Become ‘Energy Malls’
August 18, 2013: Solar Price Trend is Sunny in Texas
August 16, 2013: Texas Claims Cheapest Solar Installations
August 17, 2013: Trash Into Gas, Efficiently? An Army Test May Tell
August 16, 2013: GE, DOE Sandia Labs Explore Low-Noise Wind Turbines; Mark Jonkhof Comments
August 15, 2013: NRG Energy Inc (NRG), Duke Energy Corp (DUK), Tesla Motors Inc (TSLA): The Future of Electric Energy
Other News
August 19, 2013: Free Shade Trees for North Texas Oncor Customers
====================================================================================
For the Week of 8/9/13 — 8/16/13
Today’s News Flash by Texas Electric News
News Flash Archive
Texas Headlines
Energy Future Holdings
August 12, 2013: Report: Energy Future Holdings Might Be Pushed into Bankruptcy by the End of the Year
August 11, 2013: Creditors Push Energy Future Towards Restructure
August 12, 2013: Senior Creditors Press for Debt Restructuring at Buyout-owned EFH
August 12, 2013: Fitch Affirms Oncor’s IDR at ‘BBB’; Outlook Stable
August 11, 2013: Energy Future Edges Closer to Restructuring
Generation Adequacy
August 15, 2013: Power: Capacity Payments Wrong Tool to Fix a Real Problem
August 13, 2013: Texas PUC Chair Nelson Weighs Capacity, Reserve Market Issues
August 9, 2013: Big Users in Texas Oppose Major Change to Stretched Power Market
August 10, 2013: Two Years and Counting on Looming Power Shortages
August 10, 2013: Divided Utility Commission Debates Policy, Waits for Perry’s Appointee
August 9, 2013: Opinion: NRG CEO Admits Merchant Build “Nearly Impossible” in Any Market, Including Capacity Markets, As Texas Chair Nelson Says Capacity Market Warrants Exploration
August 9, 2013: Wind Energy Helps ERCOT Through Third-highest Demand in its History
Headlines
August 15, 2013: Conserving Water Important for Texas
August 15, 2013: UT Austin Study: All 107 U.S. Nuclear Reactors Vulnerable to Terrorists
August 15, 2013: DOE Selects Ten Projects including Texas to Conduct Advanced Turbine Technology Research
August 15, 2013: The Right Way to Make the Business Case for Self-healing Smart Grids
August 15, 2013: The Nation’s Electric Grid: Looking Back at 2003 and How Far We’ve Come
August 15, 2013: Businesses Back Greenhouse Gas Emissions Law
August 15, 2013: On Climate Change, Obama, EPA Plan Action Without Congress
August 15, 2013: Relentless And Disruptive Innovation Will Shortly Affect US Electric Utilities
August 15, 2013: Texas REP Promoting Free NFL Sunday Ticket, Up to $500 in Incentives
August 14, 2013: Neighbors Helping Neighbors Pay Energy Bills in San Antonio
August 14, 2013: CPS Bills Could Carry an Extra Fee
August 14, 2013: Mexico Proposes Opening Up Electric Sector to Competition
August 14, 2013: J.D. Power Reports: Customers of Texas Retail Electric Providers Are More Satisfied Than Customers of Regulated Utilities, Driven Primarily by Price
August 14, 2013: 2013 Texas Residential Retail Electric Provider Customer Satisfaction Study
August 14, 2013: Conservatives ID Next Confirmation Fight: FERC
August 14, 2013: Opinion: Lower Rates Driving Increased Satisfaction Among Texas Retail Customers with Choice; JD Power Reports Top-Ranked REPs
August 14, 2013: Texas REP Undergoing Change in Brand
August 14, 2013: Texas Commission Requests Comments in First Step in Reviewing Utility-Competitive Affiliate Rules, Restrictions
August 13, 2013: TXU hits 100,000 Customers on Free Nights and Weekends
August 13, 2013: Tips to Save Money in the Summer Heat
August 13, 2013: Stopping Copper Theft Becomes Big-time Business
August 13, 2013: Regulator: New Nuke Plant Now Wouldn’t Make Sense
August 13, 2013: Market Speculation on Perry’s PUCT Appointment
August 13, 2013: Nearly 100,000 Have Selected a TXU Energy Right Time Pricing Plan
August 12, 2013: Entergy Reminds Louisiana Customers to be Wary of Scam Artists
August 12, 2013: NRG completes Yield IPO; Brings on Lots of New Generation
August 12, 2013: Power Companies Urged to Shield U.S. Electric Grid From Weather
August 12, 2013: Texas Approves Smart Meter Opt-Out, Assigns Obligations to REPs, TDUs
August 12, 2013: Noting Concern, Texas Commission Adopts Settlement Allowing Glacial Energy of Texas, Inc. to Retain REP Certificate
August 12, 2013: NRG Retail Margins Down on Supply Costs, C&I Pressure
August 11, 2013: Temporary Power Companies Growing in Eagle Ford
August 9, 2013: Entergy, ITC Holdings Withdraw Grid Sale Plan in Texas
August 9, 2013: Entergy, ITC to Refile Texas Merger Application
August 11, 2013: CPS Energy’s Rate Increase Needed
August 11, 2013: City Council Members Skeptical of CPS Rate Increase
August 10, 2013: Oil, Gas Growing into Key Piece of Austin’s Economy
August 9, 2013: Fitch Affirms Sam Rayburn Muni Power Agency, TX Rev Rfdg Bonds Ser 2012 at ‘BBB+’; Outlook Stable
August 11, 2013: Just Energy: Not in Acquisition Mode
August 11, 2013: At a Glance: The Rising Cost of Power Outages
August 10, 2013: 10 Years After Blackout, US Grid Face New Threats
Renewable Power
August 15, 2013: Engineer Recounts ‘Red Flags’ in Jonestown Wind Energy Project
August 15, 2013: Behind Closed Doors, Utilities Grapple With New Strategies on Renewable
August 15, 2013: Intermittent Nature of Green Power Is Challenge for Utilities
August 15, 2013: Costs of Solar Energy Continue to Fall in the US
August 15, 2013: Analyst: Utilities Challenged By Spread Of Solar
August 15, 2013: Strassel: Behind an Ethanol Special Favor
August 15, 2013: States Target Hybrids As Gas Tax Revenues Ebb
August 15, 2013: Ford to Restate Hybrid Gas Mileage
August 15, 2013: Energy Dept. Reports: U.S. Wind Energy Production and Manufacturing Reaches Record Highs
August 15, 2013: GE, Sandia National Lab Discover Pathway to Quieter, More Productive Wind Turbines
August 14, 2013: Tesla to Debut Vehicle ‘Supercharger’ in San Marcos
August 14, 2013: Utility Companies Push Back On Solar Incentives
August 14, 2013: Solar Power to Trump Shale, Helped by US military
August 14, 2013: Solar, Geothermal Projects Touted at Green Energy Summit
August 13, 2013: Green Groups Present Climate Denier Award To Texas Senator
August 13, 2013: Interior Secretary Announces Solar and Geothermal Projects that Advance President’s Climate Action Plan
August 13, 2013: NNSA and Siemens Break Ground on Federal Government’s Largest Wind Farm in Texas
August 13, 2013: Government Owned Wind Energy Project in Texas Breaks Ground
August 13, 2013: Largest Federally-owned Wind Farm to Power Texas Nuclear Weapons Plant
August 13, 2013: Obama Signs Hydropower Bills
August 13, 2013: Solar Wind Energy Tower, Inc. Files Key Patent
August 12, 2013: Solar Advocates Want to Double Austin Energy’s Solar Use
August 12, 2013: Starwood Energy Acquires Stephens Ranch Wind Project in Texas
August 12, 2013: Let It Blow! Wind Power Swells @ US Farms
August 12, 2013: IBM Unveils Wind And Solar Forecasting System For Utilities
August 12, 2013: New IBM Wind & Solar Forecasting System Helps Optimize Renewable Energy Development
August 12, 2013: Green Power Offsets Makes It Easy To Offset Energy Consumption On New Web Site
August 12, 2013: A Tea Party Leader Explains why She’s Teaming Up with the Sierra Club to Push for Solar Power
August 12, 2013: Solar Energy Seen as a Threat by Utilities
August 12, 2013: Alfredo Moser: Bottle Light Inventor Proud to be Poor
August 11, 2013: Largest Federal Wind Farm, to Be Built in Texas, Could Save the Government Millions
August 9, 2013: BMW Picks Austin as Key Market for Electric Car
August 9, 2013: Wind Energy Accounted for Majority of New Electricity Generation in 2012
August 9, 2013: Conservatives are Starting to Get Behind Solar Power
August 9, 2013: Big-Box Retailers Turn To Solar, How Can Electric Utilities Adapt
August 9, 2013: Texas Could Benefit from IBM’s HyRef System for Managing Renewable Energy
==================================================================================
For the Week of 8/9/13 — 8/16/13
Today’s News Flash by Texas Electric News
News Flash Archive
Texas Headlines
Energy Future Holdings
August 12, 2013: Report: Energy Future Holdings Might Be Pushed into Bankruptcy by the End of the Year
August 11, 2013: Creditors Push Energy Future Towards Restructure
August 12, 2013: Senior Creditors Press for Debt Restructuring at Buyout-owned EFH
August 12, 2013: Fitch Affirms Oncor’s IDR at ‘BBB’; Outlook Stable
August 11, 2013: Energy Future Edges Closer to Restructuring
Generation Adequacy
August 15, 2013: Power: Capacity Payments Wrong Tool to Fix a Real Problem
August 13, 2013: Texas PUC Chair Nelson Weighs Capacity, Reserve Market Issues
August 9, 2013: Big Users in Texas Oppose Major Change to Stretched Power Market
August 10, 2013: Two Years and Counting on Looming Power Shortages
August 10, 2013: Divided Utility Commission Debates Policy, Waits for Perry’s Appointee
August 9, 2013: Opinion: NRG CEO Admits Merchant Build “Nearly Impossible” in Any Market, Including Capacity Markets, As Texas Chair Nelson Says Capacity Market Warrants Exploration
August 9, 2013: Wind Energy Helps ERCOT Through Third-highest Demand in its History
Headlines
August 15, 2013: Conserving Water Important for Texas
August 15, 2013: UT Austin Study: All 107 U.S. Nuclear Reactors Vulnerable to Terrorists
August 15, 2013: DOE Selects Ten Projects including Texas to Conduct Advanced Turbine Technology Research
August 15, 2013: The Right Way to Make the Business Case for Self-healing Smart Grids
August 15, 2013: The Nation’s Electric Grid: Looking Back at 2003 and How Far We’ve Come
August 15, 2013: Businesses Back Greenhouse Gas Emissions Law
August 15, 2013: On Climate Change, Obama, EPA Plan Action Without Congress
August 15, 2013: Relentless And Disruptive Innovation Will Shortly Affect US Electric Utilities
August 15, 2013: Texas REP Promoting Free NFL Sunday Ticket, Up to $500 in Incentives
August 14, 2013: Neighbors Helping Neighbors Pay Energy Bills in San Antonio
August 14, 2013: CPS Bills Could Carry an Extra Fee
August 14, 2013: Mexico Proposes Opening Up Electric Sector to Competition
August 14, 2013: J.D. Power Reports: Customers of Texas Retail Electric Providers Are More Satisfied Than Customers of Regulated Utilities, Driven Primarily by Price
August 14, 2013: 2013 Texas Residential Retail Electric Provider Customer Satisfaction Study
August 14, 2013: Conservatives ID Next Confirmation Fight: FERC
August 14, 2013: Opinion: Lower Rates Driving Increased Satisfaction Among Texas Retail Customers with Choice; JD Power Reports Top-Ranked REPs
August 14, 2013: Texas REP Undergoing Change in Brand
August 14, 2013: Texas Commission Requests Comments in First Step in Reviewing Utility-Competitive Affiliate Rules, Restrictions
August 13, 2013: TXU hits 100,000 Customers on Free Nights and Weekends
August 13, 2013: Tips to Save Money in the Summer Heat
August 13, 2013: Stopping Copper Theft Becomes Big-time Business
August 13, 2013: Regulator: New Nuke Plant Now Wouldn’t Make Sense
August 13, 2013: Market Speculation on Perry’s PUCT Appointment
August 13, 2013: Nearly 100,000 Have Selected a TXU Energy Right Time Pricing Plan
August 12, 2013: Entergy Reminds Louisiana Customers to be Wary of Scam Artists
August 12, 2013: NRG completes Yield IPO; Brings on Lots of New Generation
August 12, 2013: Power Companies Urged to Shield U.S. Electric Grid From Weather
August 12, 2013: Texas Approves Smart Meter Opt-Out, Assigns Obligations to REPs, TDUs
August 12, 2013: Noting Concern, Texas Commission Adopts Settlement Allowing Glacial Energy of Texas, Inc. to Retain REP Certificate
August 12, 2013: NRG Retail Margins Down on Supply Costs, C&I Pressure
August 11, 2013: Temporary Power Companies Growing in Eagle Ford
August 9, 2013: Entergy, ITC Holdings Withdraw Grid Sale Plan in Texas
August 9, 2013: Entergy, ITC to Refile Texas Merger Application
August 11, 2013: CPS Energy’s Rate Increase Needed
August 11, 2013: City Council Members Skeptical of CPS Rate Increase
August 10, 2013: Oil, Gas Growing into Key Piece of Austin’s Economy
August 9, 2013: Fitch Affirms Sam Rayburn Muni Power Agency, TX Rev Rfdg Bonds Ser 2012 at ‘BBB+’; Outlook Stable
August 11, 2013: Just Energy: Not in Acquisition Mode
August 11, 2013: At a Glance: The Rising Cost of Power Outages
August 10, 2013: 10 Years After Blackout, US Grid Face New Threats
Renewable Power
August 15, 2013: Engineer Recounts ‘Red Flags’ in Jonestown Wind Energy Project
August 15, 2013: Behind Closed Doors, Utilities Grapple With New Strategies on Renewable
August 15, 2013: Intermittent Nature of Green Power Is Challenge for Utilities
August 15, 2013: Costs of Solar Energy Continue to Fall in the US
August 15, 2013: Analyst: Utilities Challenged By Spread Of Solar
August 15, 2013: Strassel: Behind an Ethanol Special Favor
August 15, 2013: States Target Hybrids As Gas Tax Revenues Ebb
August 15, 2013: Ford to Restate Hybrid Gas Mileage
August 15, 2013: Energy Dept. Reports: U.S. Wind Energy Production and Manufacturing Reaches Record Highs
August 15, 2013: GE, Sandia National Lab Discover Pathway to Quieter, More Productive Wind Turbines
August 14, 2013: Tesla to Debut Vehicle ‘Supercharger’ in San Marcos
August 14, 2013: Utility Companies Push Back On Solar Incentives
August 14, 2013: Solar Power to Trump Shale, Helped by US military
August 14, 2013: Solar, Geothermal Projects Touted at Green Energy Summit
August 13, 2013: Green Groups Present Climate Denier Award To Texas Senator
August 13, 2013: Interior Secretary Announces Solar and Geothermal Projects that Advance President’s Climate Action Plan
August 13, 2013: NNSA and Siemens Break Ground on Federal Government’s Largest Wind Farm in Texas
August 13, 2013: Government Owned Wind Energy Project in Texas Breaks Ground
August 13, 2013: Largest Federally-owned Wind Farm to Power Texas Nuclear Weapons Plant
August 13, 2013: Obama Signs Hydropower Bills
August 13, 2013: Solar Wind Energy Tower, Inc. Files Key Patent
August 12, 2013: Solar Advocates Want to Double Austin Energy’s Solar Use
August 12, 2013: Starwood Energy Acquires Stephens Ranch Wind Project in Texas
August 12, 2013: Let It Blow! Wind Power Swells @ US Farms
August 12, 2013: IBM Unveils Wind And Solar Forecasting System For Utilities
August 12, 2013: New IBM Wind & Solar Forecasting System Helps Optimize Renewable Energy Development
August 12, 2013: Green Power Offsets Makes It Easy To Offset Energy Consumption On New Web Site
August 12, 2013: A Tea Party Leader Explains why She’s Teaming Up with the Sierra Club to Push for Solar Power
August 12, 2013: Solar Energy Seen as a Threat by Utilities
August 12, 2013: Alfredo Moser: Bottle Light Inventor Proud to be Poor
August 11, 2013: Largest Federal Wind Farm, to Be Built in Texas, Could Save the Government Millions
August 9, 2013: BMW Picks Austin as Key Market for Electric Car
August 9, 2013: Wind Energy Accounted for Majority of New Electricity Generation in 2012
August 9, 2013: Conservatives are Starting to Get Behind Solar Power
August 9, 2013: Big-Box Retailers Turn To Solar, How Can Electric Utilities Adapt
August 9, 2013: Texas Could Benefit from IBM’s HyRef System for Managing Renewable Energy
==================================================================================
For the Week of 8/2/13 — 8/9/13
Today’s News Flash by Texas Electric News
News Flash Archive
Texas Headlines
Energy Future Holdings
August 7, 2013: The Nuclear Plant that Helps Keep North Texans Cool
August 6, 2013: Fitch Downgrades the IDRs of EFH and EFIH to ‘CC’
August 2, 2013: TXU Loans Indicate Debt Restructure Before November Interest Due
August 2, 2013: Money Tightening at Energy Future Holdings
August 2, 2013: Energy Future Holdings Quarterly Loss Narrows to $71 Million
August 3, 2013: Cache of Spent Fuel Rods Grows at Comanche Peak as U.S. Disposal Stalemate Drags On
Generation Adequacy
August 8, 2013: News Release: ERCOT Experiences Third Highest Demand in History, Generation Keeps Up
August 8, 2013: Texas Power Use Hits High for this Summer, Third-highest Ever
August 8, 2013: ERCOT Demand Remains High after Wednesday Level Tops 2012 Peak
August 8, 2013: ERCOT Grid Takes the Heat, Sets 2013 Record for Power Use
August 8, 2013: Energy and Water are Running Out in Texas, But It is Not Too Late
August 6, 2013: Texas Grid is Expected to Reach Record Breaking Peak
August 7, 2013: Opinion: FirstEnergy CEO Says PJM Capacity Market Has “Fundamental Flaws” Which “Impede Investments,” “Impact Reliability”
Headlines
August 9, 2013: NRG Retail Business Sees Uptick in Customer Growth Rate
August 9, 2013: Just Energy Net Customer Growth Down Slightly on Record Gross Additions
August 9, 2013: Constellation Units to Pay $42,500 Under Texas Settlements
August 9, 2013: Texas Staff File Proposal to Require REPs to Notify Municipalities of Multi-family Dwelling Disconnections
August 9, 2013: CenterPoint Utility to Cease Charging Transition Charge to Texas REPs
August 8, 2013: El Paso Electric Commissions Rio Grande Unit, Scales Back 2013 CapEx Assumptions
August 8, 2013: Entergy Brings Nuclear Unit Back Online After Fatal Accident
August 8, 2013: First Wind-Oriented CREZ Link Energized in West Texas
August 8, 2013: NRG Energy Acquires Corpus Christi, Texas Cogeneration Plant
August 7, 2013: What Does It Mean For Energy Efficiency To Be A Resource In Texas?
August 7, 2013: Possible Power-lines Project Alarms San Benito Residents
August 7, 2013: The Electric Industry: Understanding Cyber Risk is Key to Resource Allocation
August 7, 2013: Will Microgrids Destroy Traditional Utilities… or Save Them?
August 7, 2013: Electric Power Demand Falls to Lowest Level Since 2009
August 6, 2013: Power Subsidy for Powerless Taking Hits
August 6, 2013: US Nature Gas Boom Sucks Nuclear Power into Downdraft
August 6, 2013: ETT Energizes 345kV Riley to Edith Clarke Transmission Line in West Texas
August 6, 2013: ETT Energizes Transmission Lines for Renewable Energy in Texas
August 6, 2013: Who’s Really Controlling the Grid?
August 6, 2013: How Vulnerable Are Power Companies To Cyberattack?
August 5, 2013: ETT Energizes First of Seven CREZ Transmission Lines in West Texas; Others Slated for Completion by Year-end
August 5, 2013: Two CREZ Line Project Workers Plunge to their Death
August 5, 2013: Where Two Big Thirsts Collide: The Nexus of Energy and Water
August 3, 2013: Texas REP Offering $600 Incentive for Enrollment
August 5, 2013: Texas REPs Would Remain Responsible for Collecting Monthly Smart Meter Opt-Out Fee Under Staff Proposal
August 5, 2013: Texas Staff File Proposal to Allow Affiliate to Assume REP’s Non-Volunteer POLR Obligation
August 3, 2013: Council Seeks Clear Path on Lubbock Power &Light
August 3, 2013: Collin County Man Convicted in Fake Power Plant Case
August 3, 2013: House Limits Obama on Environment Regulations
August 2, 2013: Dynegy Sees Drop in Gas Generation Volume on Low Spark Spreads
August 2, 2013: FERC Approves MISO Proposal for Multi-period Monthly FTR Auctions
Renewable Power
August 8, 2013: Why A Former Energy Secretary Thinks Texas Should Lead The Country In Clean Energy
August 8, 2013: Several Texas Power Companies Have Made a Big Push into Wind Energy
August 8, 2013: McAllen Resurrects Electric Bus Project
August 8, 2013: What Is the Best Solar Power Plant Technology to Cut Land Costs?
August 8, 2013: State Renewable-energy Laws Turn Out to be Incredibly Hard to Repeal
August 7, 2013: Tesla Shares Get A Charge Out Of Another Surprise Profit
August 7, 2013: Texas Renewables 2013 Explores the Shifting Texas Energy Market
August 7, 2013: The Road That Gives Electric Vehicles A Charge
August 7, 2013: Study Finds Price of Wind Energy in the U.S. Near All-time Low
August 7, 2013: EIA: Wind, Solar & Biofuels Seeing Good Growth
August 7, 2013: EPA Screens Thousands of Contaminated Sites for Renewable Energy Potential
August 7, 2013: How West Texas Wind Power will Reach North Texas
August 6, 2013: Texas Breezes Along as US Wind Power Leader
August 6, 2013: Q&A with Kate Galbraith on Wind, Water and Leaving Texas
August 6, 2013: EPA Revisits Ethanol Mandate as Fuel Use Slips
August 6, 2013: EPA Eases Rule on Renewable Fuels
August 6, 2013: US Refiners, Plagued by RINsanity, See “Half Step” on Biofuels
August 6, 2013: Are Electric Vehicles the Answer?
August 6, 2013: A Hankering for Hybrids
August 6, 2013: U.S. Wind Power Fastest-growing Energy Source in 2012, Report Says
August 6, 2013: U.S. Wind Power Coming Closer to Home
August 6, 2013: Texas Tops the Country in Wind Power, According to Energy Department
August 6, 2013: First Solar Acquires US and Mexico Portfolio from Element Power
August 6, 2013: Xcel Energy Looks to Increase US Wind Energy Capacity by 30%
August 5, 2013: Texas Leads the Way in Wind Energy
August 5, 2013: Not Too Little Wind Energy, But Too Much
August 5, 2013: Ironically, Texas Embraces Renewable Energy in ‘The Great Texas Wind Rush’
August 2, 2013: Bank Enters 10-Year Deal To Power Texas Branches With Green Energy
August 5, 2013: UCLA Researchers Double Efficiency of See-Through Solar Power
August 3, 2013: Austin Solar Company Heliovolt Raises Another $9.5 Million, Lays Groundwork for Expansion
August 4, 2013: Ozone Survey for Central Texas Ends Thursday
August 5, 2013: BBVA Compass Selects Electric Supplier for 300 Branches Under Deal Brokered By Choice! Energy Services
August 2, 2013: Wind Power Advances in U.S. with First Offshore Lease Auction
August 2, 2013: BP Drops Plan to Sell Wind Farms
August 2, 2013: Solar Could Supply One-third of Power in U.S. West
August 2, 2013: Big Nuke Company Decides Renewables are a Better Bet in the U.S.
=========================================================
For the Week of 7/26/13 — 8/2/13
Today’s News Flash by Texas Electric News
News Flash Archive
Texas Headlines
Energy Future Holdings
August 2, 2013: Losses at Energy Future Holdings Shrink
August 2, 2013: Energy Future Holdings Reports Second Quarter 2013 Results
August 2, 2013: TXU Parent Sees Churn Continue at Lower Rate During Q2
August 1, 2013: Luminant’s Comanche Peak Unit 2 Achieves 20 Years of Operations
Generation Adequacy
August 1, 2013: ERCOT Going Full Speed as 100-Degree Days Return
August 1, 2013: ERCOT to Hit 65,000 MW Peak Load for First Time This Year
August 1, 2013: New PUCT Commissioner Should Push For More Energy Efficiency In Texas
August 2, 2013: Direct Energy Now Sees Market Purchases, Not Generation Ownership, as Best Mechanism to Manage Texas Super-peaks, Weather Risk
August 2, 2013: Opinion: Centrica Exec’s Comments Highlight How Capacity Market Would Put Independent Texas REPs Out of Business
July 31, 2013: Power Prices Gain on Texas Grid as Hotter Weather Boosts Demand
July 31, 2013: Opinion: Texas REPs: Administrative Pricing Imposing Costs on Us = Bad; Administrative Costs Imposed on Load = Good
July 30, 2013: Challenges Facing Power Generators in ERCOT
July 29, 2013: Solar and Wind Get Higher Capacity Values From ERCOT: Texas Takes a Step Toward Becoming a Capacity Market
July 29, 2013: Cleaning Up Coal Plants in Texas
Headlines
August 1, 2013: Xcel Energy Management Discusses Q1 2013 Results
August 1, 2013: Why an Easy Energy-Efficiency Bill Is So Hard
August 1, 2013: Energy Secretary Moniz: ‘There’s no war on coal’
August 1, 2013: U.S. Rep. Murphy Seeks to Block New Carbon Dioxide Regulations
August 1, 2013: Experts Advocate an Executive Approach to Cyber Attacks
July 31, 2013: CPS Looking to Raise its Rates 4% to 5%
July 31, 2013: Exelon’s CEO Discusses Q2 2013 Results
August 1, 2013: Exelon: Retail Environment Remains “Challenging,” Cuts Margin and Volume Outlook
July 31, 2013: Direct Energy Chief Credits Team in Big Buys
August 1, 2013: Direct Energy’s Increased Scale Offsetting Lower Margins
July 31, 2013: Texas Energy Provider Gives Free Power at Night to Electric Car Owners
July 31, 2013: EDF Begins Withdrawal From U.S. Nuclear
July 31, 2013: Goliad TX Residents Appeal EPA Ruling on Uranium Mining
July 31, 2013: Kochs Hire Ex-Cantor Aide to Lobby against Carbon Tax
July 31, 2013: Opinion: Former Texas PUC Chair Urges Smart Meter Opt-Out, Asks PUC to Minimize Opt-Out Costs
July 31, 2013: Texas REP Source Power & Gas Launches Phase 1 of Smart Grid Strategy
July 30, 2013: Direct Energy Business Announced for Buying Hess Energy Marketing Business (Including Retail Supply) in $1 Billion Transaction
July 30, 2013: Oncor Transmission Line Projects Underway
July 30, 2013: Texas Now Has Nearly 48 percent of the Country’s Oil and Gas rigs
July 30, 2013: JPMorgan Looks to Pay to Settle U.S. Inquiries
July 30, 2013: With New Head of EPA, Battles With Texas Likely to Continue
July 30, 2013: Guess What Happened When Two States Tried to Stop the EPA’s Greenhouse Gas Rules
July 29, 2013: Texas Coalition for Affordable Powers: Member Cities Receive Summer Dividends
July 25, 2013: CenterPoint Energy Declares $0.2075 Quarterly Dividend
July 29, 2013: Laguna Madre-area Residents Lose Power Monday
July 29, 2013: JPMorgan Pays Hefty Sum to Settle ‘Manipulation’ Charges
July 30, 2013: FERC, JP Morgan Unit Agree to $410 Million in Penalties, Disgorgement to Ratepayers
July 29, 2013: American Electric Power Co. Rating Reiterated by Zacks (AEP)
July 29, 2013: FERC Seeks More Info on Market Power Impacts from Dynegy Acquisition of Ameren Energy Resources
July 26, 2013: Low-income Texans to See Big Discounts on Electric Bills for Several Summers
July 26, 2013: Lubbock Power & Light Investigates Billing Glitch; Council, Utility Board to Meet Tuesday
July 26, 2013: NextEra Energy Board Declares Quarterly Dividend
July 26, 2013: AEP’s Profit Drops, Sales are Flat as Maintenance Costs Rise
July 26, 2013: Summit’ Texas Clean Energy Project Still Moving Forward
July 26, 2013: Federal Court Rules for EPA in Texas Suit over Greenhouse Gases
July 27, 2013: Texas Loses Bid to Stop EPA Takeover of Greenhouse Gas Rules
Renewable Power
August 1, 2013: Sundance Square a Green Giant Among Texas Green Power Players
August 1, 2013: Xcel Energy Plans to Grow Wind Power by 30%: Lowering Customer Costs & Cutting Emissions
August 1, 2013: ABB and Baldor Wind Turbine Technology Recognized at New SWiFT Facility in Texas
August 1, 2013: Solar Friendly Communities Help Mitigate Soft Costs
July 31, 2013: Milestone Claimed in Creating Fuel from Waste
July 30, 2013: The Cost Of Solar
July 30, 2013: Xcel Energy Plans to Grow Wind Power by 30 Percent
July 30, 2013: Dallas Firm Uses Solar to Power West Texas Oil Rigs
July 29, 2013: Texas Researchers Hoping to Give Boost to Offshore Wind Turbines
July 29, 2013: A Claim That Electric Cars Aren’t Green Fuels Firestorm
July 29, 2013: It is Time We Learn What Green Energy Costs States and Cities
July 29, 2013: E.ON Climate & Renewables Closes Financing for Anacacho Wind Farm in Texas
July 29, 2013: How to Invest in the Future of Geothermal Energy
July 29, 2013: Solar Energy Threatening the Future of US Electricity?
July 29, 2013: Supercomputers Take the US Electric Grid to the Next Level
July 29, 2013: States Weigh Compact to Bolster Energy Grid
July 29, 2013: Thin, Flexible Glass could Store Energy for Electric Cars, Wind Turbines
July 26, 2013: BP Cancels Sale of US Wind Business
July 26, 2013: Dallas Firm Uses Solar to Power West Texas Oil Rigs
Other News
August 1, 2013: Texas REP Receives Authorization to Use Trade Name Accel Electric
July 31, 2013: Oncor Reminds City and Emergency Workers the Dangers of Power Lines
July 26, 2013: Oncor Responds to Accusations
============================================
For the Week of 7/19/13 — 7/26/13
Today’s News Flash by Texas Electric News
News Flash Archive
Texas Headlines
Energy Future Holdings
July 25, 2013: KKR Group’s TXU Stake Hanging on $1.48 Billion of Bonds
July 23, 2013: EFH Debt Negotiations Resume
July 23, 2013: TXU’s EFIH Said to Prepare Debt-Reduction Plan for Restructuring
Generation Adequacy
July 26, 2013: Calpine Exec Says Not All New Capacity Clearing PJM Capacity Market Likely to Get Built
July 26, 2013: Calpine Exec: Low Gas Prices Will Separate “Men from the Boys,” Drive M&A
July 26, 2013: AEP CEO: Treatment Under PJM Capacity Market is “Socialism”
July 24, 2013 Analysis Shows Latest Operating Reserves Demand Curve Proposals Would Enhance ERCOT Resource Adequacy
July 24, 2013: TXU Energy Sweepstakes Offers Year of Free Electricity
July 23, 2013: At Center of Oil Boom, Electricity Costs Soar
July 23, 2013: Texas Ranks High for Electric Grid Improvements
July 23, 2013: Report Ranks Top 15 Smart Grid States
July 23, 2013: Wholesale Electricity Prices Rose across the United States
July 23, 2013: Wholesale Electricity Prices Increase Across the Lower 48 States
July 21, 2013: Evaluate Risk of Congestion Charges
July 22, 2013: Electricity Prices in Texas are on the Rise
July 20, 2013: Texas Regulator Lays Out Options to Spur Decision on Power Scarcity Pricing Plan
July 21, 2013: PUCT’s Anderson Offers Final Proposals for Operating Reserves Demand Curve
July 20, 2013: Rising Natural Gas Prices Boost Electric Prices
July 19, 2013: PUCT Open Meeting 7/19/13 The Commission held a brief discussion about resource adequacy, noting Commissioner Anderson’s memo with proposed options for the Operating Reserve Demand Curve (ORDC) inputs. The Commission asked for additional comments from parties, with specific numbers, as well as further data and analyses of several ORDC scenarios and the timing and cost of real-time co-optimization. The Commission also heard oral arguments in the SWEPCO rate case, discussed the need for a stringent review of attorney fees in rate case expenses, and laid out preliminary legal questions for the Entergy’s transmission assets transfer case. To read more, please subscribe to Texas Electric Policy News. If you are interested in purchasing this TEPN issue, please click here. If you are interested in subscribing the Texas Electric Policy News, please click here or call Competitive Assets at 512-581-0151.
Headlines
July 25, 2013: Cheap Electricity Available for Low-income Texans
July 25, 2013: Low Income Texans to Receive 82 Percent Electric Discounts
July 25, 2013: CenterPoint Energy Declares $0.2075 Quarterly Dividend
July 25, 2013: CPS Moving Away From Coal as New Rules Near
July 25, 2013: White House Aides, Utility Reps Huddle on Power Plant Carbon Regs
July 25, 2013: Buffett Says Coal’s Slide to Be Permanent, Yet Gradual
July 25, 2013: EPA Ozone Pollution Standard Upheld by U.S. Appeals Court
July 25, 2013: 75% of TXU Customer Service Interactions Occurring Through Self-Service, Electronic Channels
July 25, 2013: NRG Counting Down to Launch of NRG Residential Solutions; NFL-branded Products and Smart Energy Products Coming?
July 24, 2013: Calif., Texas Tie for States with Most Smart Grid Progress
July 24, 2013: American Electric Power Declares Quarterly Dividend On Common Stock
July 24, 2013: Greenhouse Gas Seen as Clean Source of Electricity
July 24, 2013: Senior House Republican Readies EPA Power Plant Regs Bill
July 24, 2013: Agencies at Odds Over Pollution Controls
July 24, 2013: Future Energy Production Threatened by Water Shortages
July 23, 2013: Texas Electric Co-op At Forefront Of Customer Engagement
July 23, 2013: Lubbock Residents Protest LP&L
July 23, 2013: Fitch Affirms and Withdraws Georgetown, TX’s Combined Utilty Revs at ‘AA-’; Outlook Negative
July 23, 2013: Proposed EPA Regulations for Coal-fired Power Plants Could Reduce Water Pollutants
July 23, 2013: Silver lining? Greenhouse Gas could be Vast, Untapped Source of Energy
July 23, 2013: FERC Assesses $453 million in Civil Penalties against Barclays for Western Power Market Manipulation
July 23, 2013: Senior House Republican Readies EPA Power Plant Regs Bill
July 23, 2013: Bill limiting EPA Power Draws Veto Threat
July 22, 2013: California and Texas Smart Grid Success Shows Way Forward For US
July 22, 2013: Tensions Rise in Canutillo: El Paso Electric, Residents at Odds over Power Lines
July 22, 2013: Time To Short Your Electric Utility?
July 22, 2013: Banks Caught Manipulating Electricity Trading Now Face Billions in Fines
July 21, 2013: Can America’s Energy Infrastructure Survive Severe Weather?
July 19, 2013: NRG Energy, Inc. Announces Quarterly Dividend
Renewable Power
July 25, 2013: Antarctica Turbine Tested in the Panhandle
July 25, 2013: East Austin Based LifeWorks Leading the Game in Solar Energy
July 25, 2013: The Great Texas Wind Rush
July 25, 2013: Solar Sales Moving From Sofa to Websites to Speed Orders
July 25, 2013: With i3 Electric Car, BMW Tries to Ease Range Anxiety
July 25, 2013: Renewables, Nuclear Power Will Be World’s Fastest-Growing Energy Sources
July 25, 2013: FERC Order Increases Opportunity for Energy Storage
July 25, 2013: EIA Data Shows Biomass Power Production Up in May
July 23, 2013: Solar PV: The True Value of Distributed Energy
July 23, 2013: State Government Support Leads to More Solar Installations
July 24, 2013: House Lawmakers Say Renewable-Fuel Mandate Will Change
July 24, 2013: Duke Energy Investigates Wireless Electric Vehicle Charging Technology
July 24, 2013: Powered by the Sun, But Off to a Slow Start
July 23, 2013: Firms Ink Deal on Wind Farm
July 23, 2013: Powered by the Sun, Solar Impulse Takes Flight
July 23, 2013: Solar and Wind Surge, but Dirty Energy still Dominates, as this Nifty Chart Shows
July 22, 2013: EDF Agrees to Buy 200-Megawatt Wind Project in Texas Panhandle
July 22, 2013: EDF Renewable Energy Enters into Definitive Agreement to Acquire Hereford Wind Project in Texas
July 22, 2013: NRG Executive has Big Plans for Solar
July 22, 2013: Grass-roots Group Hopes to Make Plano a Solar Power Leader
July 22, 2013: Vestas Joins DOE, Texas Tech to Break Ground on Unique Wind Research Facility
July 22, 2013: Alternative Energy Vehicles Spawn Road-range Concerns
July 22, 2013: Here’s How Wind and Solar Can Save More Lives and Prevent More Pollution
July 22, 2013: Ethanol Cure Worse Than the Disease?
July 19, 2013: Odessa Solar Farm Project in Jeopardy
July 21, 2013: Should Subsidies for Wind Power End? NO
July 20, 2013: Study: Consumers Unwilling to Pay More for Renewable Energy
July 20, 2013: Staying Grounded: Safely Working with Wind Power
Other News
July 26, 2013: Texas REP Andeler Power Announces New Credit and Supply Facility, Names New EVP of Supply
July 21, 2013: Fort Worth Students Get Ready to Take a Sun-powered Roadtrip to California
July 21, 2013: Teams Prepare for Solar Car Challenge at TMS
July 23, 2013: Champion Energy Services Announces Next Market Entry
July 21, 2013: Texas Issues Written Order Adopting Competitive Generation Service Tariff at Entergy
========================================================================
For the Week of 7/12/13 — 7/19/13
News Flash Archive
Texas Headlines
Energy Future Holdings
July 17, 2013: Oncor Schedules Second Quarter 2013 Investor Call
July 17, 2013: Luminant Donates Rare Plants to the Dallas Arboretum
July 17, 2013: Energy Future Holdings’ Mesquite Data Center Earns LEED Silver Certification
July 14, 2013: At Texas Electric Firm, Users May Hold Key
Generation Adequacy
July 19, 2013: Texas, With Energy-Only Market, Only State With Retail Choice in CNBC Top 10 States for Business and Capacity Market States Fare Poorly
July 17, 2013: ERCOT Board Takes Pass on Increasing Texas Power Reserve Margin
July 16, 2013: Sen. Troy Fraser Letter to ERCOT Board 7/15/13
July 16, 2013: Chairman Craven Crowell letter to Sen. Troy Fraser 7/16/13
July 16, 2013: A High-level Showdown on Energy Costs
July 16, 2013: ERCOT Postpones Vote on Electricity Reserves Target
July 16, 2013: ERCOT Won’t Institute “Self-Serving” Changes to the Texas Electricity Market Yet
July 16, 2013: ERCOT Board Defers Decision on Modifying Reserve Margin Target
July 16, 2013: Power Reserve Margin Should Not Be Altered, Senator Says
July 16, 2013: Tony Bennett: ‘Capacity Market’ Means Electric Tax for Texans
July 16, 2013: Marion Area Electrical Power Plant Plans $7.5M Expansion
July 16, 2013: Cool Weather Gives ERCOT Grid a Summer Vacation
July 15, 2013: ERCOT Again Tackles Electricity Reserve Issue
July 16, 2013: Texas Senate Chair Warns Inflated Reserve Margin Target Skews Debate in Favor of Capacity Market
July 14, 2013: Opinion: The Case for a Texas Capacity Market
Headlines
July 18, 2013: GDF Suez, Alstom to Upgrade U.S. Natural Gas Power Plants
July 18, 2013: Opinion: Develop our ‘Electricity Bandwidth’
July 18, 2013: FERC Increases Scrutiny of Electricity Market
July 18, 2013: Barrasso Bill Blocks President’s National Energy Tax
July 18, 2013: US EPA Seeks to Huddle with Power Companies on Carbon Regulations
July 18, 2013: ETT and Sharyland file application for 345kV transmission line in Texas
July 18,2013: TXU Energy, Cross Country Home Services Announce Partnership to Deliver Home Warranty Services in Texas
July 17, 2013: Bryan Texas Utility Aims to Keep Up With Shifts in ERCOT Rates with Separate Charge on Bills
July 17, 2013: Eminent Domain: How the Courts are Transforming Texas Land Rights
July 17, 2013: Falling Gas Prices Lower SPP Electricity Prices in June
July 16, 2013: Oncor Restoring Power after Scattered Storms in North Texas
July 16, 2013: NRG Yield: How to Plug Electricity–IPO Shows Great Timing and Highlights the Investment Challenge in the U.S. Electricity Sector
July 16, 2013: Entergy Provides Preliminary Second Quarter Earnings Guidance
July 16, 2013: More than 60 Entities Urge FERC to Stick with Transmission ROE Policy
July 15, 2013: Reliant Degrees of Difference Rewards Lower Electricity Use During Energy Rush Hours
July 16, 2013: New Online Shopping Portal Zonesty Launches Texas Service; Reliant Promoting Previously Launched Critical Peak Rebate/Thermostat Bundle
July 15, 2013: Eminent Domain: In Texas, Landowners Face Continued Uncertainty
July 15, 2013: Kerrville Electric Utility Countersues LCRA
July 15, 2013: Obama Puts Climate Plan to Action—Within His Power
July 14, 2013: The Watchdog: Smart Thermostat Contract’s Huge Termination Fee Shocks Electric Customer
July 12, 2013: Oncor energizes 345-kV Riley-Krum West transmission project in Texas
July 12, 2013: How U.S. Industry Can Support the Economy and Cut Emissions Through Combined Heat and Power – and Help Fulfill President Obama’s Climate Plan
July 14, 2013: Congress Dithers on Warming
July 12, 2013: In Obama Climate Plan, States Seek Flexibility
Renewable Power
July 18, 2013: The Solar Industry Responds to Utility Attacks on Net Metering
July 18, 2013: Charged Up about Electric Cars
July 18, 2013: Solar Power to Reduce Utility Profits in Five Years, Fitch Says
July 18, 2013: U.S. Breaks Solar Barrier with 10 GW of PV Installations
July 17, 2013: Harnessing the Sun: Solar Panels a Way of Life for Plano Group
July 17, 2013: US Army Looks to Renewables
July 17, 2013: Green with Anger: The Future is Now for Electric Vehicles
July 16, 2013: Governor Perry: The Surprise Clean Energy Champion?
July 16, 2013: Wind Industry Relying Less on Government Funding
July 16, 2013: NRG Solar buys 25.6MW Solar Energy Project in Guam from Houston Based Quantum Utility Generation
July 16, 2013: Future is Bright as Wind Becomes Mainstream American Energy
July 16, 2013: No State in the Nation is Less Green than Texas
July 16, 2013: In Quest for Energy, Biofuels Gaining Ground
July 16, 2013: Angry Birds? No, But Obama’s Wind Energy Subsidies Have Them Very Frightened
July 15, 2013: Broadwind Energy Gets $87M in New Tower Orders
July 15, 2013: US Can’t Afford to Cede Green Energy Industry to Its Competitors
July 15, 2013: Google invests $1 billion in renewable energy
July 15, 2013: Use of Solar Power Rising in US
July 15, 2013: House Cuts Clean Energy Funding, Dragging Down An Entire Community Of American Innovators
July 14, 2013: Wind Turbines Change Texas Willacy County’s Landscape — for Better or Worse
July 13, 2013: Solar-charged Challenge
July 12, 2013: Xcel Energy Plans Significant Increase in Wind Power Purchases including Texas
July 12, 2013: United States Joins Elite 10 Gigawatt Solar Club
Other News
July 19, 2013: New Start-up REP Receives Texas Certificate
July 16, 2013: MDME, LLC Receives Texas Aggregator Certificate
======================================================================
For the Week of 7/5/13 — 7/12/13
Today’s News Flash by Texas Electric News
News Flash Archive
Texas Headlines
Energy Future Holdings
July 9, 2013: How Texans Could Be on the Hook if Energy Future Holdings Goes Bankrupt
Generation Adequacy
July 11, 2013: Texas Wholesale Power Gains as Hotter Weather Boosts Demand
July 12, 2013: Opinion: Capacity Markets: Encouraging Gold-Plating of the Electric System
July 8, 2013: Opinion: Texas Should Say No to Electricity Tax On 7/7/13, the Austin American Statesman published an opinion piece by Tony Bennett, the president of the Texas Association of Manufacturers, titled “Bennett: Texas Should Say No to Electricity Tax ” (subscription only). In it, he warns against “an ill-conceived push to switch Texas from a competitive, deregulated-electricity market to a capacity market,” which will create a tax on everyone with a meter. He also cautions that “a shift to capacity market would threaten competition, choice, and access to affordable, reliable energy in Texas for everyone.”
July 5, 2013: Report: PUCT Continues to Tackle Resource Adequacy This 10-page Texas Electric Watch captures in detail the latest PUCT workshop on resource adequacy, which focused on the Option B+ proposal, as drafted by Prof. Hogan and ERCOT staff. The points covered include the main issues of contention and history of the proposal, staff presentations of several recent studies, stakeholder positions, and the Commission’s questions and discussions (including at the latest open meeting). Read more about this report, please subscribe to TEW. If you are interested in purchasing this TEW issue, please click here. If you are interested in subscribing the Texas Electric Watch, please click here or call Competitive Assets at 512-581-0151
July 7, 2013: Summer Sun Brings a Focus to Power Debate
July 5, 2013: PUC will Wait Out Summer before Changing Texas Electricity Market
Headlines
July 11, 2013: When the Electricity Market Heats Up, TXU Energy Business Customers Can Cash In with Brighten Reduction Rewards
July 11, 2013: Direct Energy to acquire Bounce Energy for $46 Million
July 11, 2013: Direct Energy to Acquire Bounce Energy
July 11, 2013: Rate Cuts Aim to Ease Entergy Transmission Worries
July 11, 2013: ETT And Sharyland File Joint CCN Application For Cross Valley 345-kV Transmission Line Project From North Edinburg To Loma Alta
July 11, 2013: Climate Change Will Cause More Energy Breakdowns, U.S. Warns
July 11, 2013: HII Technologies Announces New Equipment for Its South Texas Power Division
July 11, 2013: Texas PUC Staff Proposes to Set System Benefit Fund Charge to $0
July 11, 2013: Texas PUC Staff Proposes Rate Reduction Pan for Low Income Customers
July 11, 2013: Texas Staff File to Set SBF Fee Charged to REPs at $0, Set New LIDA Discount
July 10, 2013: Luminant Petitions Court to Close Three Miles of FM 1794
July 10, 2013: EIA: Electricity Sales to Rise by 1.6% in 2013
July 10, 2013: EIA: Production, Economics Drive Industrial Gas Use as Costs Cut Demand for Generation
July 9, 2013: Texas Firms Propose New Transmission Line for Rio Grande Valley in US
July 9, 2013: Texas ALJs: Entergy/ITC Transaction, “Circumventing Some Of The Purposes Behind The Transfer To Competition”
July 9, 2013: Two North Texans Running for Open Texas Railroad Commission Seat
July 9, 2013: Texas Calls for 317 MW of Compressed Air Energy Storage
July 9, 2013: Luminant Petitions Court to Close Three Miles of FM 1794
July 9, 2013: DOE Launches Two Websites for Monitoring of Energy Consumption
July 9, 2013: Texas Opens Proceeding on Cease and Desist Authority
July 2, 2013: TXU Energy, Priority Power Management Cheer Energy Efficiency at George W. Bush Presidential Center
July 8, 2013: Cutting Power Plants’ Carbon Pollution ‘Can Create Jobs’
July 8, 2013: Start-Up Pioneer Power Seeks Texas REP Certificate
July 8, 2013: Texas Power to Choose Implements New Changes, Including Scoring of REPs
July 3, 2013: Power Prices Rise From Boston to Washington to Texas Amid Hotter Weather
July 7, 2013: Austin Energy Moves to Drop Coal
July 8, 2013: Texas Puts Luminant Mining Under Closer Financial Scrutiny
July 6, 2013: Leaders Weigh Options in Splitting City of Lubbock Utility Bills
July 5, 2013 TXU Energy Unveils Time-based Plans for Small and Medium-sized Businesses
July 6, 2013: Austin Energy Creating Text Notification, Smartphone Programs
July 3, 2013: The New Energy Sweet Spot Is Storage
Renewable Power
July 11, 2013: Gas, Renewables to Compete, Augment Each Other in Texas Power Sector
July 11, 2013: US Energy Industry Feeling Impact of Climate Change, Report Says
July 11, 2013: Criminal Charges Against Solyndra Founder are Unlikely – Sources
July 10, 2013: REG Begins Producing Biodiesel in Texas
July 10, 2013: Texas University Plans World’s Largest Solar Testing Center
July 10, 2013: Wind to Double and Solar to Triple in 6 Years, Says IEA
July 10, 2013: Xcel Energy’s SPS Unit Signs Deals for Nearly 700 MW of Wind Energy
July 10, 2013: Different Image: Renewable Energy Googled — Literally
July 10, 2013: More Bases Accepting Solar Power as an Energy Alternative
July 10, 2013: Third Party Solar Financing, Project Bonds Dominate Q2 2013 Solar Industry Transactions
July 10, 2013: Cow Excrement could Power Several Thousand Homes
July 10, 2013: REG Begins Producing Biodiesel in Texas
July 9, 2013: SWIFT at Lubbock Commissioned to Study Wind Farm Optimization
July 8, 2013: Google Becoming Big Energy Player
July 8, 2013: NRG Renewable-energy Unit Seeking up to $411M through IPO
July 8, 2013: Electric Vehicle Tariffs on Average 34% Cheaper Than eGallon
July 8, 2013: Solar Companies See a Bright Future in the U.S.
July 8, 2013: Google Gets Results in its Search for Renewable Energy
July 7, 2013: Houston’s Energy Enigma
July 6, 2013: How Texas Won the Race to Harness the Wind
July 6, 2013: Austin Solar Company Gets More Money from Korean Conglomerate
July 6, 2013: 3 Reasons Wal-Mart Isn’t the Worst
July 6, 2013: The Amazing Energy Race
July 6, 2013: Renewables Fuel Early U.S., But Fossil Fuels Dominate Future
July 6, 2013: Solar Plane Takes Off on Last Flight of US Journey
July 6, 2013: Solar Impulse: Solar-powered Plane Finishes Journey, Lands in New York City
July 5, 2013: Another Day, Another Giant SolarCity Project
July 5, 2013: More than 600 Homes at Holloman Air Force Base Going Solar
July 3, 2013: Renewable Energy Begins Biodiesel Production at Texas plant
July 5, 2013: Floating Offshore Turbines being Developed at Texas A&M Can Reduce Wind Energy Cost
Other News
July 10, 2013: Texas REP Seeks to Use Trade Name Accel Electric; Direct Energy to Drop Trade Names Central Power and Light, West Texas Utilities from Certificates
July 9, 2013: J.D. Power Awards Ambit Energy with Highest Ranking in Retail Electric Provider Satisfaction in New York Region
July 9, 2013: Galt Power Receives Texas REP Certificate
July 4, 2013: Scientists from UT Austin Developing a Seawater-desalination Chip with Electrical Field
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For the Week of 6/28/13 — 7/5/13
Texas Headlines
Generation Adequacy
July 3, 2013: Opinion: Language in Op-Ed by NRG Could Have Unintended Consequences
July 1, 2013: Mothballed Central Texas Power Plant Could Reopen
June 29, 2013: Tradinghouse Power Plant May Get New Life
June 28, 2013: Texas Public Utility Commission Ponders Stopgap Measure for Electrical Grid
July 1, 2013: Capacity Market No Longer Designed to Clear at Lowest Cost
July 1, 2013: Short Report: PUCT Workshop on Resource Adequacy, 6/27/13 The 6/27/13 PUCT workshop contained a thorough discussion of resource adequacy issues and whether the B+ proposal would be a good way to address them. After improvements were urged for the proposal, the Commission took a cautious approach, resolving to study and discuss issues further. Read a summary of the main points in the latest short version of TEW. If you are interested in purchasing this TEW issue, please click here. If you are interested in subscribing the Texas Electric Watch, please click here or call Competitive Assets at 512-581-0151
June 30, 2013: Debate over Thinning Power Supplies in Texas Drags Out
June 29, 2013: Electricity Prices Soar in West Texas as Shale Drilling Expands
June 28, 2013: Utilities may Climb Amid Strain of Summer Heat
June 28, 2013: No Substantive Opposition to Operating Reserves Demand Curve Proposal
Headlines
July 5, 2013: Luminant Disputes Valuation of Rusk County Plant
July 5, 2013: Oncor Upgrading Electric Lines over the Next Few Months
July 5, 2013: ERCOT Files NPRR to Implement Loads in SCED
July 3, 2013: Report: PUCT Open Meeting 7/3/13 At the 7/3/13 open meeting, the Commission refused to dismiss a REP from a complaint proceeding, approved a Non-Unanimous Stipulation on rate case expenses, set out criteria for smart-meter opt-out, and discussed how to proceed on resource adequacy. More details in the latest TEPN. If you are interested in purchasing this TEPN issue, please click here. If you are interested in subscribing the Texas Electric Policy News, please click here or call Competitive Assets at 512-581-0151
July 3, 2013: PUCT Opens Project to Investigate Potential Impacts of an Increase of the System-Wide Offer Cap to Retail Markets.
July 5, 2013: Texas to Proceed With Evaluation of REP Credit Requirements, POLR Rules, In Light of Higher Price Caps
July 5, 2013: ERCOT Reports Short Payment due to Late Payment by Milagro Power Company (QSE), PSEG Energy Resources and Trade
July 5, 2013: Texas Commissioners Agree on Entity Responsible for Collecting Smart Meter Opt-Out Fee (TDU vs. REP)
July 3, 2013: Opt Out of Smart Meters? It Will Cost You.
July 3, 2013: Smart Meter Opponents to get Opt-out Provision
July 3, 2013: Fossil Fuels Get Early Benefits from Climate Change Initiative
July 3, 2013: Project Aims to Raise Level of Debate over Energy
July 2, 2013: Watson Continues Push for Independent Board for Austin Energy
July 1, 2013: Dresser-Rand Awarded Compressed Air Energy Storage (CAES) Project
June 28, 2013: Summer Electric Bills Bigger in Texas
July 1, 2013: Capture of Carbon Dioxide may Aid coal, Oil
July 1, 2013: Fitch: Smart Meters Move To The Head Of The Class
July 1, 2013: Are Consumers Ready to be Empowered by Smart Power Meters?
June 28, 2013: For East Texas Coal Belt, Dread over New Climate-change Rules
June 28, 2013: Corona Seeks Legal Opinion on Governance of Austin
June 28, 2013: Combined Heat-Energy Power System Can Cut Emissions (Op-Ed)
June 28, 2013: Wellinghoff Sees Utilities in ‘Huge Battle’ over Distributed Generation
June 28, 2013: In Texas Shale Patch, Drillers Bring Power to the Pump
June 28, 2013: Trade Group asks FERC to Consider Revamping Transmission ROE Policies
Renewable Power
July 4, 2013: EIA: Energy Sources Have Changed throughout History of United States
July 2, 2013: Solar Panel Plant still Underway at San Antonio
July 2, 2013: Oil, Gas and Solar Lead Freedom from OPEC
July 2, 2013: The Clean, Simple Solar and Storage Solution to US Utility Business Model Woes
July 1, 2013: Moody Gardens Adds Solar-powered Recycling Stations
July 1, 2013: Austin Announces New Wind Contracts
July 1, 2013: El Paso Electric Company : Macho Springs Solar Project Breaks Ground
June 28, 2013: New Solar Project to Power Texas A&M-Central Texas Campus
June 28, 2013: Central Texas Dreams Big for Solar Energy Center
June 28, 2013: Next Generation Wind Energy
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For the Week of 6/21/13 — 6/28/13
Texas Headlines
Generation Adequacy
June 27, 2013: Search for Energy in Texas Intensifies Demand for Power
June 26, 2013: PUCT Staff’s Memo to Discuss Retail Market Impacts from Increase of High System Wide Offer Cap
June 27, 2013: Texas Staff Suggest Modifying Capital Requirements for REP Certification Due to Higher Price Cap, Seek Guidance on Other Retail Market Impacts
June 26, 2013: Shale Boom Leads to Electrical Demand
June 26, 2013: Electricity Prices Soar in West Texas as Shale Drilling Expands
June 26, 2013: Preparing for the PUCT Workshop on Generation Adequacy In preparation for tomorrow’s (6/27/13) PUCT workshop on resource adequacy, a number of parties filed comments on the B+ solution. These comments include proposed improvements and opposing views. A summary of the comments is included in the latest issue of Texas Electric Watch. If you are interested in purchasing this TEW issue, please click here. If you are interested in subscribing the Texas Electric Watch, please click here or call Competitive Assets at 512-581-0151
June 25, 2013: ERCOT Files Report on ORDC B+ Economic Equilibrium Planning Reserve Margin Estimates Prepared by the Brattle Group
June 26, 2013: Brattle Report Indicates Operating Reserve Demand Curve in ERCOT Can Achieve Resource Adequacy
June 25, 2013: ERCOT Demand Passes 60 MW for First Time in 2013
June 25, 2013: ERCOT: Megawatt Usage Could Be Near Capacity This Week
June 25, 2013: A Long, Hot Summer for ERCOT, and Customers? ERCOT Supplies Still Aren’t Enough for Peak Demand
June 25, 2013: Forbes Calls a Texas Capacity Market What It Is — “More Regulation”
June 24, 2013: Plans for Coal-Fired Tenaska Power Plant Near Sweetwater are Dead
June 24, 2013: Siemens to Service 230MW Blackhawk Station Power Plant in Texas
June 24, 2013: Texas Grid Operator Weighed Down by Peak Electricity Demand, EIA says
June 24, 2013: Electric Supply Additions are Not Keeping Pace with Increased Peak-hour Demand in Texas
June 22, 2013: Perry’s ‘Other’ Decision; Electricity Debate Resumes with Governor’s Call on Appointee
June 21, 2013: Sun Sets on Two More Coal Plant Projects
June 21, 2013: AEP Texas 528-MW Welsh 3 Coal Unit Shut
June 21, 2013: Turning the Switch: El Paso Electric Debuts Generating Unit
Headlines
June 28, 2013: Green Mountain Energy, EnTouch Controls Partner on Offer for Texas Small Businesses
June 27, 2013: TXU Energy Right Time Pricing Plans Give Consumers More Clarity, Options and Incentives
June 28, 2013: TXU Rebrands Dynamic Pricing Products as Right Time Pricing
June 28, 2013: Oncor Replaces Transformers, Poles, Lines
June 27, 2013: FERC: We Never Said ‘All Laptops’ are Subject to Reliability Standards
June 27, 2013: Obama Taps Binz for Electric Grid Chief
June 27, 2013: Greenhouse Gas Cap Could Have Big Impact on Texas Power Sector
June 26, 2013: Luminant CEO: with Carbon Cap “the Devil is in the Details”
June 26, 2013: Austin City Council likely to Seek More Options for Shedding Coal
June 26, 2013: Technology Improves, but ‘Smart’ Cities still a Hard Sell
June 26, 2013: Obama’s Climate Push Spells Trouble for Texas Power Plants
June 26, 2013: Obama’s Climate Plan: A Historic Turning Point or Too Reliant on Oil, Coal, Natural Gas?
June 26, 2013: Bounce Energy: 25% of Customers Enrolled in Critical Peak Rebate Program
June 26, 2013: Under New Law, Texas PUC to Publish List of REPs Offering Discounts to Military Veterans with Severe Burns
June 26, 2013: Texas to Examine Average Pricing Disclosure for Time-Based Rates, Opens Docket
June 26, 2013: Texas Staff, Glacial Energy of Texas, Inc. Reach Settlement on Staff Petition to Revoke REP Certificate
June 26, 2013: Texas Assigns Dockets for Rulemakings on REP Certification, Utility Affiliate Rules, Other Issues
June 25, 2013: Supreme Court Says Governments Sometimes Must Pay Would-be Developers over Denied Permits
June 25, 2013: 5 Takeaways From President Obama’s Climate Speech
June 25, 2013: Texas Republicans Give Obama’s Energy Speech the ‘Coal’ Shoulder
June 25, 2013: Obama Outlines Ambitious Plan to Cut Greenhouse Gases
June 25, 2013: Massive Energy Regulation at Center of Obama Climate Plan
June 25, 2013: Dominion’s Demand Response Services Can Help Businesses Trim Energy Use, Earn Money
June 25, 2013: TXU Energy Launches First Time-Based Plans for Texas’ Small and Medium-Sized Businesses
June 25, 2013: Texas Coalition for Affordable Power Announces New Members
June 24, 2013: Obama Climate Strategy Represents Piecemeal Approach
June 24, 2013: Obama’s Climate Change Plan Tackles Power Plants — not Refineries
June 24, 2013: American Coalition for Clean Coal Electricity (ACCCE) Statement on President Obama’s Forthcoming Climate Change Speech
June 24, 2013: Governors Across U.S. Voice Opposition to EPA Rules that Would Shutter Coal-Fired Power Plants
June 24, 2013: Obama Said to Solicit States on Cutting Carbon Emissions
June 24, 2013: Disputed Federal Emissions Limits Unlikely to Bring Change
June 24, 2013: Supreme Court to hear Texas-EPA emissions dispute
June 24, 2013: Natural Gas Boom Cools Nuclear Prospects — for Now
June 24, 2013: ENCOA Launches Residential Service in New Texas Service Areas
June 24, 2013: Houston Signs Contract with Electric Supplier
June 24, 2013: Texas Chair Nelson’s Message to Retail Market Bad Actors: “Go Somewhere Else”; Anderson Reminds That Violations of PURA May Be Criminal (Not Civil)
June 24, 2013: Constellation Promoting Critical Peak Rebate Program
June 24, 2013: Capacity Markets, The Reality: Paying for Resources That Don’t Respond When Needed
June 21, 2013: Texas Signs Combined Heat and Power Technology Policy
June 21, 2013: Obama to Take Sweeping Action on Climate
June 22, 2013: Smitherman to Announce Run For Attorney General
Renewable Power
June 27, 2013: Austin Approves Three Wind Energy Contracts
June 27, 2013: Cenovus Focusing on Green Products
June 27, 2013: Nexolon Solar Facility To Start First Hiring Wave In September
June 27, 2013: Renewable Energy Growth Is Rising Around The World, IEA Says
June 27, 2013: Wind Energy Poised to Help Deliver on National Climate Commitment
June 27, 2013: Wells Fargo to Invest in Solar Power
June 26, 2013: Clean Energy to Run Past Nuclear, Gas by 2016: IEA
June 26, 2013: Electric Car Industry Reps Cheered by Market Growth
June 26, 2013: Protecting Wind Turbines in Extreme Temperatures
June 26, 2013: Renewable Energy Production is Rising Fast but Facing Struggles; Power Sector Remains Dirty
June 26, 2013: Goal Zero Releases New Portable Yeti Solar Generators
June 26, 2013: Another Day, Another $1 Billion For Distributed Solar
June 26, 2013: Texas A&M to Announce Solar Energy Deal
June 25, 2013: Skyonic Raises $128 Million for Carbon-capture Plant
June 25, 2013: Do Fossil Fuels and Renewable Energy Have to Be Enemies?
June 24, 2013: Renewable Energy Standards Survive Lobby’s Anti-Mandate Blitz
June 24, 2013: The Renewable Energy Rollback that Wasn’t
June 24, 2013: Wind Tax Credits a No-cost Way to Avoid Greenhouse Gas Emissions
June 24, 2013: Houston, Palo Alto Make Big Renewable Energy Buys
June 24, 2013: Houston to Become the Capital of Renewable Energy in the United States?
June 24, 2013: Texas A&M’s Center For Solar Energy Sets High Goals
June 23, 2013: After Slow Rise, Solar Brighter
Other News:
June 26, 2013: Online Shopping Portal CurrentChoice.com Expands to Texas
June 25, 2013: Is Your Smart Meter Spying On You?
==========================================
For the Week of 6/14/13 — 6/21/13
Texas Headlines
Generation Adequacy
June 20, 2013: PUCT Staff Sets Agenda for June 27 Generation Adequacy Workshop
June 20, 2013: The 2012 State of the Market Report Finds Prices Too Low In ERCOT Potomac Economics, which serves as the Independent Market Monitor in ERCOT, just posted the 2012 State of the Market Report for the ERCOT region, dated June 2013. Its key findings include the following: –The ERCOT wholesale market performed competitively in 2012; –The ERCOT-wide, load-weighted average, real-time energy price was $28.33/MWh in 2012 – a 47% decrease from the 2011 price of $53.23/MWh. And more………….Please click here for more findings on this report.
June 21, 2013: Capacity Markets: Efficient As Buying a 40-Year Clunker
June 19, 2013: LS Power, NRG Add New Generation in Time to Meet Texas Power Use
June 19, 2013: ROY KENT: ERCOT, thankfully, Is Predicting a Cooler Summer
June 19, 2013: Will Summer Blackouts Doom The Texas Boom?
June 19, 2013: ERCOT filed the Value of Lost Load (VOLL) Study with PUCT On 6/18/13, ERCOT filed the Value of Lost Load (VOLL) study, as developed by London Economics (LEI). It includes a review of studies from other areas and macroeconomic analysis of the value of outages in the ERCOT region. The third part of the study (i.e., customer survey), which LEI deems necessary to achieve the requested result, could proceed with the Commission’s approval, after the 6/27/13 workshop. Without the survey, states LEI, a single VOLL estimate cannot be provided. At the 6/6/13 open meeting, ERCOT staff said that the survey could be completed by the end of this summer, although at a recent stakeholder meeting they mentioned that the initial survey methodology had to be revised.
June 19, 2013: ERCOT Submits the Value of Lost Load Report
June 17, 2013: FERC Staff to Convene Technical Conference on Centralized Capacity Markets in RTOs/ISOs on September 25, 2013
June 18, 2013: FERC Technical Conference on Capacity Markets: Relevance for Texas?
June 18, 2013: Capacity Markets Harming Retail Choice? New England States Seeking to Buy Large Hydro due to Frustration With Wholesale Market
June 18, 2013: Power From New England to Texas Drops on Below-Forecast Demand
June 14, 2013: NRG Seeks Capacity Market for Texas
Headliners
June 21, 2013: Texas Dismisses Petition for Declaratory Order on Use of CenterPoint Brand by TDU, Broker
June 21, 2013: TXU Launching Critical Peak Rebate Program
June 20, 2013: FERC Okays Entergy Grid Transfer to ITC Holdings
June 20, 2013: Five Texas Utility Workers Suffer Serious Burns
June 20, 2013: Top Republican: Obama’s Climate Change Plan ‘Absolutely Crazy’
June 20, 2013: Texas PUCT Chair Nelson Says Commission Won’t Grant REP Certificates to Principals Violating Deceptive Trade or Consumer Protection Laws or Engaging in Fraud
June 20, 2013: Reliant to Launch Product with Southwest Rapid Rewards, Also Launches United MileagePlus Plan
June 19, 2013: Obama Readying Emissions Limits on Power Plants
June 19, 2013: Obama to Outline Climate-Change Steps in Weeks
June 18, 2013: Lubbock Power &Light Staff Push Smart Meters after June 5 Storm Outage
June 19, 2013: U.S. Adds Natgas, Coal Power Generating Capacity in May -FERC
June 19, 2013: EPA to Curb Power Plant Water Toxins
June 19, 2013: Texas Governor Rick Perry Signs New Energy Efficient CHP Policy
June 19, 2013: Texas Tackles Key Regulatory Barriers To Cogeneration
June 18, 2013: Price to Pollute Hits Record High in Texas
June 18, 2013: Governor Perry Signs Water Bills, Vetoes Reform for Oil and Gas Regulators
June 17, 2013: Perry Vetoes ‘Resign to Run’ Bill for Railroad Commissioners
June 18, 2013: TXU Energy Highlights Common Mistakes in Small and Medium-Sized Business Power Purchasing
June 17, 2013: Lights Out: House Plan would Protect Nation’s Electricity from Solar Flare, Nuclear Bomb
June 14, 2013: 14 Ways to Slim your Power Bill this Summer
June 12, 2013: TXU Energy Highlights Lesser-Known Opportunities to Save Electricity and Money
June 18, 2013: County Approves Agreement with Oncor for Repairs to County Roadways Damaged by Substation Construction
June 17, 2013: Fitch Publishes Updated Criteria for Rating Global Thermal Power Projects
June 17, 2013: Fitch: U.S. Public Power Debt Service Coverage Declining
June 16, 2013: How Fracking Killed Nuclear Power
June 15, 2013: Wind Contracts May Push Austin Energy to 35% Renewable Energy Goal
June 15, 2013: RRC Regulator Charts His Political Future, With Eyes to the Right
June 14, 2013: EPA Confirmation Delay Raises Questions About U.S. Carbon Rules
June 13, 2013: FERC Allows More Time on Defining Bulk Electric Systems
Renewable Power
June 20, 2013: Austin City Council Approves Contracts Totalling $1.4 Billion for Wind Energy
June 20, 2013: Houston to Buy Half its Power from Renewable Sources
June 19, 2013: Behind Closed Doors, Utilities like CPS Energy Grapple With New Strategies for Renewable
June 19, 2013: Tesla Recalls Some Model S Cars for Manufacturing Flaw
June 19, 2013: First Solar Raises $448.36 Million in Public Offering of Common Stock
June 18, 2013: ETX Solar Car Team Needs Help Making Their Race
June 18, 2013: First Solar Announces Closing of Common Stock Offering
June 18, 2013: Apartments Often Use Less Energy than Other Homes
June 18, 2013: NRG Vehicle Uses Solar Power to Provide Disaster Relief
June 18, 2013: Stop Hyperventilating, say Energy-efficiency Researchers
June 18, 2013: Google Banks on Airborne Wind Turbine Device to Help Address Future World Energy Needs
June 18, 2013: Energy Secretary Pledges to Keep Momentum Behind Solar Power
June 17, 2013: Energy Chief Praises Solar-powered Plane
June 18, 2013: Brownsville Runway Extension Could Affect Wind Farm Plans
June 17, 2013: Solar-Powered Splash Park Soaks Local Kids Thanks To Reliant
June 17, 2013: ScrapSafe Processes Obsolete Electric Meters Responsibly
June 18, 2013: Solar Power Surges Once Again
June 17, 2013: Is Solar Thermal the Holy Grail?
June 17, 2013: Utility Solar Is Dead; Long Live Distributed Generation
June 17, 2013: U.S. States, Greens Delay Lawsuit, Await Obama Climate Plan
June 17, 2013: Natural Gas Grid Is Key Enabler For U.S. Energy Security, Says DoD Study
June 13, 2013: ‘Watt’ Does it Take to Build a Solar Airplane?
June 17, 2013: After a Slow Rise, Solar Starts to Shine
June 16, 2013: Siemens Pulls Plug on Last Solar Energy Business
June 16, 2013: Green Start-Ups Turn to Crowdfunding
June 14, 2013: One Good Option for Avoiding Solar Trade War
June 14, 2013: Gas and Renewables are Complementary Generation Fuels, For Now
June 14, 2013: Building the Business Case for Energy Storage
June 13, 2013: Energy Storage and Renewables Seen as Disruptive Technologies
June 13, 2013: Former AEP CEO Outlines How Distributed Generation is Changing Utility Business Model
June 12, 2013: Lots of Natural Gas for Cars, Just Nowhere to Pump It
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For the Week of 6/7/13 — 6/14/13
Texas Headlines
83rd Legislative Regular Sessions:
June 11, 2013: Here Are a Couple of Common-Sense Pieces of Legislation the Texas Electricity Lobby Killed
Energy Future Holdings
June 12, 2013: Azima DLI Collaborates with Luminant to Wirelessly Monitor Comanche Peak Nuclear Power Plant
June 10, 2013: Azima DLI Announces Teaming Agreement with Luminant to Wirelessly Monitor Health of Critical Plant Machinery for its Nuclear Plants
Generation Adequacy
June 13, 2013: Luminant Plants Fired Up for Texas Summer
June 13, 2013: NRG Admitted in an Op-ed Deregulation Is a Colossal Failure
June 12, 2013: Oncor Asks to Interpret Definition of Wholesale Storage Load
June 12, 2013: Observers Differ on Reasons for ERCOT Forward Volatility
June 12, 2013: Gas’ Role in Texas Generation Mix to Grow Despite Coal Price Advantage
June 12, 2013: Coal’s Share of ERCOT Market Makes Gains in May
June 12, 2013: Texas Gas, Wind Coordination Key to Reliable, Low-carbon Power, Study says
June 12, 2013: In Texas Electrical Grid, Natural Gas and Renewables Complement Each other
June 12, 2013: Natural Gas and Renewables Key to Texas’ Electricity Future
June 12, 2013: Feds: Texans at Greatest Risk for Summer Power Problems
June 12, 2013: Opposite View to NRG’s June 11 Op-ed
June 11, 2013: NRG to Restart Power Plant to Meet Summer Demand for Electricity
June 11, 2013: Time for Texas to Add to State’s Electric Grid
June 11, 2013: Study: Natural Gas, Renewables Work Together in Texas Electricity Market
June 10, 2013: Report: ERCOT Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) Meeting 6/6/13 At its 6/6/13 meeting, ERCOT Technical Advisory Committee voted to raise the planning reserve margin to 16.1%, rejecting a compromise proposal for 15%. The TAC members also rejected the latest revision request to address price reversals. To follow these issues and learn about the reasons behind these decisions, subscribe to the ERCOT Monitor Reports. If you are interested in purchasing this EMR issue, please click here. If you are interested in subscribing the ERCOT Monitor Reports, please click here or call Competitive Assets at 512-581-0151
June 7, 2013: ERCOT Set to Unveil Key Value of Lost Load Study in Next Few Weeks
Headliners
June 13, 2013: Panelists say It’s Smart to Use New Electric Meters
June 13, 2013: Fitch Releases 2013 U.S. Public Power Peer Study and Comparative Analysis Tool
June 13, 2013: GE And Trilliant Deliver Industry-Leading Smart Grid Solutions As A Service For Public Power Utilities
June 12, 2013: Night, Weekend Electricity Plans Gaining a Following
June 11, 2013: With New Clean Energy Test Lab, Pecan Street is ‘Going to Innovate
June 11, 2013: Pike Powers Lab in Austin, an Arm of Pecan Street Inc.,Opens
June 11, 2013: Smart Meter Critics are Few, but Vocal, Execs say
June 11, 2013: American Electric Power Awarded EEI’s 2013 Edison Award
June 11, 2013: Six Flags Engages Veteran Sponsorship Consultant to Land Retail Energy Deal
June 10, 2013: Railroad Commission Is Vital To Texas’ Ongoing Economic Success
June 10, 2013: Dynegy Responds To Illinois Pollution Control Board Decision
June 10, 2013: Wide Moat and FERC Policy Should Continue to Drive Growth for ITC
June 7, 2013: NRG Unit Plans $400 Million IPO to Own, Operate Power Assets
June 7, 2013: Five Security Reasons to Worry About the Power Grid
June 7, 2013: Ameren Committed to Completing AER/Dynegy Transaction
June 7, 2013: Alleviating the Effects of Large Scale Events on the U.S. Electric System
Renewable Power
June 13, 2013: In Energy Giant Texas, Natural Gas Won’t Push Out Renewables
June 12, 2013: Shale Gale is Blowing Business to Wind Power in Texas
June 12, 2013: The Coming US Distributed Solar Boom
June 12, 2013: Smart Grid Reality Check, Part I: The Future Of Distributed Generation
June 12, 2013: Why It’s Cheaper to Charge an Electric Car than Fill Up With Gas
June 12, 2013: Cheaper Solar Panels Fuel Rise in Renewable Energy
June 12, 2013: U.S. Solar Installations Jump in First Quarter
June 11, 2013: The Coming Solar Electricity Transformation
June 11, 2013: 2013 Q1 Update: U.S. Solar Industry Keeps Chugging Along
June 11, 2013: How Texas Drivers Can Save $2.28 a Gallon for Fuel
June 10, 2013: GE Power Conversion Helps To Build The Future Of Wind Power Efficiency
June 10, 2013: Space Solar Power: Key to a Livable Planet Earth
June 9, 2013: UN Climate Goals Possible With Efficiency Measures, IEA Says
June 9, 2012: IEA: Energy CO2 Emissions Hit Record High in 2012
June 9, 2013: Chemical Companies Seek to Limit Federal Green Building
June 7, 2013: “Making the Sky Blue”
June 7, 2013: U.S. Will Top Clean Energy Deals Led by Solar, CohnReznick Says
June 7, 2013: What Went Wrong In The Solar Industry – And What Is Going Right?
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For the Week of 5/31/13 — 6/7/13
Texas Headlines
Other Headliners
June 6, 2013: Texas PUC Approves Construction of New Transmission Line
June 6, 2013: PUCT’s Anderson Warns Texas REPs of “Death Penalty” for Misuse of Switch-holds
June 6, 2013: Texas Commission Considers Generic Rulemaking on Use of Utility Name By Affiliates
June 6, 2013: ‘Top Five Storm Damage Event’ Leaves Thousands Without Power on South Plains
June 6, 2013: Thousands Lose Electricity During Texas Storms
June 6, 2013: ERCOT to Hold Info Session on Collecting Load Response Data from Retail Electric Providers
June 6, 2013: MISO Expands Reliability Services in its Southern Footprint
June 6, 2013: West Texas Site Opens for Low-level Nuke Waste, Takes Material from Federal Lab in New Mexico
June 6, 2013: Electricity Reliability Report released; Texas and California Raise Concerns for Summer
June 6, 2013: What is the Smart Grid, Really?
June 6, 2013: New Technologies and Approaches Will Change the Electric Grid Forever
June 6, 2013: NRG Energy Surpasses Post-Merger Goals for Balance Sheet Efficiencies
June 6, 2013: Guarding Against Summer Outages
June 6, 2013: Buyer of Ameren Plants to Proceed with Sale despite Adverse Ruling
June 5, 2013: Don’t Let TXU Scare Tactic Stop You from Shopping for Electricity Rates
June 5, 2013: Power Outages Reappear in Western Midland
June 5, 2013: 100,000 Smart Meters Safely Installed in Southeast Texas
June 5, 2013: Buffett’s Berkshire Holds Off on New Iowa Nuclear Plants
June 5, 2013: LBJ Tour Includes Co-op Site
June 5, 2013: Reliant Now Offering Generators to Residential Customers
June 5, 2013: Ambit Energy’s Chambless Compares Current Retail Energy Climate to Telecomm Experience, Expects Similar Consolidation
June 5, 2013: Texas Likely to Hear Oral Argument on Use of CenterPoint Brand by Utility, Affiliate Broker
June 4, 2013: TXU Energy Launches Free Weekends Plan
June 4, 2013: Champion Energy Services Partnering With Lowfoot on Customer AMI Data, Could Facilitate Future Offering of Peak-Time Rebate Product
June 4, 2013: 4,000 Austin Businesses, Churches Facing Electric Billing Errors
June 4, 2013: FERC Staff: Coal Generation Could See Comeback on Pricier Natural Gas This Summer
June 4, 2013: Research Boosts the Power of Coal
June 4, 2013: Legislature Strengthens CHP Disaster Preparedness Policy in Texas
June 4, 2013: Fitch Affirms Dynegy Midwest Generation and Dynegy Power; Withdraws Ratings
June 4, 2013: Fitch Rates NextEra Energy Capital Holdings’ Debentures ‘A-‘
June 3, 2013: Help Rice Prevent Brownouts this Summer
June 3, 2013: MISO Expands Reliability Services for South
June 3, 2013: Hot, Windless Weather Ushers in Dallas-Fort Worth’s First Ozone Action Day of 2013
June 3, 2013: Oncor Responded to both Oklahoma Tornado Disasters
June 3, 2013: Sharyland Files Retail Delivery Rates for Transition to Competition, Includes Rider for Transition Expenses
June 3, 2013: When Will the Texas Drought End?
June 1, 2013: Houston Engineering Students Create Shoes that Can Generate Electricity
June 1, 2013: Bet on Blackouts when Investing in US Energy
Renewable Power
June 6, 2013: New Austin Lab Aims to Become Leader for Clean-energy Testing
June 6, 2013: Utility Green Power Programs Are Boasting Success
June 6, 2013: Solar Power Industry Faces Quality Control Issues
June 6, 2013: Innovative Designs Keep Power Turbines Spinning
June 6, 2013: The Numbers Don’t Lie: U.S. Utilities Continue To Embrace Wind Energy
June 6, 2013: Cheaper Tesla Model May be Here by 2016
June 6, 2013: In Texas, a Mixed Legislative Session for Green Cars
June 6, 2013: Will MLP Campaign Put Wind Tax Credit at Risk?
June 5, 2013: Musk Says Tesla Gross Margin to Approach Porsche’s
June 5, 2013: U.S. to Lease Federal Waters for Commercial Offshore Wind Energy
June 5, 2013: Toyota Recalls 242,000 Prius, Lexus Hybrid Cars
June 4, 2013: Tesla’s Challenge to Dealerships Sputters in Texas
June 4, 2013: Republicans Attack Landmark Offshore Wind Power Plan
June 4, 2013: As Natural Gas Displaces Coal, Carbon Emissions Fall
June 4, 2013: First Floating Wind Turbine In The U.S. Deploys In Maine
June 4, 2013: New Process May Put Cleaner Face on Dirty Coal
June 4, 2013: Researchers Explore Harvesting Electricity Directly from Plants
June 3, 2013: Study Looks at Expensive New Ways for Obama Administration to Push Electric Car Sales
June 3, 2013: Distributed Solar is Here to Stay, Soon without Subsidies
June 3, 2013: Renewables Champion Resigns from US Energy Regulator
June 3, 2013: Climate Change Trend Likely to Thwart Biofuel Goals, Study says
June 3, 2013: Texas Renewable Electric Generation Up 7% in 2012
June 2, 2013: U.S. Energy Department Partners for Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Infrastructure
June 2, 2013: Clean Energy is a Bargain for Consumers
June 1, 2013: Case Pitting minors, State environmental Agency on Greenhouse Gases Moves Ahead Slowly
May 30, 2013: Energy Innovation Centers Seek Ways to Power the Future
May 30, 2013: Electric Car Owners Face Confusion at the Charging Station
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For the Week of 5/24/13 — 5/31/13
Texas Headlines
83rd Legislative Regular Sessions
May 28, 2013: Texas Governor Lets PUCT Reauthorization Bill Become Law
May 29, 2013: Texas Legislature Passes Energy Policy to Support Cogeneration
May 29, 2013: Spanish Heirs Win Access to Energy Wealth in Texas Legislature
May 29, 2013: LCRA Emerges Winner in Legislative Action on Environmental Matters
May 26, 2013: Electricity Pact Ends State Budget Dispute
May 26, 2013: Texas Legislature Passes Commercial And Industrial PACE Bill
May 26, 2013: Texas Picks Up the Clean Energy PACE
May 28, 2013: TMRA Uranium Committee Applauds Texas Legislature for Passing Permit Area Authorization Bill
May 28, 2013: Railroad Commission Avoids Shutdown
May 28, 2013: After Bills Die, Electric Vehicle Makers Still Can’t Sell Directly to Texans
May 26, 2013: Under the Dome: Texas Railroad Commission to Survive with New Review
May 26, 2013: Low-income Ratepayers Get Relief
May 24, 2013: System Benefit Fund Deal in the Works: Better than Nothing until it Becomes Nothing
Generation Adequacy
May 30, 2013: ERCOT 6-month Congestion Rights Value Climbs 12.5%
May 29, 2013: ERCOT Adds More Gas, Wind Projects for Interconnection; Oncor Files for 345-kV Project
May 29, 2013: NERC Releases Reports to Identify Reliability Performance, Trends
May 29, 2013: Texas Grid Ready for Summer Heat, ERCOT says
May 29, 2013: Texas Power Plant Cuts Costs, Reduces Water Treatment Needs
Other Headliners
May 30, 2013: NRG Expects More Layoffs from GenOn Merger
May 30, 2013: Fitch affirms Bryan Texas Utilities, TX Rural Electric System Revs at ‘A+’; Outlook Stable
May 30, 2013: Constellation Energy Partners Refinances Credit Facility and Expands Borrowing Capacity
May 30, 2013: Fitch Rates San Antonio City Public Service’s (TX) Elec and Gas System Junior Lien Revs ‘AA+’
May 30, 2013: Texas will Get Some of Tesla’s Quick-charge Stations
May 28, 2013: Fitch Upgrades Calpine’s IDR to ‘B+’; Outlook Stable
May 28, 2013: Smart Grid May Plug Leaky, Wasteful Energy Systems
May 29, 2013: Texas Leads The Nation In Carbon Emissions. It’s Time To Mess with Texas
May 24, 2013: Coal Is Making a Comeback, and Nobody Burns it Like Texas
May 28, 2013: Smart Grid May Plug Leaky, Wasteful Energy Systems
May 26, 2013: Many Missteps Later, City Council is on the Right Path to Improve Austin Energy
May 24. 2013: Transmission Project Gets OK from Utilities Commission
May 24, 2013: NextEra Energy Delivered Strong Performance in 2012 and is Positioned Well for Future Growth, President and CEO Tells Shareholders
May 24, 2013: Energy Policy is National Security Issue
Renewable Power
May 30, 2013: Obama’s Electric Vehicle Loans Program is a Failure
May 30, 2013: Geothermal Gets a Charge from Solar Thermal
May 29, 2013: Electric utilities Eyeing Distributed Solar Power
May 29, 2013: Burn the Forests, Save the Planet?
May 29, 2013: Crappy Solar Panels Threaten Industry Growth
May 29, 2013: First Solar And FuelCell Energy Will Remain Vital In Clean Energy
May 29, 2013: Wind Energy Industry: 2013 Legislature Created Mixed Results
May 29, 2013: USA: Wind Forecasting Revenue Will Surpass USD 300 Million by 2020, Says Navigant Research
May 27, 2013: WindTracer Uses Lasers to Predict Wind Direction
May 28, 2013: Google Makes Big Bet on ‘Kite Power’
May 27, 2013: Despite growth, Texas Lags Far Behind on Solar Energy
May 27, 2013: Merrill Matthews: It’s Time We Learn what Green Energy Costs States and Cities
Other Texas News
May 29, 2013: Exelon Names New CEO at Constellation
=====================================================================================================
For the Week of 5/24/13 — 5/31/13
Texas Headlines
83rd Legislative Regular Sessions
May 28, 2013: Texas Governor Lets PUCT Reauthorization Bill Become Law
May 29, 2013: Texas Legislature Passes Energy Policy to Support Cogeneration
May 29, 2013: Spanish Heirs Win Access to Energy Wealth in Texas Legislature
May 29, 2013: LCRA Emerges Winner in Legislative Action on Environmental Matters
May 26, 2013: Electricity Pact Ends State Budget Dispute
May 26, 2013: Texas Legislature Passes Commercial And Industrial PACE Bill
May 26, 2013: Texas Picks Up the Clean Energy PACE
May 28, 2013: TMRA Uranium Committee Applauds Texas Legislature for Passing Permit Area Authorization Bill
May 28, 2013: Railroad Commission Avoids Shutdown
May 28, 2013: After Bills Die, Electric Vehicle Makers Still Can’t Sell Directly to Texans
May 26, 2013: Under the Dome: Texas Railroad Commission to Survive with New Review
May 26, 2013: Low-income Ratepayers Get Relief
May 24, 2013: System Benefit Fund Deal in the Works: Better than Nothing until it Becomes Nothing
Generation Adequacy
May 30, 2013: ERCOT 6-month Congestion Rights Value Climbs 12.5%
May 29, 2013: ERCOT Adds More Gas, Wind Projects for Interconnection; Oncor Files for 345-kV Project
May 29, 2013: NERC Releases Reports to Identify Reliability Performance, Trends
May 29, 2013: Texas Grid Ready for Summer Heat, ERCOT says
May 29, 2013: Texas Power Plant Cuts Costs, Reduces Water Treatment Needs
Other Headliners
May 30, 2013: NRG Expects More Layoffs from GenOn Merger
May 30, 2013: Fitch affirms Bryan Texas Utilities, TX Rural Electric System Revs at ‘A+’; Outlook Stable
May 30, 2013: Constellation Energy Partners Refinances Credit Facility and Expands Borrowing Capacity
May 30, 2013: Fitch Rates San Antonio City Public Service’s (TX) Elec and Gas System Junior Lien Revs ‘AA+’
May 30, 2013: Texas will Get Some of Tesla’s Quick-charge Stations
May 28, 2013: Fitch Upgrades Calpine’s IDR to ‘B+’; Outlook Stable
May 28, 2013: Smart Grid May Plug Leaky, Wasteful Energy Systems
May 29, 2013: Texas Leads The Nation In Carbon Emissions. It’s Time To Mess with Texas
May 24, 2013: Coal Is Making a Comeback, and Nobody Burns it Like Texas
May 28, 2013: Smart Grid May Plug Leaky, Wasteful Energy Systems
May 26, 2013: Many Missteps Later, City Council is on the Right Path to Improve Austin Energy
May 24. 2013: Transmission Project Gets OK from Utilities Commission
May 24, 2013: NextEra Energy Delivered Strong Performance in 2012 and is Positioned Well for Future Growth, President and CEO Tells Shareholders
May 24, 2013: Energy Policy is National Security Issue
Renewable Power
May 30, 2013: Obama’s Electric Vehicle Loans Program is a Failure
May 30, 2013: Geothermal Gets a Charge from Solar Thermal
May 29, 2013: Electric utilities Eyeing Distributed Solar Power
May 29, 2013: Burn the Forests, Save the Planet?
May 29, 2013: Crappy Solar Panels Threaten Industry Growth
May 29, 2013: First Solar And FuelCell Energy Will Remain Vital In Clean Energy
May 29, 2013: Wind Energy Industry: 2013 Legislature Created Mixed Results
May 29, 2013: USA: Wind Forecasting Revenue Will Surpass USD 300 Million by 2020, Says Navigant Research
May 27, 2013: WindTracer Uses Lasers to Predict Wind Direction
May 28, 2013: Google Makes Big Bet on ‘Kite Power’
May 27, 2013: Despite growth, Texas Lags Far Behind on Solar Energy
May 27, 2013: Merrill Matthews: It’s Time We Learn what Green Energy Costs States and Cities
Other Texas News
May 29, 2013: Exelon Names New CEO at Constellation
=====================================================================================================
For the Week of 5/17/13 — 5/24/13
Texas Headlines
83rd Legislative Regular Sessions
May 23, 2013: Will Texas Lawmakers Save the Railroad Commission?
May 22, 2013: Bill Allowing Hotter Waste in Texas Passes House
May 21, 2013: Senate Passes Bill to Refund $630M of Electric-bill Fees
May 21, 2013: Wind Coalition: Keep Alive Chapter 313 For Texas Energy
May 21, 2013: Radioactive Waste Dump in West Texas
May 20, 2013: House Wants RR Hopefuls to Quit to Run for Office
May 20, 2013: Snag on Electricity Fee Rebates Could Hang up Budget
May 17, 2013: Texas House OKs Utility-backed Bill affecting Rate Cases
May 16, 2013: Oncor’s “Phantom Tax” Windfall May Become Permanent as Bill Hits Texas House Floor
Generation Adequacy
May 21, 2013: Let’s Democratize Demand Response – Power from the People!
May 20, 2013: Texas Power Grid Poised to Be Put to the Test Again
May 17, 2013: ERCOT staff today filed an Impact Analysis (IA) the proposed resource adequacy solution for the Operating Reserve Demand Curve (ORDC)/B+, as filed earlier this spring in PUC Project No. 40000 (related to resource adequacy). The cost of implementation is expected at $100k-$200k and the time is estimated at 6-8 months.
May 17, 2013: ERCOT Provides Cost Estimate for Implementing B+ Operating Reserve Demand Curve Proposal
May 17, 2013: NERC Worried about Texas Reliability this Summer; Overall Bulk System Improving
May 16, 2013: FERC Staff: With Gas Prices Up, Coal Expected to be Used More to Generate Power
Other Headliners
May 24. 2013: Tax Break Weekend in Texas for Energy Star Items
May 23, 2013: Oncor Investigates Cause of Power Outage in East Odessa
May 23, 2013: Higher Emissions Linked to Coal-fired Power Plants in Texas and Other States
May 22, 2013: Grid Reliability Bill Heads to US Senate in Time for Summer Heat
May 22, 2013: Congress Looks to Force Extra Protection on Utilities to Combat Cyberattacks
May 21, 2013: Council Puts Plan for Austin Energy Board on Hold
May 21, 2013: Texas PUC Approves ETT Application to Build Laredo-to-Rio Grande Valley Transmission Line
May 21, 2013: Oncor Reports Roughly 11,000 Without Power in Tyler Area
May 21, 2013: FERC Proposes to Approve Revisions to Transmission Planning Reliability Standard
May 21, 2013: Xcel Energy Inc. Board Increases Common Dividend 3.7 Percent, Declares Dividend on Common Stock and Announces Management Changes
May 21, 2013: House Democrats’ Report says Power Grid is Vulnerable to Cyber Attacks
May 20, 2013: AES Brings Patented Storage Operating System (SOS™) to MarketMay 21, 2013: Texas PUC Disburses $212,000 to Customers of REP Which Improperly Charged Enrollment Fees
May 20, 2013: U.S. Nuclear Output Rises To 10-Week High as Reactors Start
May 20, 2013: U.S. Coal-Fired Power Plants: Update or Close?
May 20, 2013: US Coal-fired Generation Expected up This Year: Bernstein Research
May 20, 2013: Department of Energy Approves Gas Exports From Texas
May 19, 2013: As Towns Says No, Signs of Rising Resistance to Smart Meters
May 17, 2013: Fitch Affirms Golden Spread Electric Coop Bonds at ‘A’; Outlook Stable
May 16, 2013: Emissions Benchmarking Report Illustrates Calpine’s Environmental Leadership
May 17, 2013: Texas Settlement Would Fine Company $1.5 Million for Providing Retail Electric Service Without REP Certificate
Renewable Power
May 23, 2013: Companies Share Energy Efficiency Secrets
May 23, 2013: CBO Releases Important Carbon Tax Report
May 22, 2013: ERCOT: Renewable Energy Capacity Up 16 Percent in Texas
May 22, 2013: Renewable Energy Capacity Up 16% in Texas from 2011
May 22, 2013: Solar Plane Lands in Texas, Completes 2nd Leg of Trip Intended to Boost Clean Energy Interest
May 22, 2013: Solar-powered Plane Expected at DFW Airport Early Thursday
May 22, 2013: Solar Energy Industries Association and Electricity Storage Association Announce New Partnership
May 22, 2013: Top U.S. Utilities Are Cleaning Up Their Acts: Plant Emissions Drop
May 22, 2013: Google Buys Airborne Wind Power Turbine Company Makani Power
May 22, 2013: Majority Thinks Global Warming, Clean Energy Should be Priorities
May 21, 2013: Using Solar Power to Pump Oil
May 21, 2013: To Spark Buyers for Electric Cars, Drop the Price to Nearly $0
May 21, 2013: Tesla Repaying Loan for ‘Losers’ Gives Obama Green Win
May 20, 2013: Wind and the Myth of Widespread Negative Pricing
May 20, 2013: Maximizing the Wind: With Isothermal Compressed Air Energy Storage
May 18, 2013: Flower Mound Man’s Fight over Solar Panels Prompts Review of Regulations
May 18, 2013: Renewable Power Generation Grew 7 Percent in Texas Last Year
May 16, 2013: Wind, Solar Generation Continues To Grow In Texas
May 17, 2013: Washington Is Outdoing California and Texas in Renewable Energy
May 16, 2013: Solar Shines as Fastest Growing Energy Source for ERCOT
May 17, 2013: New Law Lays Out Ground Rules for Wind Power
May 17, 2013: New Report Outlines US Military’s Solar Powered Might
Other Texas News
May 22, 2013: Luminant Generates Environmental Awareness Among Freestone County Youth
May 22, 2013: Start-Up Texas REP Adds Veterans from True Electric to Management
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For the Week of 5/10/13 — 5/17/13
Texas Headlines
83rd Legislative Regular Sessions
May 16, 2013: Texas Coalition for Affordable Power: Senate Bill 1364 Increases Unfair Tax Collections by Electric Utilities
May 16, 2013: Wind Industry Fears Dewhurst Move to Slash Tax Breaks
May 15, 2013: Railroad Commission Reform Stalled
May 14, 2013: No Reforms for Railroad Commission This Session
May 13, 2013: What’s Happening This Week at the Texas Legislature
May 13, 2013: Solar Bill Stalls in Texas Senate after Power Industry Opposition
May 12, 2013: Voters Approve City Gas Utility
Energy Future Holdings
May 16, 2013:Oncor Electric Delivery says Expansion is Limited by Parent Company’s Debt
May 16, 2013: Energy Future’s Woes Stunt Oncor’s Texas Power Growth Ambitions
Generation Adequacy
May 17, 2013: Infrastructure Constraints Loom as Texas Grows
May 16, 2013: N. America Has Enough Summer Power, but Texas Problem Possible
May 15, 2013: NERC Raises Concerns over Falling Power Reserve Margins in Texas
May 12, 2013: ERCOT Will Raise Texas’ System Wide Offer Cap to $9,000 in 2015
May 10, 2013: Don’t Be Fooled By Recent Lows: The Texas Energy Crunch Is Still A Big Issue
Other Headliners
May 17, 2013: Texas Consumer Advocates Raise Concern Strawman POLR Rule Could Raise Rates
May 16, 2013: Texas PUC approves ETT application to build Laredo-to-Rio Grande Valley transmission line
May 17, 2013: Just Energy Maintains High Customer Growth Levels; Reports Lower Margins
May 17, 2013: Bounce Energy Waiving Monthly Customer Charge for Customers Selecting A/C Protection Plan
May 16, 2013: Groups Credit Natural Gas, Renewables with Steep Emissions Cuts in Power Sector
May 15, 2013: Holly Power Plant Taking Longer to Dismantle than Expected
May 15, 2013: Will Water, Wind, and Solar Power Save Our Electric Grid?
May 15, 2013: Xcel Energy Seeks Increase In Fuel Cost Collections in Texas
May 15, 2013: Dynegy Launches Senior Notes Offering
May 15, 2013: American Electric Power Makes a Move: Up 1.5%
May 16, 2013: Glacial Energy Partners with Hotels to Market Energy Supply to Guests, Free Night Offered
May 16, 2013: Retail Providers Honored by Houston Better Business Bureau
May 15, 2013: House Bill Aims to Protect Power Utilities, Keep Lights On
May 15, 2013: Seven Years Later, Ambit Energy is Thompson’s Billion-dollar Baby
May 15, 2013: TXU Energy Offering 20% Off Certain Fixed Price Plans, $250 Enrollment Bonus
May 14, 2013: Oncor’s Advanced Metering Infrastructure
May 13, 2013: Energy-related Carbon Dioxide Emissions Drop in 32 States
May 11, 2013: New Austin Energy Proposal doesn’t Weaken Accountability or Public Input
May 10, 2013: Texas Regulators Approve Laredo-Rio Grande Valley Transmission Project
Renewable Power
May 16, 2013: Wind and Gas Giant NextEra Goes Solar, Buys Smart Energy Capital
May 16, 2013: The Endangered Species Act And Wind Power: A Rule, Or More Of A Guideline?
May 16, 2013: Wind Energy’s Shadow: Turbines Drag Down Power Potential
May 15, 2013: Largest Federal Wind Farm to Be Built by Siemens
May 13, 2013: El Paso Electric: Forging ahead in solar
May 13, 2013: Solar Jobs Outnumber Texas Ranchers and US Coal Miners
May 14, 2013: DOE To Recast Landmark 20% Wind Energy Report; Study Looks Back, Ahead
May 14, 2013: Bill Would Let Natural Gas-based Ethanol Qualify as Renewable
May 14, 2013: Wind Farms Get Pass on Eagle Deaths
May 13, 2003: Solar Panels Could Soon Become As Cheap As Paint
May 13, 2013: UpWind to Service Four Wind Projects in Texas and Kansas
May 13, 2013: Insights Into Renewables and the Grid From Congress
May 13, 2003: More About Wind
May 13, 2013: Clock is Ticking, Slowly, on Rules for Coal-fired Plants
May 13, 2013: Batteries could Fuel Solar, Wind Growth
May 13, 2013: Energy Department Launches Public-Private Partnership to Deploy Hydrogen Infrastructure
May 11, 2013: DFW Airport the Next Stop on Lightweight Plane’s Sun-powered Cross-country Flight
May 11, 2013: San Antonio Seeks to Amp Up Use of Tiny Electric Cars
May 10, 2013: US Solar Firms Take on ‘Big Power’
May 10, 2013: Reinventing the Wind Turbine
May 12, 2013: Old Technology Fuels New Energy Boom
Other Texas News
May 16, 2013: Enchanted Rock’s Electranet Seeks Texas REP Certificate
May 14, 2013: Private Equity Firm Among Principals of Start-Up Texas Retail Provider
May 11, 2013: Wholesale Power Marketer Seeks Texas Retail License
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For the Week of 5/3/13 — 5/10/13
Texas Headlines
83rd Legislative Regular Sessions
May 8, 2013: Now Austin Can’t Agree What to Call the Texas Railroad Commission
May 7, 2013: Texas Appealing to other States for Radioactive Trash, Looks to Expand Program
May 7, 2013: Bill would End TCEQ Compliance History Program
Generation Adequacy
May 9, 2013: Texas Energy Challenges Could be Solved with Solar
May 8, 2013: Texas Regulators Schedule Workshop on Generation Scarcity Pricing Proposal
May 3, 2013: Operating Reserves Solution in Texas Could Add $70/MWh to Power Prices
Other Headliners
May 9, 2013: Council postpones Austin Energy discussion
May 8, 2013: Texas PUC Staff Recommends Denial of Entergy/ITC Merger Approval
May 9, 2013: Senate OKs PUC Commissioner Two Years after Term Started
May 9, 2013: Black & Veatch Report: Anxiety Levels Rising For Electric Industry Leaders
May 9, 2013: El Paso Electric Announces an Increase in the Quarterly Dividend
May 8, 2013: Opposition Grows to Austin Energy Board Proposal
May 8, 2013: The Texas Senate today unanimously confirmed Gov. Perry’s reappointment of PUCT Commissioner Kenneth Anderson for a term expiring Sept. 1, 2017.
May 8, 2013: Texas Named the Most Attractive State for Businesses
May 8, 2013: TriEagle Energy Could Pay Texas Customers Up to $1/kWh for Reductions Under New Demand Response Program
May 7, 2013: Fitch Rates Xcel Energy’s $450MM Sr. Unsecured Notes ‘BBB+’; Outlook Stable
May 7, 2013: NRG Reports Steady Retail Margins in Texas
May 7, 2013: Texas Draft Order Would Fine QSE $25,000, As Sought by Staff
May 6, 2013: Growth of ‘distributed’ electricity generation could transform utility systems
May 5, 2013: Morrison: The sky Isn’t Falling for Austin Energy
May 5, 2013: Leffingwell, Spelman: Independent Board Would Save Austin Energy
May 3, 2013: EPA Rules to Shut Down More than 280 Coal-fired Units
May 3, 2013: DOE Launches $100 Electric Submeter Challenge
Renewable Power
May 8, 2013: IRS Issues Favorable Guidance on Tax Credits for Wind and other Renewable Electric Generation Developers
May 9, 2013: San Antonio’s CPS Backs Off Solar Net Metering Power Grab
May 9, 2013: The Next Solar Power Boom Is Coming: Analyst
May 9, 2013: Wind Energy Industry Seeks Another Extension of Tax Credit
May 8, 2013: Beinecke: Wind Power Makes Money, Creates Jobs
May 8, 2013: Wind Power’s Benefits Keep Getting Better
May 8, 2013: Xcel Energy and NCAR Power Up Renewable Energy Forecasts
May 8, 2013: The 2013 US Utility Outlook on Renewables, Smart Grid
May 7, 2013: Wind Power Urged to Compete with Fossil Fuels Head On
May 7, 2013: AWEA: Transmission still a Barrier for Wind Power
May 7, 2013: Solar Installer Sues for U.S. Grant Funds
May 7, 2013: Renewable Energy Groups in Spat Over Imports
May 6, 2013: Wind Farm Upgrades Will Help Meet ERCOT Interconnection Mandate
May 6, 2013: S&C will upgrade 585 MW wind farm in Texas
May 6, 2013: GE Announces 1 Gigawatt of US Wind Orders following PTC Decision, Launches New Brilliant Wind Turbine
May 6, 2013: Brighter days for First Solar
May 5, 2013: “Best Yet” Battery Design to Stabilise Solar Power for Grid
May 5, 2013: Renewable Energy Group’s Business Model Turning Profits
May 3, 2013: Solar Needs Market Changes To Bring Benefits To ‘Untapped’ Texas
Other Texas News
May 9, 2013: Texas Staff, AEP Energy Inc. (BlueStar) Reach Agreement on REP Naming
May 8, 2013: Texas REP to Pay $75,000 Under Settlement With Staff
May 7, 2013: Tyler Junior College Students Graduate from First Ever Luminant “Power Track” Program
May 7, 2013: Rice Students Put Gears on a Shoe to Power a Cellphone
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For the Week of 4/26/13 — 5/3/13
Texas Headlines
83rd Legislative Regular Sessions:
May 2, 2013: Texas Legislature Weighs Change to Power Companies’ ‘Phantom Taxes’
May 2, 2013: Texas Lawmakers Advance Bill to Compensate Homeowners for Solar Power
May 2, 2013: Texas Railroad Commission Sunset Bill Passes Senate
April 27, 2013: With 30 Days Left, Legislators to Pick Up Pace
April 26, 2013: Electricity Law could Affect Customers’ Bottom Line
Energy Future Holdings
May 2, 2013: Energy Future Holdings Reports $569 million First Quarter Loss
May 2, 2013: Energy Future Holdings Reports First Quarter 2013 Results
May 1, 2013: Energy Future Bonds Jump Most in Two Months as Payment Due
May 2. 2013: TXU Churn Down During First Quarter
Generation Adequacy
May 2, 2013: Energy Experts: Deploying More Solar in Texas Will Create New Jobs, Ensure Grid Reliability
May 2, 2013: Rolling Blackouts Unlikely This Summer, ERCOT Says
May 1, 2013: Exelon Sets Its Sights on Texas
May 1, 2013: ERCOT Forecasts 2014 Reserve Margin Above Target
May 1, 2013: ERCOT Predicting Hotter than Average Summer, Conservation Pleas Likely
May 1, 2013: Texas Power Agency Sees More Need for Conservation this Summer
May 1, 2013: Texas Power Cushion Seen at Lowest Level in a Decade
May 1, 2013: Texas Power Supply Sees Tight but Improving
May 1, 2013: News Release: ERCOT Expects Tight Summer Conditions, Long-term Outlook Shows Improvement
May 1, 2013: ERCOT CEO Responds to NERC: Future Outlook is Improving On 1/7/13, the NERC CEO Gerry Cauley sent a letter to Trip Doggett, the CEO of ERCOT, relating NERC Board of Trustees’ concerns about the declining reserve margin in ERCOT. He asked that ERCOT consider additional measures to improve resource adequacy and report to NERC by 4/30/13, on proposed solutions.Consequently, on 4/30/13, Trip Doggett replied to Gerry Cauley in a letter, acknowledging the possibility of a lower reserve margin, and listing the steps ERCOT and the PUCT are working on now to address the potential problem. He states that the 5/1/13 Capacity, Demand, and Reserves (CDR) Report will show a reserve margin for 2014 higher than the target and also improved future outlook. In addition, he suggests regular updates every six months and provides a specific and lengthy list of all measures taken in the past two years to increase resource adequacy.
April 30, 2013: ERCOT Issued Advisory after Power Reserves Fell
April 29, 2013: Texas Power Price Surges as Demand Tops Estimates and Supply Drops
Other Headliners
May 2, 2013: AEP Raises Transmission Capacity
May 2, 2013: Weather Heats El Paso Electric Profits
May 2, 2013: Texas QSE Would Pay $35,000 Under Settlement with Texas PUC Staff
May 1, 2013: El Paso Electric Profit Doubles in First Quarter Compared to 2012
May 1, 2013: Tesla is the Next Apple or Google, Hedge Fund Argues
May 1, 2013: Tesla Stock Still Climbing, Despite Federal Subpoena Asking About Executive Share Trading
April 30, 2013: Selling Excess Electricity Produced by UT’s Power Plant?
May 1, 2013: How Electric Vehicles will Earn Money from the Power Grid
April 30, 2013: Bluebonnet Co-op Warns of Fraudulent Pay Schemes
April 30, 2013: Sharyland to Acquire Transmission Assets from SPS to Facilitate Retail Choice, Ease West Zone Congestion
April 30, 2013: UBS: Retail Trend is Towards More Re-Regulation; Not Further Deregulation
April 30, 2013: Texas to Launch New Power to Choose Website; Will Allow Customer Ratings of REPs
April 29, 2013: City Las Cruces, El Paso Electric Close to Accord
April 30, 2013: Abengoa to Develop Cogeneration Plant in Texas
April 29, 2013: CPS OKs $16.2M in bonuses
April 29, 2013: Texas Staff File Strawman for Changes to POLR Rule
April 26, 2013: Texas Regulators Approve Review of Entergy/ITC Transmission Cost Rider
April 26, 2013: MISO Board Approves New Transmission-Owning Member:East Texas Electric Cooperative
April 26, 2013: American Electric Power Earnings Meet Estimates
April 18, 2013: FERC Proposes to Adopt New Cyber Security Standards
Renewable Power
May 3, 2013: Oil Drilling Technology Leaps, Clean Energy Lags
May 2, 2013: Clean Technology Investors Shift Focus to Drilling
May 1, 2013: Twisting in the Wind: Invenergy Buys GE’s ‘Brilliant’ Turbine for Texas Project
May 1, 2013: Invenergy to Install GE’s First Brilliant Wind Turbine with Integrated Battery Software Applications
May 1, 2013: New Battery Design Could Help Solar and Wind Power the Grid
May 1, 2013: Legislators Fail to Reform Solar Tax Credit
May 1, 2013: 2 Regional Projects at Amarillo Awarded for Environmental Excellence
April 30, 2013: Rooftop Solar Seen Protecting U.S. Power Grid from Attack
April 29, 2013: Google to Utilities: Please Do a Better Job of Offering Renewables
April 29, 2013: Thinking Small, Nuclear Power Enters Distributed Era
April 29, 2013: Staples unveils new solar installation
April 29, 2013: Sun Plus Nanotechnology: Can Solar Energy Get Bigger by Thinking Small?
April 29, 2013: Renewable Energy Wins Republicans Backing Oil-Gas Benefit: Taxes
April 29, 2013: Republicans Back Renewable Energy Tax Benefit Bill
April 26, 2013: Europe Energy Found in Corpus
April 25, 2013: Five Myths about Electric Cars
April 26, 2013: Electric Vehicles Provide Electricity to the U.S. Power Grid
Other Texas News
April 29. 2013: Clearview Electric Submits Notice to Offer Prepaid Product in Texas
April 29, 2013: REP to Pay $16,000 to Settle Texas Staff Compliance Audit
April 28, 2013: Our Neighbors: Luminant Donation to United Way
April 27, 2013 CPS Receives an Offer for its Headquarters
April 28, 2013: Incentives Send CPS Execs’ Pay Soaring
April 25, 2013: FERC Technical Conference on Coordination between Natural-gas and Electricity Markets, held on 4/25/13, will be available as archived webcast for 3 months
April 19, 2013: Student Energy Plan Could Help Border Residents Turn on the Lights
April 19, 2013: Students from LBJ, Cockrell and McCombs Schools Team Up to Win Energy Challenge
April 14, 2013: U.S. Department of Energy to Fund LBJ School Research on Growth of Residential Solar in Texas
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For the Week of 4/19/13 — 4/26/13
Texas Headlines
83rd Legislative Regular Sessions
April 24, 2013: Texas Lawmakers Give Utilities a Tax Boost
April 23, 2013: The PUCT sunset bill passes the Senate, as Senator Fraser makes clear his position on capacity markets. But major differences remain between the House and Senate versions of the bill. Read a bill analysis in the TEW Short Report.
April 23, 2013: Senator Raises Issue of How to Address Power Shortages
April 23, 2013: House Committee Gives Tesla Motors a Chance
April 23, 2013: Travis Lawmaker Proposes Sunset Review for LCRA
April 23, 2013: Bill Would Let in ‘Hotter’ Nuclear Waste
April 23, 2013: Will Nostalgia Prevail in Debate over Railroad Commission Name?
April 22, 2013: Senate OKs Electric Rebates From Fund to Assist Poor
April 22, 2013: Amendment on Electricity Rebate Advances
April 22, 2013: Senate: Voters to Decide on Refunding Electricity Fee
Energy Future Holdings
April 24, 2013: Energy Future Second-Lien Bonds Jump Most in More Than a Month
April 20, 2013: EFH Bankruptcy Could Mean More Power for Texas
Generation Adequacy
April 22, 2013: Texas Nuclear Reactor Restarts, Four Months After Fire
April 22, 2013: Texas REPs Seek Changes to Deposit Rules to Accommodate Offering of Demand Response Solutions
April 21, 2013: As Financial Risks Increase, Electricity Providers Seek Help from Customers
April 22, 2013: TEPA’s Roylance Seeing Greater Demand Response Offers from Texas REPs, Calls Capacity Market Inconsistent with Customer Choice
Other Headliners
April 24, 2013: Texas General Land Office Selects Acclaim Energy Advisors As Demand Response Provider
April 24, 2013: Power Sector Readies for New Emissions Rules
April 24, 2013: Commentary: In Texas, Utility Customers Definitely don’t Benefit from ‘Free-Market Competition’
April 24, 2013: CPS Would Not End Solar Credits For Some Customers, After All
April 24, 2013: Oncor Officials Reveal Cause of Power Outages throughout Odessa
April 23, 2013: TXU Energy Walks the Energy-Efficiency Walk
April 23, 2013: 2,500 Low-income Austin Energy Customers Losing Discounts
April 23, 2013: Dynegy Closes $1.3 Billion Term Loan Facilities, $475 Million Revolving Credit Facility
April 23, 2013: Electricity Theft: A Bigger Issue Than You Think
April 22, 2013: Green Mountain Energy Company Partners with Nest to Offer First Renewable Energy Package
April 22, 2013: Reliant Launches Free Weekends with a Nest Thermostat
April 22, 2013: NRG Expands Nest Thermostat Partnership Through Its Retail Companies Reliant and Green Mountain Energy
April 22, 2013: Oil Boom Raises Electric Rates in Some Texas Towns
April 22, 2013: After 9 Years, a Fond Farewell
April 21, 2013: Power Lawsuit Leaves Tax Question Hanging
April 21, 2013: EPA Set to Align Rules on Coal Plant Water Ash Disposal
April 21, 2013: EPA Proposes Rules to Curb Power-plant Waste in Waterways
April 19, 2013: Entergy Upbeat on 1Q Prelim Earnings
Texas Renewable Power
April 24, 2013: Austin Schools’ Prop. 1 Asks for $140.6 million for Solar Field, Tech Upgrade
April 24, 2013: EDF Renewable Energy Dedicates Spinning Spur Wind Project and Launches Spinning Spur II
April 23, 2013: Solar Power Produced 100% of New Energy on U.S. Grid in March
April 24, 2013: EPA Lists US Organizations Using Most Green Power
April 24, 2013: Solar Power Workers Outnumber Coal Miners in U.S
April 24, 2013: New Battery Design Could Help Solar and Wind Power the Grid
April 23, 2013: These Modular Houses From MIT Have The Solar Power Built Into The Walls
April 23, 2013: Renewables Tapping Partnership Tax Plan Backed by Big Oil
April 22, 2013: Renewable Power’s Green vs. Green Battles Continue
April 22, 2013: Duke Energy to Boost its Renewable-energy Development
April 22, 2013: Duke Ramps Up Renewable-energy Goal
April 22, 2013: Solar Jobs Outnumber Ranchers in Texas, Actors in California
April 22, 2013: Murkowski Sees Wider Support for Clean Energy Tax Break
April 20, 2013: Local Faith Groups Produce Manual on How to Go Green
April 21, 2013: UT’s Solar-car Project Gets $50,000 Boost
April 21, 2013: White: Green Jobs Versus Real Jobs
April 21, 2013: Renewables Investment Seen Tripling Amid Supply Glut
April 21, 2013: New Study Answers Columnist’s Questions, Confirms Wind Energy’s Environmental Benefits
April 19, 2013:KB Home, Ford Team Up on Energy Efficiency
Other Texas News
April 23, 2013: Texas REP 4Change Energy Announces the Four Nonprofit Agencies Receiving Affinity Donations
April 23, 2013: Start-Up Seeks Texas REP Certificate, Affiliate of Existing Retail Provider
April 23, 2013: Texas Instruments Joins Employers Adding Electric Vehicle Charging Stations at Worksites
April 22, 2013: Luminant Empowers Environmental Education with $60,000 Donation
=================================================================================================================
For the Week of 4/12/13 — 4/19/13
Texas Headlines
Texas Electric News Special
Exclusive Interview With Pat Wood—Former FERC and PUCT Chairman
At the recent GCPA conference in Houston, the former FERC and PUCT Chairman Pat Wood affirmed his support for a capacity market in ERCOT. We caught up with him after his speech for a comprehensive, in-depth interview, in which he explains his evolution on this issue, how the market would work, and his views on the role of renewable power in Texas. Asked if his embrace of a capacity market means that we didn’t get it right in Texas, he responded “Heavens, no! It’s more like….” (To read more, subscribe to Texas Electric Watch (See the panel on the left), or Purchase this TEW issue: Former FERC Chair Explains Why a Capacity Market is the Answer in ERCOT.)
83rd Legislative Regular Sessions:
April 18, 2013: Radioactive Waste Bill Raises Opposition
April 18, 2013: Texas House Removes State Regulator’s Authority to Limit Greenhouse Gases
April 18, 2013: Senate Panel Votes to Weaken Citizen Rights to Protect Communities from Pollution
April 18, 2013: Lawmakers Leave Global Warming Provision Out of Greenhouse Gas Permit Bill
April 17, 2013: Lawmakers to Hear Proposal on Greenhouse Gas Powers
April 16, 2013: Potential Bankruptcy Renews Debate on Utility Tax
April 16, 2013: Texas Lawmakers Discuss Market Rates for Excess Solar Energy
April 16, 2013: Bill Would Stop Private Lawyers Who Help Counties Sue For Pollution
April 16, 2013: Bill Would Stop New Mexico Residents from Challenging Texas Waste Dump
April 12, 2013: Texas at a Policy Crossroad
Energy Future Holdings
April 18, 2013: He said, She said: Energy Future Holdings Joins a Flame War with the Sierra Club over Texas Air Pollution
April 17, 2013: Oncor Keeps Millions it Collects from Ratepayers as ‘Federal Taxes’
April 17, 2013: Texas-based Energy Future Holdings Considering Bankruptcy
April 17, 2013: Energy Future Holdings Considers Bankruptcy: Will it Affect Locals?
April 16, 2013: Energy Future Sees 33% Earnings Drop as Gas Hedges Expire
April 16, 2013: Oncor collecting $200M a Year from Customers for Taxes it Never Paid, Report Alleges
April 15, 2013: Buyout-owned EFH Proposes $32bn Debt Restructuring
April 15, 2013: Energy Future Holdings Preparing for Prepackaged Bankruptcy
April 15, 2013: Energy Future Holdings Weighs Bankruptcy Filing
April 15, 2013: Energy Future Holdings Offers Bankruptcy Plan
April 14, 2013: Former TXU Plays for Time To Pursue Bankruptcy Deal
April 14, 2013: EFH to Make May Debt Payments to Buy Time for Bankruptcy
April 11, 2013: Energy Future Holdings Corp. to Report First Quarter 2013 Results on May 3, 2013
Generation Adequacy
April 18, 2013: ERCOT’s may Congestion Right Value Rises 18.4%
April 18, 2013: Biggest LBO Collapse Seen as Boon to Texas Power Market
April 18, 2013: Demand Response Needed to Beat the Heat in Texas
April 12, 2013: It’s Official: EPA Delays Climate Rule for New Power Plants
April 12, 2013: E.P.A. Will Delay Rule Limiting Carbon Emissions at New Power Plants
Other Headliners
April 16, 2013: 5 Reasons Why Texas and Tesla Deserve Each Other
April 17, 2013: Entergy Declares Dividend
April 17, 2013: The Next Big Utility Transformation
April 17, 2013: Elster to Provide EnergyAxis Solution for Smart Meter Project in Texas
April 16, 2013: Fitch Rates Lubbock Power and Light, TX’s $16MM Power System Revenue Bonds ‘A+’; Outlook Stable
April 16, 2013: Dynegy Prices Seven-Year Term Loans
April 16, 2013: ITC Shareholders Approve Merger of Entergy’s Transmission Business Into ITC Holdings Corp.
April 16, 2013: Tres Amigas ‘Transmission Superstation’ Takes Next Step to Becoming Reality
April 16, 2013: REPs May Begin Submitting Electronic Transactions for New Choice Areas of Texas in Feb. 2014
April 13, 2013: Austin City Council is Right Not to Rush a Deal on Austin Energy
Texas Renewable Power
April 18, 2013:UNT Environmental Group Petitions University to Use Only Renewable Energy
April 18, 2013: Production Tax Credit Remains Primary Policy Driver for American Wind Power
April 18, 2013: Will The Wind Industry Maintain Its Momentum?
April 17, 2013: Study: US Can Quit Coal, Reduce Nuclear with Little Adverse Impact on Grid
April 17, 2013: EDF Acquires Remaining Stake in Spinning Spur II Wind Farm
April 16, 2013: EDF Buys Remaining 49% Stake in 161-Megawatt Texas Wind Project
April 17, 2013: US Wind Power Sector Grew by 28 percent in 2012 According to AWEA
April 15, 2013: EDF Renewable Energy Increases Investment in Texas
April 15, 2013: EDF Renewable Energy Buys Piece of Texas Wind Farm
April 15, 2013: US Wind Energy Installations Surge in 2012, says Report
April 15, 2013: Rooftop Solar vs. Utilities: The San Antonio Episode
April 14, 2013: Xcel Energy No. 1 Wind Energy Provider
April 14, 2013: Clean Energy Investment Falls 22% as Subsidy Cuts Stall Projects
April 12, 2013: Wind Farms on University Land Contribute to Renewable Energy, Give Back to UT
April 12, 2013: Five Takeaways from 2012’s Record U.S. Wind Performance
April 12, 2013: U.S. Leads in Wind Energy
April 12, 2013: Solar Power Shines in March
April 12, 2013: Geothermal Energy: Clean, Safe, Abundant
April 11, 2013: Texas Increase its Lead in Wind Power
April 11, 2013: U.S. Wind Energy Grew 28 Percent in 2012, and Texas Leads the Way
April 11, 2013: Wind Beating Guns, Boats as U.S. Turbines Almost Double
Other Texas News
April 18, 2013: Direct Energy Signs Dallas Market Center
April 17, 2013: Texas Retail Provider Offering Customers $10 Gift Card to Comparison Shop
April 16, 2013: Why Tesla Motors Is at War With Car Dealers
April 16, 2013: Texas Retail Provider Officially Announces $49 Deposit Plans
April 13, 2013: Booker T. Washington and Baylor University Students Win Top Honors in TXU Student Film Contest
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For the Week of 4/5/13–4/12/13
Texas Headlines
83rd Legislative Regular Session
April 10, 2013: Debate over Texas Electricity Market Brews
April 10, 2013: Lewis Files Bill to Protect Buyers of Facilities Regulated by TCEQ
April 10, 2013: Tesla Takes on Texas Auto Franchise Law: Company Lobbies to be Allowed to Sell its Electric Cars Directly to Texas Consumers
April 9, 2013: Big Switch for Water Regulation in Texas Dominates Hearing at the Capitol
April 10, 2013: Legislators Wary of ERCOT Capacity Issues; Hear Consumer Outcry Against Mandatory Smart Meters
April 9, 2013: Big Switch for Water Regulation in Texas Dominates Hearing at the Capitol
April 8, 2013: What to Watch For at the Texas Legislature This Week
April 8, 2013: Don’t Turn The Lights Off On Demand Response—Watch Out SB 1280 and SB 1351
April 8, 2013: Senate Business and Commerce Committee will hold a Public Hearing on 4/9/13 to Take Testimony on the following Electric Related Bills:
SB 241 Relating to the authority of an electric customer to choose not to have a utility’s advanced meter.
SB 1219 Relating to a customer’s right to privacy of smart meter collected data.
SB 1280 Relating to attaining reserve capacity margins in power regions to meet expected peak demand.
SB 1351 Relating to demand-side electric energy resources in the competitive electric market.
SB 1364 Relating to the computation of an electric utility’s income taxes.
SB 1586 Relating to the definition of distributed renewable generation for certain generation systems installed on publicly owned land.
HB 1600 Relating to the continuation and functions of the Public Utility Commission of Texas, to the transfer of certain functions from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality to the Public Utility Commission of Texas, and to the functions of the Office of Public Utility Counsel; authorizing a fee.
April 6, 2013: Poor May Never Get Electric Bill Help
April 5, 2013: Bill Offers Electric Bill Discount Program to Veterans
Energy Future Holdings
April 11, 2013: Sierra Club Turns Up its AD Campaign Aimed at Energy Future Holdings’ Oldest Texas Coal Plants
April 9, 2013: Battle Heats Up Over Fate of Troubled Energy Buyout
April 6, 2013: Schnurman: For Dallas-based EFH, a brighter future starts with Chapter 11
April 5, 2013: Energy Future Lenders to See 74 Cent Recovery, CreditSights Says
April 2, 2013: Turmoil, Speculation Grow Around Dallas-based EFH
Generation Adequacy
April 10, 2013: U.S. Grid Agency Monitors Texas Effort to Boost Power Reserve
April 10, 2013: Lone Star Completes Energization of 345kv Transmission Lines in Texas
April 10, 2013: Conclusion from Pat Wood GCPA Keynote: Texas Electric Deregulation Has Failed
April 9, 2013: NRG to Shed $244M for Texas Plant
April 8, 2013: TX Electric Grid Facing Water Pressure
April 8, 2013: NRG Paying $244M for Corpus Christi Power Plant
April 8, 2013: NRG Energy to Acquire Corpus Christi, Texas Cogeneration Plant
April 7, 2013: Switched on to Electricity Capacity
April 5, 2013: Community Determined to Fight Power Plant
April 4, 2013: I-Team: Low Lake Granbury Levels Raise Concerns About Nearby Comancho Peak Nuclear Plant
Other Headliners
April 11, 2013: State Encourages Drought Contingency Plans
April 11, 2013: Different Prices, Same Electricity
April 11, 2013: Austin Council Seeks to Weaken Powers of Proposed Independent Austin Energy Board—For Now
April 11, 2013: NRG Doubles Down on Distributed Generation
April 10, 2013: Texas Commission Approves Coal Mine for Mexican Power Plants
April 10, 2013: Carbon From Power Plants Down as Coal Continues to Decline
April 10, 2013: NRG Energy to Buy 560 MW Texas Cogeneration Power Plant
April 8, 2013: The Battle for Your Electricity Bill
April 10, 2013: 10 Essential Smart Grid Trends To Watch
April 10, 2013: Two Centuries Of Energy In America, In Four Graphs
April 9, 2013: ‘Irreparable’ Safety Issues: All US Nuclear Reactors Should be Replaced, ‘Band-Aids’ Won’t Help
April 9, 2013: Ex-Regulator Says Reactors Are Flawed
April 9, 2013: The Commodities Futures Trading Commission’s (CFTC) April 2, 2013 Final Order Exempting Specified ERCOT Transactions from the Provisions of the Commodity and Exchange Act and CFTC Regulations
April 9, 2013: Council to Vote Again on Independent Board for Austin Energy
April 8, 2013: The Coal Industry is In Far More Trouble Than Anyone Realizes
April 8, 2013: What Is the Role of Energy Storage in Electricity Markets?
April 8, 2013: Fitch Upgrades Dynegy Power and Dynegy Midwest Generation; Outlook Stable
April 6, 2013: Texas-Israel Partnership Pays off in Power and Water Security
April 5, 2013: West Texas Wind Power Transmission Project Nears Completion
April 5, 2013: MISO Clears First Annual Capacity Auction
April 4, 2013: Online Attack Targets 11 Energy Companies with Emails
Texas Renewable Power
April 11, 2013: Texas Added Most New Wind Capacity in 2012
April 11, 2013: Texas Wind Industry Tops Nation in 2012
April 11, 2013: US Ranks No. 1 for New Wind Projects
April 11, 2013: Wind Energy Grows 28% in a Year, Delivering More Economic Benefits in US Than Ever Before
April 10, 2013: FERC: Majority of New Generation in 2013 is Renewable Energy
April 9, 2013: CPS Energy Proposes Slashing a Solar Power Incentive
April 9, 2013: Is Warren Buffett Betting Big on Solar?
April 9: 2013: First Solar Shares Smoking on ’13 Guidance
April 7, 2013: Why Solar Power Stocks Are Still Earthbound
April 5, 2013: Fort Bliss to Launch Military’s Largest Renewable Energy Project
April 5, 2013: Fort Bliss to Build Biggest Solar Farm in Military
April 5, 2013: Solar Energy to Propel Plane Across the US
April 5, 2013: Xtreme Power to Sell Battery Factory, Focus on Software
April 4, 2013: The Limits of Renewable Energy
April 4, 2013: UT Incubator, UK Firm Partner for Clean Energy
Other Texas News
April 11, 2013: Reliant Marketing Rangers, Texans Themed Products
April 11, 2013: Entergy Advocates Take to Capitol Hill in Support of LIHEAP (Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program)
April 11, 2013: CPS Energy Dishing Out Record Tally of Bonus Cash
April 9, 2013: CenterPoint Energy and XTO Energy Sign Crude-Gathering Pact in Bakken Shale
April 9, 2013: New Retail Provider Offering Residential Service at Texas New-Mexico Power
April 5, 2013: Winners Named in 2013 TXU Energy Student Film Contest
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For the Week of 3/29/13–4/5/13
Texas Headlines
83rd Legislative Regular Session
April 2, 2013: Environmental Group Calls on Legislature to Address Power Supply
April 1, 2013: What’s On Tap in Energy and Environment at the Texas Legislature This Week
March 30, 2013: Can there be a King’s X between Electricity and Water Interests?
Energy Future Holdings
April 4, 2013: Energy Future Credit Swaps Fall After IRS Sees No Tax Liability
April 3, 2013: Dallas-based EFH Gets Good News on IRS Decision
April 3, 2013: Energy Future Holdings Could Avoid Paying Taxes on $23 billion
April 3, 2013: Tax Ruling Clears Way for Restructuring of Energy Future Holdings
April 3, 2013: TXU Spared $23 Billion of Tax Liability by IRS Ruling
March 30, 2013: Big Debts, Cheap Gas and Rolling Blackouts in Texas
Generation Adequacy
April 5, 2013: El Paso Power Plant Draws Community Opposition
April 4, 2013:Central Texas Power Plant to Double in Size
April 4, 2013: ERCOT inks 790 MW of Wind, Gas for Interconnection, Removes 1,320-MW Las Brisas Project from Queue
April 1, 2013: Environmental Defense Fund Releases “The State of the Energy Crunch in Texas” Report
April 2, 2013 :GDF SUEZ Energy Resources NA Agreement with Viridity Energy For Providing Demand Response Solutions to Customers
March 29, 2013: Obstacles to More Demand Responses in ERCOT Remain
March 29, 2013: Power Markets Mixed with Small Gains in ERCOT, West
March 31, 2013: Amarillo firm oversees $500M plant in Mitchell County for electricity
March 28, 2013: Texas Utility Regulators Plan Closer Look at ERCOT Scarcity Pricing Study
March 21, 2013: Ex-Dallas Mayor at Sweetwater Summit Talks about Odessa-area Coal Plant
Other Headliners
April 4, 2013: Calpine to Announce First Quarter Results on May 2, 2013
April 4, 2013: TXU marks 30 years of Energy Aid program
April 3, 2013: Copper Thieves Cause Power Outages for 2,000 in Liberty County, Texas
April 3, 2013: Aggreko Expands in Central Texas to Meet Demand for Temporary Utility Power in Eagle Ford Shale
April 2, 2013: Mexican Energy Reform would Help S. Texas
April 2, 2013: Eyes Wide Open to Nuclear Power
April 2, 2013: Waste Heat Could Capture CO2 From Coal Plants
April 2, 2013: Texas REPs Say TDUs Should Handle Some Billing in Texas Market
April 2, 2013: Direct Energy Launches Cash Back Product in Texas
April 1, 2013: Electricity Plans Tout Savings with Gimmicks
April 1, 2013: New Transmission Lines In Texas Will Transport Renewables
April 1, 2013: Lone Star Transmission Powers 345kV Transmission Lines in US
April 1, 2013: Bryan Texas Utilities to Get Solar Power from West Texas
March 31, 2013: Ruling Puts Birds Ahead of People
March 31, 2013: Austin Energy’s Performance Should Guide the Council in Deciding its Future
March 29, 2013: EPA Updates Mercury and Air Toxics Standards for New Power Plants
March 29, 2013: TMPA Settles Coal Rate Case with BNSF Railway
March 27, 2013: Federal Appeals Court Backs EPA in Texas Clean-air case, Rejecting Arguments from Luminant and Environmental groups
March 27, 2013: CenterPoint Focuses on “Total Customer Experience”
Texas Renewable Power
April 3, 2013: 71% of Americans Want to See More Wind Energy Development
April 4, 2013: BP Prioritizes Gas and Oil as It Places its US Wind Power Business Up for Tender
April 4, 2013: Austin, Owatonna Utilities Honored for Energy Initiatives
April 4, 2013: BP Wind Sale Highlights Renewable Energy Struggles
April 3, 2013: El Paso Electric and Fort Bliss Forge Solar Energy Pact
April 3, 2013: How BP Is Joining Big Oil Retreat From Renewals
April 3, 2013: BP to Sell $3.1 Billion in U.S. Wind in Retreat to Oil
April 3, 2013: Texas Cities Roping in More Wind Energy
April 3, 2013: More Renewables for States
April 3, 2013: Texas to Double Wind Capacity With $6.8B Transmission Investment
April 3, 2013: BP to Sell Wind Business
April 3, 2013: Suntech Unit Bankruptcy Had Roots in Deadbeat Customers
April 2, 2013: GDF SUEZ Energy Resources NA Donates Renewable Energy Certificates to the Houston Museum of Natural Science in Honor of Earth Day
April 2, 2013: Solar and Fracking: They Go Together Like Ham and Eggs
April 2, 2013: NRG Rolls Out Solar Pergola To Target Residential Market
April 2, 2013: Texas Wind Farm Gets World’s Largest Energy Storage System
April 1, 2013: Developing a Downdraft Energy Tower
April 1, 2013: Texas to Double Wind Capacity, Deliver to Major Cities
April 1, 2013: U.S. Renewable Energy Production Now Tops Nuclear Power
April 1, 2013: EIA: Solar Activity Can Affect Transmission Grid
March 31, 2013: Once ‘Overhyped and Sexy,’ Solar Tumbles Back to Earth
March 30, 2013: Texas Wind Power Battery Facility Opens
March 30, 2013: Victoria. Texas to Reap New Revenue from Landfill Gas
March 29, 2013: SunEdison and the Texas Solar Non-Miracle
Other Texas News
April 4, 2013: Preparing for Shell Eco-marathon is ‘Graduation’ for Students
April 2, 2013: Employee Alleges Race Discrimination at CPS Energy
================================================================================================
For the Week of 3/22/13–3/29/13
Texas Headlines
83rd Legislative Regular Session
March 28, 2013: House Railroad Commission Sunset Bill Far from Finished
March 27, 2013: Report on Tx House State Affairs Hearing 3/27/13 on Various Electric Bills
Should the Renewable Portfolio Standard be removed from PURA? Should generation resources outside of ERCOT, and not currently connected to ERCOT, be considered as alternatives to resolve transmission constraints in ERCOT, or is the possible related invitation to FERC oversight a sufficient reason to disregard such alternatives? These and other electric issues were considered at the March 27, 2013 Hearing of the House State Affairs Committee. (To read more on this, subscribe to Texas Electric Watch and if you are interested in purchasing this TEW issue, please click here)
March 27, 2013: Riddle Defends Her Vote to Keep PUC Cease and Desist Powers
March 27, 2013: House Approves Way to Pay for More Water Projects
March 27, 2013: Rep. Workman Bills would Weaken Austin’s Environmental Laws
Energy Future Holdings
March 20, 2013: Hedge Fund Says Tottering, Dallas-based Electricity Giant is Ruining Creditors
Generation Adequacy
March 29, 2013: New Thinking Is Critical To Better Manage Water And Electricity Resources In Texas
March 29, 2013: Texas Commissioner Anderson Says Marginal Cost Includes Long-Run Marginal Cost, PUCT Approves Voluntary Mitigation Plans
March 27, 2013: Texas Chair Nelson Proposes Workshop “This Summer” on Operating Reserve Demand Curve Proposal
March 27, 2013: PUCT Chair Nelson’s Memo on Generation Adequacy Proceeding
March 26, 2013: ERCOT Plan Rewards Electricity Cuts During Peak Demand
March 25, 2013: ERCOT Press Release: New Pilot Program Offers Incentives to Reduce Electric Use during Summer Peaks
March 26, 2013: ERCOT Adopts Weather-Sensitive Demand Response Pilot
Other Headliners
March 28, 2013: Lone Star Transmission Energizes 330 Miles of New 345-KV Transmission Line in Texas
March 28, 2013: Dynegy Launches Refinancing
March 27, 2013: Reforming the Texas Railroad Commission
March 26, 2013: TXU Energy Says Innovation and Customer Service Will Define Leaders in Texas’ Retail Electric Market
March 26, 2013: Do Regulators Really Want Innovation from Retail Suppliers?
March 26, 2013: Bickering Erupts Among Texas Oil Regulators
March 26, 2013: Reliant Marketing ‘Keep it Cool’ Plan with 15% Discount, Free AC Tune Up
March 26, 2013: Hackers Hit Energy Companies More than Others
March 25, 2013: Report: Texas Retail Provider Complaint Violation Rates Increase in 2012
March 24, 2013: Don’t Rush toward Unaccountable Utility Board for Austin
March 24, 2013: Electric Utility Commissioners: Austin Energy Needs Fixing
March 22, 2013: Locals at City of Kerrville Oppose ‘Smart Meters’
March 23, 2013: Colorado City, Texas Gas Plant Ruled Out as Lubbock Seeks Power Source
Texas Renewable Power
March 28, 2013: Report: Some Federal Wind Energy Programs “Duplicative”
March 27, 2013: Austin Energy Installs 224 kW Rooftop PV Plant at USD 2.21 per Watt
March 27, 2013: Advocates Pushing Solar for Houston Businesses
March 27, 2013: Wind Farm Seeks County Approval
March 27, 2013: Violent Environmental Problems With Wind Turbine Operation
March 25, 2013: NRG Skirts Utilities Taking Solar Panels to U.S. Rooftop
March 25, 2013: Bids to Repeal Renewable Energy Standards Gaining Traction?
March 24, 2013: NADB Approves Loan for Rio Grande Solar Project
March 22, 2013: Apple Owns Biggest Private Solar Power System in US
March 22, 2013: Senator Introduces Measure To Repeal Wind Energy Production Tax Credit
March 22, 2013: Small Wind Power Installations Could Double in Capacity by 2018
Other News in Texas
March 28, 2013: $5 Million Donation to TXU Energy Aid Program to Help Needy Customers Pay Electricity Bills
March 27, 2013: Texas Tech University Announces Jack Maddox Distinguished Chair
March 20, 2013: Research Shows How Prepaid Electricity Affects Consumption
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For the Week of 3/15/13–3/22/13
Texas Headlines
83rd Legislative Regular Session
March 21, 2013: Coming Soon to the TCEQ: Greenhouse Gas Permits?
March 21, 2013: Texas House Debates Requiring Written Notice of Increases in REP Variable Rates; Adopts Sunset Bill
March 21, 2013: Texas House Erupts in Heated Debate over ‘Smart meters’ for Electricity
March 20, 2013: Sparks Fly in Texas House Over Reauthorizing PUCT
March 20, 2013: House Passes Public Utility Commission Sunset Bill
March 20, 2013: House Gives Utility Commission Emergency Powers
March 20, 2013: House to Take Up Bill renewing PUCT
March 19, 2013: Bill Would Turn Greenhouse Gas Permits over to TCEQ
March 15, 2013: Environmental Bills Make Rounds at Legislature
Energy Future Holdings
March 20, 2013: Energy Future Holdings Comes Under Fire From One of Its Creditors
March 20, 2013: Aurelius Sues Energy Future Unit Directors Over Loans
March 20, 2013: Aurelius Sues EFH Over Loan Deal
March 20, 2013: Creditors of Energy Future Sue for $725 Millions
Generation Adequacy
March 22, 2013: Shock: Brattle Says Energy-Only Market Sustainable From a Resource Adequacy Perspective
March, 21, 2013: Power Congestion Expected to Send Prices Soaring in West Texas this Summer
March 21, 2013: ERCOT Files Backcast Showing Market Impact of Scarcity Pricing Interim Solution B+ March 20, 2013: ERCOT filed Additional Analysis of the “Interim Solution B” Scarcity Pricing Proposal
March 21, 2013: ERCOT Issues Final Determination of RMR Status for LCRA Plant
March 18, 2013: Deregulation is Working Against Clean Coal in Texas
Other Headliners
March 20, 2013: Getting facts about Austin Energy before Making Changes is Good Move for Council
March 20, 2013: Highlights of ERCOT Retail Market Subcommittee Meeting. The PUCT staff provided an update to the Retail Market Subcommittee (RMS) on the Advanced Metering Implementation Team (AMIT), noting that it is now closed and the Advanced Metering Working Group (AMWG) will replace it. The Smart Meter Texas (SMT) staff said that the portal may be renamed, and that all final decisions related to it rest with the PUCT.
March 19, 2013: Power Agency Considers Energy Sources for 2019, could Top $420 Millions
March 19, 2013: New Release: ERCOT Announces New Vice Presidents in Two Key Areas
March 19, 2013: Highlights of ERCOT Board Meeting 3/19/13 Among other items, the ERCOT CEO reported that: (a) ERCOT expects a small favorable balance at year end; (b) ERCOT will likely need to call for some energy conservation in the summer months; (c) a new wind record was set on 2/9/13, of 9,481MW, supplying 27.82% of load.
March 19, 2013: Environmental Justice and the EPA’s New Man in Texas
March 18, 2013: Entergy Corporation Issues Statement in Palisades Nuclear Power Plant
March 18, 2013: Highlights of Discussion at ERCOT Board’s Finance and Audit Committee Meeting Among the items discussed were user fees and the recently defeated proposal for a limit on the Letters of Credit (LOC) per financial institution.
March 15, 2013: A Real Carbon Solution
March 15, 2013: Luminant: Five Years – By the Numbers
March 15, 2013: CenterPoint $11B Deal Reaches Further into Shale
March 13, 2013: ERCOT Wholesale Market Committee Meeting Among other issues, WMS discussed topics from the Market Credit Working Group, including a failed veto to limit Letter of Credit per financial institution. The Congestion Management Working Group provided WMS with a detailed presentation on Congestion Revenue Right Transaction Limits. (To read more about these and other discussion items at the recent WMS meeting, subscribe to the ERCOT Monitor Reports.)
Texas Renewable Power
March 21, 2013: Solar Promoted for Texas Hill Country
March 21, 2013: Apple now Gets 75% of its Total Power Needs from Renewable Energy including Austin Campus
March 21, 2013: Apple Issues Annual Environmental Report, Touts Renewable Energy Use
March 20, 2013: Small Wind Turbine Installations To Double By 2018
March 20, 2013: Wind Energy Continues to Grow
March 20, 2013: US Solar Market Grows 76%
March 20, 2013: New Reasons to Change Light Bulbs
March 20, 2013: El Paso City Council Approves Funds for Solar Plan
March 20, 2013: In Austin, Pecan Street Inc. and CCET Launch 18-month Electricity Pricing and Customer Behavior Research
March 20, 2013: Wind Energy Records Fall in Texas, and They’re Ready for More
March 18, 2013: Wind Generates More Than 10% of Electricity in Nine States
March 17, 2013: Texas Panhandle Wind Energy Business Booming
March 15, 2013: Kerr County Seeks Grant for Solar Panels
March 15, 2013: Energy Storage Technology to Surge Worldwide
Other News in Texas
March 21, 2013: Cirro Energy Announces New Managing Director
March 21, 2013: DEFG Report Confirms Prepaid Energy Leads to Significant Drop in Energy Consumption
March 19, 2013: After a Powerful Lobbyist Intervenes, EPA Reverses Stance on Polluting Texas County’s Water
March 11, 2013: TXU Energy Accused of “Systemic” Rate Overcharging
March 18, 2013: New Retail Provider Offering Service in Texas
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For the Week of 3/8/13–3/15/13
Texas Headlines
83rd Legislative Regular Session
March 14, 2013: Eminent Domain Comes to the Texas Legislature
March 13, 2013: Rafael Anchia Files a Bill to Help Texas Export its Natural Gas
March 11, 2013: Intersection of Homeowners Associations Interests and Environmental Ones at Center of Legislative Proposals
Energy Future Holdings
March 8, 2013: Big Texas Power Provider EFH Seeks New Rules
Generation Adequacy
March 15, 2013: Highlights of discussion on 3/14/13 PUCT workshop on Increasing Demand Response (DR) in the ERCOT market
March 15, 2013: Highlights of discussion on 3/14/13 PUCT workshop on Inputs that go into the Capacity, Demand, and Reserves (CDR) Reports
March 15, 2013: Nelson: Texas Needs to Make Sure Rules Don’t Prevent REPs from Offering Load Response Technologies to Customers due to Churn Concerns
March 13, 2013: Demand Response Should Compete on Equal Basis in ERCOT: US FTC
March 13, 2013: Federal Trade Commission to Texas: Regulate Retail Electric Providers’ Marketing Claims for Demand Response Products
March 7, 2013: Texas Power Adequacy Debate Offers No Easy Answers
March 7, 2013: Experts Discuss Ways to Trim Texas’ Use of Electricity
March 7, 2013: Coal, Wind Gain on Natural Gas’ Share of ERCOT February Fuel Mix: Report
Other Headliners
March 15, 2013: Oncor Named a Top Ten Utility in North America
March 14, 2013: Committee Approves Critical Cybersecurity R&D Bills
March 14, 2013: Fitch Rates Lower Colorado River Auth, TX Transmission Contract Rev Bonds ‘A+’; Outlook Stable
March 11, 2013: SWEPCO Plans Appeal of Texas Court Ruling over PUCT Right to Install Cost Caps
March 11, 2013: Texas 9th for Clean Energy Jobs in 2012
March 10, 2013: NRC: 2 Years After Fukushima, U.S. Nuclear Plants Safer
March 10, 2013: Disputed Power Lines Going up on I-10 in Texas
March 10, 2013: US Nuclear Plants Safer than Ever, Agency Chairwoman Says
March 8, 2013: Security Threats a Certainty On Energy Networks, ex-CIA Head Says
March 8, 2013: Bill Gates says Nuclear Power is the Key to Solving Climate Change
Texas Renewable Power
March 14, 2013: Wind Energy Drives More than Just Turbines
March 14, 2013: Solar Industry Reports Record Growth in 2012
March 14, 2013: Top Ten US Solar Energy States
March 13, 2013: U.S. Carbon Output to Fall to 1970s Levels by 2040: Exxon
March 12, 2013: Is the Renewable Energy Boom Slowing Down?
March 12, 2013: US Wind Energy is now More Economic than Nuclear Power – Bloomberg
March 11, 2013: Wind Power as a Long-Term Natural Gas Hedge
March 11, 2013: Nuclear Industry Withers in US as Wind Pummels Prices
March 8, 2013: Getting More Renewables Into The Texas Energy Mix
March 8, 2013: Patented Technique Key to New Solar Power Technology
March 8, 2013: OCI Solar Power Breaks Ground on 400MW US Power Project
March 8, 2013: Renewables Turn Utilities into Dinosaurs of the Energy World
March 8, 2013: Solar Batteries Could be Utilities’ Next Headache
March 6, 2013: U.S. Added over 100,000 Clean Industry Jobs Last Year
Other News in Texas
March 14, 2013: CenterPoint Plans $11B Midstream Joint-Venture MLP
March 13, 2013: Direct Energy Business Wins Defense Logistics Agency Contract
March 13, 2013: Stream Energy Cutting Customer Deposit Requirements in Half
March 12, 2013: EPRI: Texas Drivers would Pay Premium to Charge Electric Vehicles at Work
March 8, 2013: NuStar Proposing to Place CPS Energy EVP to the Board
March 8, 2013: Fitch Affirms Floresville’s (TX) Electric System Revs at ‘AA-‘; Outlook Stable
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For the Week of 3/1/13–3/8/13
Texas Headlines
83rd Legislative Regular Session
March 2, 2013: Texas Legislature: Gas Takes Wind from Turbines’ Sails
March 3, 2013: Houston can Transform Utility Easements into Greenways
March 2, 2013: Bill Aims to make it Easier for Businesses to Pay for Renewable Energy Features
Feb 28, 2013: Tea Party Legislator Wants to Eliminate Texas’ Wind Energy Standard
Energy Future Holdings
March 4, 2013: Wholesale Power: Bankruptcies and Lessons
March 5, 2013: Energy Future’s Oncor Utility Valuation Lowered by CreditSights
March 3, 2013: Energy Future Holdings Deal Hurt Texas
March 3, 2013: Energy Future Holdings’ Impressive Report Card
Generation Adequacy
March 7, 2013: EPA Manufacturing an Energy Crisis in Texas
March 7, 2013: Texas Officials May Decide This Fall on Power Market Changes
March 7, 2013: Summer Demand may Raise Heat on Texas Grid
March 7, 2013: Agenda for PUCT 3/14/13 Workshop to Examine Inputs in the ERCOT Capacity, Demand, and Reserve Report
March 7, 2013: Agenda for PUCT 3/14/13 Workshop Addressing Issues related to Demand Responses in ERCOT Market
March 6, 2013: Gas Interconnection Requests in ERCOT Climb; AEP, Oncor Submit Wires Projects
March 1, 2013: ERCOT Workshop on Weather-Sensitive Load On 3/1/13, ERCOT staff held a workshop to present their proposal for a pilot program to include Weather-Sensitive Load (WSL) in the Emergency Response Service (ERS). The workshop is a response to efforts to alleviate peak demand in ERCOT, both in summer and winter, since it is driven by WSL. (To read more on this topic, subscribe to the ERCOT Monitor Reports.)
March 4, 2013: Update on Electric Projects and Rulemakings at the PUCT Following related rules passed by the Public Utility Commission of Texas, two pilot projects are underway at ERCOT. One pilot is for the Fast Responding Regulation Service that would have generation respond quickly to a frequency deterioration event on the ERCOT grid, thereby improving reliability. The second pilot is for a 30 minute ramp period for Emergency Interruptible Load, which would be a service open to demand response loads. (To read more on this topic and for updates on other PUCT rulemakings, subscribe to the Texas Electric Policy News.)
March 1, 2013: Seasonal Assessment of Resources Adequacy for the ERCOT Region-Spring 2013
March 1, 2013: Preliminary Seasonal Assessment of Resource Adequacy for the ERCOT Region-Summer 2013
March 1, 2013: Tight Power Reserves Expected this Summer
Other Headliners
March 8, 2013: Austin Energy Wins Round One
March 6, 2013: Texas Staff, GDF Suez Seek Approval of New Voluntary Mitigation Plan
March 5, 2013: Austin City Council should Bring Forth Facts for Changing Austin Energy’s Governing Structure
March 3, 2013: Texas Deregulation Fantasies Lead to Consumer Nightmares
March 1, 2013: Austin City Council Approves Electric Rate Compromise
Texas Renewable Power
March 8, 2013: Energy Will Need a Diversity of Sources
March 7, 2013: PEC Members Can Lease Solar Panels for Their Homes
March 7, 2013: Energy Projects Developers See Solar as Easier Than Wind
March 7, 2013: Sky’s the Limit for Solar in Texas
March 7, 2013: Shell Sees Bright Future Ahead for Solar Energy
March 7, 2013: Hybrids Gain Texas Fans
March 6, 2013: Texas Ranks among Top 10 States for Clean Energy and Clean Transportation Projects and Jobs Announced in 2012
March 6, 2013: Solar Panels Rare Amid the Steeples
March 5, 2013: Amid Oil Boom, Saudi Aramco Looks to Renewable
March 5, 2013: 800 Employees Needed for New Alamo Solar Farm at San Antonio
March 5, 2013: OCI Solar to Break Ground on Solar Energy Project
March 4, 2013: OCI Solar Power Set to Break Ground on Largest Solar Facility in Texas
March 4, 2013: Victoria, Texas Looks for Solar Energy Funding
March 4, 2013: Pedernales Electric Co-op Introduces Home Solar Rental
March 3, 2013: Texas Wind Power could Feel Effects of Sequester Storm
March 3, 2013: Texas Wind Energy Sets Record; Grid Expansion Planned in Sweetwater Area
March 3, 2013: Solar Struggles to Shine in Deregulated Texas Electricity Market
March 1, 2013: Honda Announces Partnership With Solar City To Provide Cheaper Solar Power
Other News in Texas
March 4, 2013: Next Up: A Binational Approach in El Paso
March 5, 2013: Texas A&M Cuts Energy Bill Despite Expanding Campus
March 4, 2013: Texas A&M Attaining Multi-Million-Dollar Savings Through Energy And Water Use Efficiencies
March 4, 2013: Aggie Make Headway in Energy, Water, Landfill Waste Savings
March 4, 2013: CPS to Build a New Communications System
March 4, 2013: CPS Energy Partners with Silver Spring Networks To Grow Smart Grid Network
March 3, 2013: Of Shopping, Dialing and Lighting
March 1, 2013: Austin Council Delays Vote to Loosen Environmental Rules for Some Development
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Texas Electric News Clips (2/22/13–3/1/13)
Texas Headlines
83rd Legislative Regular Session
Feb 27, 2013: Texas Legislature: Homes built into Bill Seeking Energy Efficiency
Feb 25, 2013: Smart Meter Briefing in Austin, TX on March 4
Feb 25, 2013: State Senates Push for More Scrutiny of Texas Special-Event Funds
Energy Future Holdings
March 1, 2013: Warren Buffett Called The Explosion Of The Biggest Leveraged Buy-Out Deal In History Last Year
Feb 27, 2013: CenterPoint Would Look to Buy Oncor If Up for Sale
Feb 27, 2013: Energy Future Holdings Creditors Prepare for Battle
Feb 27, 2013: Energy Future Creditors Said to Hire Millstein for Debt Talks
Feb 26, 2013: Six Years Later, The Biggest Leveraged Buyout Deal In History Faces Spectacular Failure
Feb 26, 2013: It’s Past Time for a Remedy at EFH
Feb 25, 2013: Energy Future Failure May Be Buyout Milestone for KKR
Feb 25, 2013: Biggest LBO Failure Becomes Energy Future Purgatory for KKR
Generation Adequacy
March 1, 2013: ERCOT Sees Another Tight Summer for Texas Power Supplies in 2013
March 1, 2013: Texas Electric Supply will be “Very tight”, ERCOT says
March 1, 2013: Press Release: ERCOT Expects Another Tight Summer
March 1, 2013: In PUCT Open Meeting today, Discussion on Addressing Generation Adequacy Chairman Nelson filed a memo defining “the process for moving forward” regarding a reserve demand curve to improve generation adequacy. She’s been having meetings with many parties to try to understand all of the issues, and the options are being further analyzed. (to read more on this topic,subscribe to the Texas Electric Policy News.)
Feb 28, 2013: PUCT Chairman Nelson Proposes No Implementation of Interim Demand Curve this Summer
Feb 27, 2013: ERCOT Studying Alternative Solutions to Generation Adequacy Problem ERCOT’s Technical Advisory Committee held a workshop on 2/20/13 to consider alternative solutions to the generation adequacy problem in ERCOT. This was also, in part, to prepare for the 3/14/13 PUCT workshop in Project Nos. 41060 and 41061, which will address issues surrounding the calculation of the reserve margin and the need for increased Demand Response programs. (To read more on this report, subscribe to the Texas Electric Watch.)
Feb 27, 2013: NRG to add 2,000 MW of US Natgas, Solar Power in 2013, including in Texas
Feb 27, 2013: Texas Competitive Electricity Market is Healthy Despite Generation Adequacy Concern
Feb 26, 2013: Perry can recharge the Public Utility Commission to Solve Generation Inadequacy in ERCOT
Non Legislative Headliners
Feb 28, 2013: ERCOT Credit Working Group Meeting, Discussion on Letter of Credit At a joint meeting of the ERCOT Credit Working Group and Market Credit Working Group, there was discussion of whether to cap the amount of Letters of Credit per financial institution. Market participants post these Letters of Credit with ERCOT to insure that the cost of fulfilling grid requirements is born by those who cause the cost. (to read more on this topic, subscribe to the ERCOT Monitor Reports)
Feb 27, 2013: Direct Energy Looking to Buy Retailers in Texas
Feb 27, 2013: NRG Sees Slowdown in Retail Growth, Reorganizes Leadership of Texas/Northeast Businesses
Feb 26, 2013: City of Austin, Critics Close to Settlement on Rate-increase Appeal
Feb 26, 2013: Pat Wood says Capacity Market Best for Energy Efficiency
Feb 25, 2013: Wind Storms Topple Power Lines and an 18-Wheeler on Texas 130
Feb 25, 2013: High Wind Caused 8,000 Austin Energy Customers Without Power
Feb 25, 2013: Fitch affirms American Electric Power & Units Ratings
Feb 25, 2013: Oncor Solves Outages without Customers, but with Smart Meters
Feb 25, 2013: Pat Wood, Former Chairman of FERC and PUCT, will Speak at SPEER’s Annual Summit at Austin on February 26, 2013
Feb 22, 2013: Austin Energy Defends Rate Increase
Texas Renewable Power
Feb 28, 2013: Shell Sees Solar as Biggest Energy Source After Exiting It
Feb 27, 2013: Wind and Solar Power are Plentiful, but They’re not Always There When You Need Them
Feb 27, 2013: Solar Panels Rise on Fort Bliss Homes: Step to Energy Self-sufficiency
Feb 27, 2013: San Antonio VIA Metropolitan Transit Rolls out Electric Buses
Feb 27, 2013: El Paso Electric Solar Grid is One of Texas’ Weakest
Feb 26, 2013: Light Bulb Appears Over Energy Regulator’s Head
Feb 26, 2013: Buy a Honda, Get Solar
Feb 25, 2013: Solar Insights and Peak into the Future
Feb 25, 2013: Wind Power is a Blowing Force in Texas
Feb 25, 2013: Wind-energy Programs Yield Engineering Jobs
Feb 25, 2013: Electric Cars Surging, or Out of Juice?
Feb 25, 2013: Cool Earth Solar’s Big Deal with Sandia
Feb 22, 2013: Survey: Majority Support Focus on Alternative Energy
Other News in Texas
March 1, 2013: Austin Council Delays Vote to Loosen Environmental Rules for Some Development
Feb 28, 2013: TriEagle Energy Receives New License, Looking to New Markets as 10th Anniversary Celebrated
Feb 27, 2013: Bounce Energy Launches Build Your Own Energy Plan in Texas
Feb 26, 2013: CPS Energy’s CEO Beneby Accepts 3-year Deal
Feb 25, 2013: Xtreme Power at Austin, TX, Catches Up With the Big Players in Grid Storage
Feb 22, 2013: CPS Energy nearly Doubling Size of South San Antonio Center
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Texas Electric News Clips (2/15/13–2/22/13)
Texas Headlines
83rd Legislative Regular Session
Feb 21, 2013: Solar Systems could be Offered as Standard in New Texas Homes Feb 15, 2013: Proposed Bill Would Require Solar Energy System as Standard Option in New Homes
Feb 14, 2013: Texas Renewable Energy Faces Hurdles in Legislature
Energy Future Holdings
Feb 20, 2013: Energy Future Holdings Raises Specter of Default, Bankruptcy Feb 20, 2013: Energy Future Holdings Warns of Potential Bankruptcy, Reports Huge Losses Feb 19, 2013: Energy Future Holdings Warns of Bankruptcy Risk Feb 19, 2013: Energy Future Holdings Warns on Bankruptcy Feb 19, 2013: Energy Future Reports $1.95 Billion Quarterly Loss Feb 19, 2013: Energy Future Holdings’ Fourth-quarter Loss Widens to $1.95 billion Feb 19, 2013: Energy Future Holdings Reports $3.36 Billion Loss Feb 19, 2013: New Release :Energy Future Holdings Reports Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2012 Results
Generation Adequacy
Feb 21, 2013: Luminant Considers Adding Two Generators at Hood County Power Plant
Feb 21, 2013: Competitive Generator Says Competitive Retail Market, With Transient Customers, Can’t Support “Investment,” Innovation
Feb 20, 2013: Does ERCOT Need a Higher Reserve Margin? It was not that long ago that the target planning reserve margin (TPRM) in ERCOT was at 12.5%. An increase to 13.75% was approved by the ERCOT Board in November 2010. But a year later, in December 2011, ERCOT sounded alarm in its report “ERCOT 10-year Outlook Indicates Need for Additional Generation.” (To read more about this, subscribe to Texas Electric Watch.)
Feb 20, 2013: One More Problem for Energy Future Holdings: Wind Power Feb 15, 2013: Texas Grid Braces for Possible Power Company Restructuring
Feb 20, 2013: Constellation Offering Commercial Customers New Ways to Reduce Electricity Supply Bills
Feb 19, 2013: ERCOT to Investigate Reliability Must-run Status for LCRA Plant Feb 19, 2013: ERCOT Issues Initial Determination of RMR Status for LCRA Plant
Feb 18, 2013: A White Stallion Falls in the Mud…. Feb 18, 2013: Devlopers Drop Plans for Texas Coal Plant Feb 15, 2013: White Stallion Energy Suspends Coal Plant Project Feb 15, 2013: After White Stallion Power Plant Canceled, Coal Faces Dark Future in Texas Feb 15, 2013: Coal, An Obituary Feb 14, 2013: Beyond Coal Texas Targets Big Brown Plant
Feb 15, 2013: Texas Regulators Approve Look into Smart Meter Opt-out Proposal
Feb 15, 2013: Power Demand Blunts Effect of Low Natural Gas Prices
Non Legislative Headliners
Feb 22, 2013: Calpine, Texas Staff Reach Settlement on Voluntary Mitigation Plan
Feb 20, 2013: ERCOT’s Retail Market Subcommittee on Advanced Meters and Project Priorities ERCOT’s RMS approved creation of the Advanced Metering Working Group to replace the PUCT’s Advanced Metering Implementation Team. RMS also reported on the Project Priority List being managed to $15.4 million. (To read more subscribe to the ERCOT Monitor Reports.)
Feb 20, 2013: State Government Hoarding, Not Spending Clean-Air Money
Feb 20, 2013: LCRA, Enviro Group Settle over Fayette Power Plant Soot Emissions
Feb 20, 2013: TXU: July and August Could Be An “Issue” for Some REPs Due to Higher ERCOT Caps, Cites Margin Pressure
Feb 20, 2013: Entergy Texas and ITC File Final Transaction Request with Public Utility Commission of Texas Feb 20, 2013: Entergy Texas Files at PUCT to Transfer Transmission Assets to ITC Subsidiary
Feb 17, 2013: City Council Should Build a Case based on Facts for Changing Governance of Austin Energy
Feb 15, 2013: American Electric Power profit beats in 4Q Feb 15, 2013: American Electric Fourth-Quarter Net Down 93% on Write-Down Charges
Feb 15, 2013: American Electric Pollution Costs to Fall on Lower Coal Use
Texas Renewable Power
Feb 22, 2013: PTC Impact on Widespread Renewables Uncertain
Feb 20, 2013: Wind Whipping Texas Coal Generation
Feb 20, 2013: Nexolon Breaks Ground on San Antonio Solar Plant
Feb 21, 2013: E.ON Dedicates 100 MW Anacacho Wind Farm in Texas Feb 20, 2013: E.ON Climate & Renewables Dedicates Texas Wind Farm
Feb 19, 2013: Facts Show Renewable Energy Success
Feb 19, 2013: Wind Generation Records Fall in Texas, Colorado, Pacific Northwest
Feb 15, 2013: Educating the Wind Energy Workforce
Feb 15, 2013: Solar Power: Is It A Better Deal Than We Think?
Feb 14, 2013: San Antonio, Austin Lead State in Solar Generation
Other News in Texas
Feb 20, 2013: El Paso Electric Profit off 12.3% on Lower Rates
Feb 19, 2013: Flash: TXU Net Churn Up When Excluding Inorganic Additions