May 3, 2021 — The Texas House passed 126-18 a proposed state constitutional amendment to create the State Utilities Reliability Fund (SURF) and the State Utilities Reliability Revenue Fund to help start low-interest …
April 30, 2021 — Fitch Ratings is using the Valentine’s Week winter storms and resulting Texas power outages as an example in its latest report, noting how increases in the severity — and …
April 30, 2021 — A bipartisan bill revising the criteria used by the ERCOT and PUC in its transmission planning and approval process has passed the Texas House. District 72 Rep. Drew Darby‘s …
April 30, 2021 — Texas Tribune‘s Ross Ramsey writes on Friday: “Texas voters overwhelmingly support requiring energy providers to protect their facilities from bad weather, and a slim majority thinks the government should …
April 29, 2021 — A Swiss developer is planning a new solar park southwest of Houston. Renewables project producer Advanced Power said this week it’s secured all the funds it needs to build …
April 29, 2021 — Governor Greg Abbott is now expected to sign the Texas Legislature’s bill banning retail electricity providers (REP) plans such as those sold by Griddy until the February power crisis …
April 29, 2021 — East Texas Rep. Trent Ashby‘s bill to protect groundwater at O&G disposal sites is has passed the Texas House and will now be considered by the Senate, where Jacksonville-area …
April 29, 2021 — Ft. Worth’s Contango O&G Co. has two new appointments to its board and is exploring its ESG options. Karen Simon will serve as a member of the Audit and …
By Alex Mills Data from a variety of sources indicate the cycle of contraction in the oil and gas industry has reversed and demand for petroleum products is returning. The International Energy Agency …
April 28, 2021 — Basic Energy Services, Inc. says it’s entered into a purchase and sale agreement for the sale of “certain non-core assets” for $6.6 million. The deal is “not including the …
April 29, 2021 — East Texas Rep. Trent Ashby‘s bill to protect groundwater at O&G disposal sites is expected to pass on third ready Thursday in the Texas House. CSHB 2201 passed on …
April 27, 2021 — The ERCOT Board of Directors on Tuesday announced the selection of Brad Jones to serve as the interim President and CEO for the Texas grid operator serving 90 percent …
April 26, 2021 — A bill to require the PUC, the RRC and the Texas Division of Emergency Management to prepare emergency severe weather plans, including extensive plans for communications, passed the Texas …
By Alex Mills April 22, 2021 — If Congress passes President Biden’s energy proposal, American consumers need to get ready to relive the days of double-digit increases in energy price. Biden’s plan is …
RRC Expertise Also Utilized to Assist National Parks Service April 21, 2021 — The Railroad Commission of Texas’s strong track record continues for a major program in the agency’s critical mission to protect …
April 20, 2021 — Environmental Defense Fund launched a national campaign to counter long-running efforts by oil industry lobbyists and their allies to undermine progress on clean transportation. The campaign, including TV and online advertising, social …
April 20, 2021 — Environmental activists are in the middle of what they call a “week of action,” with Gulf Coast organizers in Washington DC calling for an end to fossil fuel exports …
April 19, 2021 — Austin-based Electric Power Engineers President Hala Ballouz is joining four other power industry experts in recommending a regional system operator model for the Electric Reliability Council of Texas-controlled power grid.
Based on the known events that occurred during the Valentine’s week Texas power crisis, the group of five energy-related managers and engineers said in a published statement that many of the deficiencies that led to and exacerbated the crisis “are a consequence of the way deregulation was enacted in Texas.”
This helped result in a system currently being used in Texas that led to a tragic failure “primarily as a consequence of following an approach to resource investment that relies entirely on the use of (short-term) markets,” the experts said in a scholarly paper published at ResearchGate.
Claims made by others that the market-based shortage-recovery system used by ERCOT actually “worked” is “disputable,” they added.
By Alex Mills April 16, 2021 — As two agencies recently reported an improving global economy has sparked optimism about improving demand for petroleum products, President Biden introduced his plan to increase taxes …
April 16, 2021 — One of Tyler’s largest roses distributors is proposing to file a nationwide class action lawsuit against Houston’s Symmetry Energy Solutions, claiming price gouging for natural gas during the February …