Podcasts about winter storm uri

“There's never any point at which I would have to say, ‘Well, I'm only going to do trial work now' or ‘I'm only going to do appellate work,'” Dylan Russell says. He can straddle that line because, as he explains to hosts Todd Smith and Jody Sanders, “I just like the law so much that I think about it all the time.” In this conversation, Dylan discusses why he maintains both trial and appellate skills rather than specializing and suggests how trial lawyers can become strong appellate lawyers. Tune in for his insights and a few war stories, like the time he had to file a Supreme Court petition for writ of certiorari during Winter Storm Uri with no power or printer.Connect and Learn More☑️ Dylan Russell | LinkedIn | Instagram | X | BlueSky☑️ Sorrels Law on LinkedIn | Instagram | Facebook ☑️ Todd Smith | LinkedIn | X | Bluesky☑️ Jody Sanders | LinkedIn | X | Bluesky☑️ Texas Appellate Law Podcast on LinkedIn | X | Instagram | Bluesky☑️ Texas Appellate Counsel PLLC ☑️ Kelly Hart & Hallman, LLP | LinkedIn☑️ Subscribe

Net-demand energy forecasts are critical for competitive market participants, such as in the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) and similar markets, for several key reasons. For example, accurate forecasting helps predict when supply-demand imbalances will create price spikes or crashes, allowing traders and generators to optimize their bidding strategies. It's also important for asset optimization. Power generators need to know when to commit resources to the market and at what price levels. Poor forecasting can lead to missed profit opportunities or operating assets when prices don't cover costs. Fortunately, artificial intelligence (AI) is now capable of producing highly accurate forecasts from the growing amount of meter and weather data that is available. The complex and robust calculations performed by these machine-learning algorithms is well beyond what human analysts are capable of, making advance forecasting systems essential to utilities. Plus, they are increasingly valuable to independent power producers (IPPs) and other energy traders making decisions about their positions in the wholesale markets. Sean Kelly, co-founder and CEO of Amperon, a company that provides AI-powered forecasting solutions, said using an Excel spreadsheet as a forecasting tool was fine back in 2005 when he got started in the business as a power trader, but that type of system no longer works adequately today. “Now, we're literally running at Amperon four to six models behind the scenes, with five different weather vendors that are running an ensemble each time,” Kelly said as a guest on The POWER Podcast. “So, as it gets more confusing, we've got to stay on top of that, and that's where machine learning really kicks in.” The consequences of being ill-prepared can be dire. Having early and accurate forecasts can mean the difference between a business surviving or failing. Effects from Winter Storm Uri offer a case in point. Normally, ERCOT wholesale prices fluctuate from about $20/MWh to $50/MWh. During Winter Storm Uri (Feb. 13–17, 2021), ERCOT set the wholesale electricity price at its cap of $9,000/MWh due to extreme demand and widespread generation failures caused by the storm. This price remained in effect for approximately 4.5 days (108 hours). This 180-fold price increase had devastating financial impacts across the Texas electricity market. The financial fallout was severe. Several retail electricity providers went bankrupt, most notably Griddy Energy, which passed the wholesale prices directly to customers, resulting in some receiving bills of more than $10,000 for just a few days of power. “Our clients were very appreciative of the work we had at Amperon,” Kelly recalled. “We probably had a dozen or so clients at that time, and we told them on February 2 that this was coming,” he said. With that early warning, Kelly said Amperon's clients were able to get out in front of the price swing and buy power at much lower rates. “Our forecasts go out 15 days, ERCOT's forecasts only go out seven,” Kelly explained. “So, we told everyone, ‘Alert! Alert! This is coming!' Dr. Mark Shipham, our in-house meteorologist, was screaming it from the rooftops. So, we had a lot of clients who bought $60 power per megawatt. So, think about buying 60s, and then your opportunity is 9,000. So, a lot of traders made money,” he said. “All LSEs—load serving entities—still got hit extremely bad, but they got hit a lot less bad,” Kelly continued. “I remember one client saying: ‘I bought power at 60, then I bought it at 90, then I bought it at 130, then I bought it at 250, because you kept telling me that load was going up and that this was getting bad.' And they're like, ‘That is the best expensive power I've ever bought. I was able to keep my company as a retail energy provider.' And, so, those are just some of the ways that these forecasts are extremely helpful.”

Keith Collins knows electricity markets. After a stint consulting for the New York Independent System Operator, he joined FERC in 2004. After that, he spent years working for the California ISO and the Southwest Power Pool. But it wasn't until he  joined the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) as vice president of commercial operations last summer that he started making waves. Unlike many electricity markets in the U.S., ERCOT is deregulated, and its grid is isolated from other systems. It drew a great deal of attention — and ire from some Texans — after a major grid failure during Winter Storm Uri back in 2021. But now, all eyes are on ERCOT as it turns to battery storage as a way to help meet surging demand for power. This week on With Great Power, Keith explains what makes ERCOT's approach to electricity different from other markets and how the incredible growth of solar generation and battery energy storage systems have changed the Texas grid. They also cover the role of ancillary services and look ahead to how ERCOT's energy mix will continue to evolve.With Great Power is a co-production of GridX and Latitude Studios.  Subscribe on Apple, Spotify, or anywhere you get podcasts. For more reporting on the companies featured in this podcast, subscribe to Latitude Media's newsletter.Credits: Hosted by Brad Langley. Produced by Erin Hardick and Mary Catherine O'Connor. Edited by Anne Bailey. Original music and engineering by Sean Marquand. Stephen Lacey is executive editor. Sean Marquand composed the original theme song and mixed the show. The Grid X production team includes Jenni Barber, Samantha McCabe, and Brad Langley.

Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas:Presidents' Day is about noting ALL of the Presidents - not just the current one, who falls at the very bottom of the most recent ranking done by the Presidential Greatness Project: https://presidentialgreatnessproject.com/Trump's prospects of improving that dead-last ranking appear dismal as Elon Musk and his DOGE hackers are now this close to having their hands on your most personal financial data, stored by the IRS: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/17/business/musk-irs-doge.html...Musk and his wild frenzy of federal firings came close to leaving the American nuclear arsenal unattended last week, including the Pantex plant near Amarillo: https://time.com/7225798/doge-fires-national-nuclear-security-administration-energy-rehires-musk-trump/Governor Abbott all but admitted last week that the GOP private school voucher scam will negatively impact funding for public schools across Texas: https://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/education/article/abbott-school-choice-20167741.phpAs frigid weather approaches Texas again and the fourth anniversary of the Winter Storm Uri energy disaster arrives, the Texas grid remains unconnected to outside power sources, and not a single of the 30,000 lawsuits filed over Uri have made it to court: https://www.dallasnews.com/business/2025/02/17/texas-courts-blocking-jury-trials-for-30000-victims-of-2021-winter-storm/...Those same energy execs are likely involved in the 5.0 earthquake that struck West Texas on Friday night, almost certainly associated with increased oilfield fracking: https://www.texastribune.org/2025/02/15/texas-west-earthquake-magnitude/The 50501 group has organized protests nationwide this Presidents' Day, including at both the Dallas and Houston City Halls from 12 noon to 4pm today: https://www.commondreams.org/news/anti-trump-protestsWe celebrate Black History Month throughout February! See a great essay on this year's celebration, happening amidst so much turmoil, and a listing of related events happening across Texas:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://progresstexas.org/blog/black-history-month-2025-celebrating-texas-culture⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠...Check out a terrific essay for Black History Month by Progress Texas Institute Board Chair Louis Bedford:⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://progresstexas.org/blog/trickle-down-diversity-doesn%E2%80%99t-work⁠⁠⁠⁠The early giving period for this year's Amplify Austin Day has begun! Support Progress Texas at⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://www.amplifyatx.org/organizations/progress-texas-institute⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.Progress Texas is now ranked in the top 3% of all podcasts worldwide for listenership - thank you!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://www.listennotes.com/podcasts/progress-texas-podcasts-progress-texas-pHdPjbaN-7B/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The merch to match your progressive values awaits at our web store! Grab your goodies at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://store.progresstexas.org/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.We're loving the troll-free environment at BlueSky! Follow us there at⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://bsky.app/profile/progresstexas.bsky.social⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.Thanks for listening! Find our web store and other ways to support our important work at⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://progresstexas.org⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

A new legislative session means new hot button education and immigration bills.Utility companies face a new lawsuit over utility rate increase during a 2021winter storm.Homelessness advocates take a census of Oklahoma City's unhoused population.You can find the KOSU Daily wherever you get your podcasts, you can also subscribe, rate us and leave a comment.You can keep up to date on all the latest news throughout the day at KOSU.org and make sure to follow us on Facebook, Blue Sky and Instagram at KOSU Radio.This is The KOSU Daily, Oklahoma news, every weekday.

Today we had the honor of hosting Chairman Thomas Gleeson of the Public Utility Commission of Texas for an insightful and timely discussion focused on power, the dynamics involved, and the power revolution happening in Texas and globally. Chairman Gleeson was appointed by Governor Abbott to his role in January of 2024. He brings 15-years of experience at the PUCT, where he previously served as Executive Director, Chief Operating Officer, Director of Finance and Administration, and Fiscal Project Manager. Prior to joining the PUCT, Chairman Gleeson worked as a legislative analyst for the Texas Senate and as a budget analyst for the Legislative Budget Board. He earned a Master of Public Administration from Texas A&M University. The PUCT is responsible for economic regulation of Texas's electric, telecommunication, water and wastewater utilities. We were thrilled to visit with the Chairman. Chairman Gleeson first outlines his objectives upon becoming Chairman, focusing on stabilizing the post-Winter Storm Uri environment, engaging stakeholders, as well as the differences in responsibilities compared to his predecessor, Peter Lake, who managed the immediate crisis after Winter Storm Uri. We discuss the enhanced relationship and collaboration between the PUCT and ERCOT, structural changes to the PUCT to increase the number of commissioners from three to five to improve decision-making and communication during emergencies, improvements in grid performance and reliability during recent cold weather events (including this week's arctic blast!), and the challenge of meeting Texas's rapid energy demand growth with infrastructure investments and a diversified energy mix. We discuss efforts to streamline regulatory processes for businesses that are considering relocating to Texas, balancing market growth with policy goals, the state's focus on energy expansion over transition, and addressing rising demand with all resource types while balancing reliability and costs. We explore collaboration with large companies to build additional generation capacity and support the grid, Texas's regulatory agility, differences between Texas's market and capacity markets in other regions, the need for exemptions or adjustments in federal emission standards during emergency grid situations to support grid reliability, and the economics of building new gas-fired power plants. Chairman Gleeson shares insights on the role of large hyperscalers as contributors to infrastructure development rather than just large energy consumers, distributed generation models and how co-locating with grid-connected resources and building additional capacity is the “sweet spot” for collaboration between private entities and the grid, the potential for additional nuclear power in Texas, leveraging Texas's budget surplus to foster energy innovation and reliability through public-private partnerships, the evolving role of ERCOT in integrating distributed energy resources, and much more. We want to thank Commissioner Gleeson for sharing his time and perspectives with us on a busy day. We look forward to staying in touch. Mike Bradley was in Panama for this week's COBT and opened the conversation by relaying that Panamanians seem generally surprised and concerned with Trump's continued rhetoric around control of the Panama Canal. From an overall markets standpoint, he noted that investors are really focused on Trump getting his Cabinet installed quickly, and more importantly, what Trump's flurry of Executive Orders means for policy and markets. From a crude oil market standpoint, WTI was down ~$1.50/bbl this week due to Executive Orders to unleash American Energy (lower energy prices?) but mostly due to a rally in the U.S. dollar which is impacting multiple commodities. On the broader equity market front, the DJIA was up 400-500 points as investors seem temporarily relieved that aggressive tariff policies weren't enacted in Trump's initial Executive

Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas: Attorney General Ken Paxton and Texas Republican Party Abraham George have started a tour of the state designed to intimidate GOP lawmakers into voting for Mansfield Rep. David Cook for Speaker next week: https://www.cbsnews.com/texas/news/paxton-issues-warning-to-texas-house-republicans-in-bitter-speaker-battle/ Elon Musk and Tesla want to hog as much as 8 million gallons of water PER DAY for their new lithium refinery near Corpus Christi - already a desperately dry part of Texas: https://finance.yahoo.com/news/musk-massive-tesla-lithium-plant-110009148.html Texas Supreme Court Justice Jimmy Blacklock, of "Jimmy John and Jane" fame, has become the new Chief Justice of that body: https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/politics/lone-star-politics/gov-abbott-appoints-justice-jimmy-blacklock-as-texas-supreme-court-chief-justice/3734512/ ...The Texas Supreme Court, just as winter weather threatens, is also preparing to review thousands of lawsuits against Texas utility companies related to the power disaster during 2021's Winter Storm Uri: https://www.fox4news.com/news/texas-supreme-court-hearing-2021-winter-storm-lawsuits-could-signal-plan-change-ruling North Texas appears to be the primary target of the incoming polar vortex - monitor the Texas power grid here: https://www.ercot.com/gridmktinfo/dashboards/gridconditions The merch to match your progressive values awaits at our web store! Grab your goodies at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://store.progresstexas.org/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. We're loving the troll-free environment at BlueSky! Follow us there at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@progresstexas.bsky.social⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Thanks for listening! Find our web store and other ways to support our important work at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://progresstexas.org⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Have you ever wondered what life would be like without electricity? Most of us don't give it much thought—until the lights go out.In February 2021, Winter Storm Uri swept across Texas, plunging millions into darkness. Roads froze, power lines snapped, and hospitals were overwhelmed. Texans faced days of uncertainty in freezing temperatures, underscoring the fragility of our energy systems.This event highlighted the need for a more resilient energy future. The U.S. has relied heavily on fossil fuels like coal, oil, and gas for energy. However, over the past decades, the energy landscape has shifted toward renewable sources such as wind and solar power. Despite this effort, renewables come with challenges, such as intermittency, which is why backup systems like natural gas remain crucial.Innovating in an urban setting is becoming more and more critical. An example is the case of JFK Airport's New Terminal One in New York, where an advanced microgrid that combines solar, battery, and hydrogen technologies is being implemented. This system can operate independently of the grid during outages, offering resilience in a high-risk coastal area.Ferrovial's commitment to innovation and sustainability reflects its vision to create a better world. By modernizing infrastructure and investing in clean energy, the company is helping communities adapt to the challenges of climate change while ensuring a stable power supply for generations to come. Sounds Like Infrastructure is a collaboration between Ferrovial and Yes We Cast. Our team includes Francisco Izuzquiza, Alberto Espinosa, Ignacio Fernández Vázquez, Luciano Branca, Gabriel Ureta, José García Guaita, Arantxa Gulias, Marina Pastor, Bethany Ashcroft and Fatima Gracia De Vargas.In addition to the podcast, we have a great blog with so many more stories about infrastructure projects. https://blog.ferrovial.com/en/.If you enjoyed this episode, check out the other episodes on the official Ferrovial Podcast page. We also have a Spanish Podcast channel. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas: Both the Texas House Democratic Caucus and their Republican counterparts meet late this week to discuss who the 2025 Speaker will be - the Democrats hold the key, as neither Republican candidate has a clear majority: https://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/article/texas-house-speaker-race-19953807.php Expect the continued and escalating assault on the rights of transgender Texans to be the central social issue of the session for Republicans, emboldened by the Trump win: https://www.texastribune.org/2024/12/04/texas-transgender-restrictions-legislative-session/ The Texas Maternal Morbidity Committee's decision to ignore data regarding maternal deaths in the first two years of Texas' abortion ban - alongside a similar move in Georgia - is drawing national attention: https://www.msnbc.com/opinion/msnbc-opinion/texas-georgia-women-deaths-abortion-ban-rcna182540 ...The Dallas Morning News Editorial Board is calling on Governor Abbott and the '25 Legislature, if they really believe our abortion laws are sufficient to protect pregnant people, to order a study of those first two years: https://www.dallasnews.com/opinion/editorials/2024/12/04/texas-needs-a-study-on-how-abortion-ban-has-affected-pregnancy-care/ ERCOT's lead meteorologist says conditions this winter look favorable for a repeat of Winter Storm Uri, but energy experts don't agree with ERCOT's claim that they're ready to keep the heat on: https://www.kvue.com/article/news/local/texas/ercot-extreme-cold-event-winter-outlook/269-4fb29d16-01cd-4479-a830-7ee329d2c142 Great to see everyone at our first holiday gathering in Austin! The second is in Dallas on December 16 - there are sponsorship opportunities available, and individual tickets are now on sale here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://act.progresstexas.org/a/progress-texas-holiday-parties-2024⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ We're loving the troll-free environment at BlueSky! Follow us there at ⁠⁠⁠@progresstexas.bsky.social⁠⁠⁠. Thanks for listening! Find our web store and other ways to support our important work this election year at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://progresstexas.org⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Brian Phillips and Texas Railroad Commissioner Wayne Christian discuss the role of the Railroad Commission, the Inflation Reduction Act, the Texas energy grid, and ESG.3:18 Commissioner Christian's thoughts on the election results and what's to come7:14 Efficient Energy Creating and Usage8:21 What will it be like in having a partner in energy policy in Washington, D.C instead of a foe?11:38 What is the Railroad Commission's approach to both encouraging energy development and making sure Texas' consumers are protected?13:14 What is the role of the Texas Railroad Commission?14:53 What efforts are made in educating the public about energy creating and efficiency?17:35 Green New Deal, Inflation Reduction Act and other farces that mean the same thing24:41 Lessons learned from Winter Storm Uri in 2021 aka “Snowmaggedon”29:32 What is the Texas Reliable Energy Caucus?33:21 ESG - What is it and what threats does it impose?36:46 The Federal Energy Super Team that President Elect Trump is assembling 38:25 In what ways does the Railroad Commission protect the water supply for Texans?

 Today we had the privilege of hosting Peter Lake, former Chairman of the Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUCT). Peter was appointed by Governor Greg Abbott to stabilize and strengthen the Texas electrical grid following Winter Storm Uri in 2021. He concurrently served as a Board Member of ERCOT and concluded his term with the PUCT in June 2023. Previously, Peter chaired the Texas Water Development Board. Since leaving public office, Peter has served as an independent strategic advisor and technical consultant through his firm, Cardinal Rose. We were thrilled to welcome Peter to our offices in Houston for a discussion of power systems broadly and his incredible experience tackling the Texas grid problems after the tragic events of February 2021. In our conversation, Peter provides candid insights into the post Uri rebuilding experience and discusses how and why Governor Abbott reached out to him to take on this incredibly hard role. We discuss the challenge in regaining public trust following the crisis and the strategies required to rebuild confidence in ERCOT, his very productive partnership with interim ERCOT CEO Brad Jones, the decision-making process at PUCT and its impact on power systems, ERCOT's unique governance structure and its relationship with PUCT, and the changes implemented after the 2021 storm. Peter shares his views on managing through a crisis, the importance of uniting stakeholders to facilitate efficient decision-making, and the rapid progress Peter and his team made with support from the Texas Legislature on projects that had previously been delayed. We explore the actions needed to address grid reliability, the challenges posed by Texas's rapid power demand growth, the need to expand transmission and dispatchable energy resources, the critical balance between renewables and reliable backup power, the importance of market-oriented solutions, concerns with over-reliance on batteries, problems brewing now in other US grids, and the federal government's role in system reliability. Peter also touches on the close relationship between water management and energy, the potential for adopting incentive models to improve power reliability, and much more. We walked away with a deeper appreciation for the efforts made by Peter and the teams at PUCT and ERCOT in 2021 to stabilize the grid and are grateful to Peter for sharing his unique insights. As Texans, we are all personally thankful to Peter and everyone else who stepped in to an unbelievably hard situation after the storm to improve the grid in Texas.    Mike Bradley kicked off the discussion by highlighting that this week looks to be starting out as a pretty slow and less volatile trading week for most markets. On the bond market front, over the last 4-5 weeks the 10yr bond yield has increased from ~3.6% up to ~4.2% due to a belief that the FED won't raise interest rates in 2024 as much as was previously expected. On the crude oil market front, WTI was up a couple dollars per barrel this week on talks of a further increase in Chinese stimulus. On the broader equity market front, the S&P 500 was down marginally this week after a significant runup over the past three months. Broader markets could trade sideways over the next couple of weeks as investors further digest the unexpected runup in interest rates, the beginning of Q3 earnings and the outcome of the U.S. Presidential election. On the energy equity front, a couple of oil service companies issued disappointing outlooks last week which weighed on the service industry. He also noted that this week's Q3 reporting would be peppered with a handful of electric utilities, mining companies, natural gas E&Ps and oil service companies. Jeff Tillery discussed the growing excitement in nuclear with major recent developments (Three Mile Island, tech offtake contracts, and tech company investments) but cautioned to stay mindful of potential challenges and realisti

In this episode, I explore the controversial Texas Railroad Commission with Virginia Palacios of Commission Shift. We discuss the commission's history, its misleading name, its cozy relationship with the oil & gas industry it's meant to oversee, and its role before and after the devastating Winter Storm Uri, where lax regulation contributed to widespread power outages and deaths. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.volts.wtf/subscribe

Watch The X22 Report On Video No videos found Click On Picture To See Larger PictureThe organizations that manage electricity are reporting that we move forward with the green new scam, there will be rolling blackouts and brownouts. If the ports shutdown be prepared for shortages. [KH] copies [JB] economic plan, there is no escape. The [DS] is panicking, they cannot stop Trump, everytime they try he becomes more powerful than before. [HRC] is worried about an October surprise, she is afraid it will expose [KH]. The [DS] is trapped in their agenda, as they continue to bring us into darkness the people wake up. Trump trapped them in their own agenda. The more they expose themselves by trying to stop Trump the worse it gets for them.   (function(w,d,s,i){w.ldAdInit=w.ldAdInit||[];w.ldAdInit.push({slot:13499335648425062,size:[0, 0],id:"ld-7164-1323"});if(!d.getElementById(i)){var j=d.createElement(s),p=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];j.async=true;j.src="//cdn2.customads.co/_js/ajs.js";j.id=i;p.parentNode.insertBefore(j,p);}})(window,document,"script","ld-ajs"); Economy Electric grid operators warn U.S. Supreme Court that new EPA rules will cause widespread blackouts Organizations that manage, coordinate and monitor electricity service for 156 million Americans across 30 states are warning that the Biden-Harris administration's power plant rule will be catastrophic for the nation's grid. Four regional trade organizations (RTO), as they're called, recently filed an amicus brief, also known as a friend of the court brief, in support of a multi-state lawsuit against the EPA over the rule. The EPA released the rules in April. They require coal-fired power plants that will be operating past 2039 to begin implementing carbon-capture technologies in just eight years. New gas-fired power plants will also need to add the technologies, with those operating 40% of their annual capacity or more to add carbon capture starting in 2032. Isaac Orr and Mitch Rolling, co-founder and researchers with Always On Energy Research, performed an analysis on behalf of the North Dakota Transmission Authority on the impacts the rules would have on the Midcontinent Independent Systems Operator (MISO), an RTO that covers a swath of the center of the U.S. The researchers say they found a number of problems. The EPA grossly overestimated the ability of intermittent wind and solar to deliver reliable electricity during peak demand periods, according to the analysis, and it also found the agency didn't perform any reliability analysis on the rules. The result would be blackouts lasting days in some cases. “So they don't say things out in the open, that maybe they should,” Rolling said. The 2019 blackouts in California, the deadly Texas blackouts in the 2021 Winter Storm Uri, and the Christmas 2022 blackouts in the Southeast, Rolling said, should have been a wakeup call for the country that there are growing risks to our electricity grid. So far, they haven't deterred the net-zero by 2050 advocates from their agenda. Source: justhenews.com Kamala releases economic 'plan' that copies Bidenomics point by point   Vice President Kamala Harris released an 82-page document explaining her vision for the economy on Wednesday, but the plan shares much in common with President Joe Biden's economic agenda. The plan, titled "A New Way Forward For The Middle Class," proposes to build upon Biden initiatives like student loan debt cancellation, industrial policy, huge subsidies for green energy and going after corporations for alleged price gouging. Prior to quitting the presidential race under immense political pressure, voters were largely dissatisfied with Biden's economy, which had come to be defined by 40-year high inflation. "Harris isn't going to stray very far from current Biden policies,"  Harris aims to "[make] corporations and the wealthiest Americans pay their fair share in...

Many scholars, energy experts, and federal politicians agree the U.S. electric grid is antiquated and increasingly ineffective at meeting the demands of the 21st century. Power demand over time, or “load growth,” has reached historic heights with the expansion of artificial intelligence, electric vehicle ownership, and American manufacturing. As a result, utilities like Arizona Public Service have warned they may run out of transmission capacity by the end of the decade.  Real and imagined climate-fueled energy disasters such as 2021's Winter Storm Uri or a recent hypothetical model of a summertime blackout scenario in Phoenix, have heightened our awareness of grid-related risks. Whether the focus is climate adaptation or mitigation, our success depends on an increased and secure energy supply.    Michael Skelly, founder and CEO of Grid United, U.S. wind energy pioneer, and the protagonist of the 2019 book Superpower: One Man's Quest to Transform American Energy, first recognized and began addressing this dilemma decades ago.  Through more than 10 years of developing wind projects, Michael encountered firsthand the limits of renewable energy potential within the existing grid. Solar and wind are intermittent and regionally specific energy resources. Current infrastructure does not allow pathways for these abundant and inexpensive supplies to reach the entirety of the nation. His company Grid United is hoping to change that, with strategic grid-to-grid transmission development projects.  Listen in as Ten Across founder Duke Reiter and Michael Skelly discuss an emerging joint effort between the public and private sectors to revolutionize transmission planning and development and realize the U.S. electric grid of tomorrow.  Relevant links and resources:  “FERC Issues Order No. 1920 To Accelerate Regional Transmission Planning” (Inside Energy & Environment, 2024)  “UK and Denmark launch Viking Link underwater cable project” (Euro News, 2024)  “What Will We Do With Our Free Power?” (The New York Times, 2024)   “Why the U.S. Electric Grid Isn't Ready for the Energy Transition” (The New York Times, 2023)“Explained: Why perovskites could take solar cells to new heights” (MIT News, 2022)  

It's a struggle to operate a live music venue in Austin — even despite the city's tagline as the “Live Music Capital of the World.” In recent years, the local industry has been sucker-punched by rising real estate costs and property taxes, the COVID-19 pandemic, and Winter Storm Uri, not to mention dwindling crowds at hot outdoor summer concerts. But finally, local efforts are underway to keep Austin's musical havens intact, and freelance reporter Chad Swiatecki joins host Nikki DaVaughn to talk about them all. Stay tuned for our special weekly segment, A Mile in Their Boots, featuring a bonus interview with Erica Nix, a self-described body positive ambassador.  This is the first of five episodes we'll be doing about the music community in Austin, brought to you by our exclusive launch sponsor, Tecovas. Tecovas knows more than handmade boots and fine Western wear — they've got an ear for great music, too. From legends of the past to rising stars on the scene, they love supporting musicians and music fans right here in Austin. So if you're headed for a good time on the stage or in the crowd, go in good boots from Tecovas. Want some more Austin news? Then make sure to sign up for our Hey Austin newsletter.  Follow us @citycastaustin You can also text us or leave a voicemail.  Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info HERE

As grid operators plan for the future, they are focused on meeting rising demand for electricity and enhancing grid reliability in the face of increasingly frequent and severe weather. On this episode, EEI Executive Vice President of the Business Operations Group and Regulatory Affairs Phil Moeller and Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) President and CEO Pablo Vegas discuss how ERCOT plans to meet the increasing demand for electricity, the lessons learned from Winter Storm Uri that could help other grid operators and electric companies, the importance of investing in resilient infrastructure, and more.

As the temperatures warm up and the AC thermostat is nudged down, host Nikki DaVaughn is joined by Mose Buchele, KUT's energy reporter, to talk about the vulnerability of the Texas power grid. We've all still got post-Winter Storm Uri grid anxiety, but how much should we actually be concerned about the power going out this summer? We'd like to thank Tecovas, who makes our favorite Western wear in town, for being our exclusive launch sponsor.  Want some more Austin news? Then make sure to sign up for our Hey Austin newsletter.  Follow us @citycastaustin You can also text us or leave a voicemail.  Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info HERE

Stories we're following this morning: Members of the state's Maternal Morbidity Review Committee express concern that the addition of a vocal anti-choice OB/GYN presents unfavorable optics for the entire committee: https://www.texastribune.org/2024/06/18/texas-maternal-deaths-committee-changes/ The Texas Department of Agriculture, after a year with a blatantly trans-phobic office dress code, remains on thin legal ice: https://www.texasobserver.org/sid-miller-transphobic-dress-code-emails/ Ted Cruz is on blast from his fellow Senators after mucking up the process of legislation providing subsidies for internet access improvement for low-income Americans: https://thehill.com/policy/defense/4728744-cruz-blocking-bipartisan-spectrum-bill/ See the most recent episode of the Y'all-itics podcast for a solid explainer of how ERCOT and the Texas power grid place profits over people: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/greed-and-the-grid-texas-energy-experts-theory-about/id1486881900?i=1000659160601 ...While the Texas Supreme Court sides with the PUC, who set power prices to the maximum level allowed during the 2021 Winter Storm Uri energy crisis: https://www.kvue.com/article/news/local/texas/electricity-prices-winter-storm-texas-supreme-court-ruling/269-b337a5a5-fd61-400a-a04a-c7572e66604b D/FW folks: Come see us at our 14th Anniversary and Election Preview Fundraiser in Dallas on June 25: https://act.progresstexas.org/a/2024anniversary It's Pride Month! Check out the history of Pride and a full calendar of events happening across Texas throughout the month: https://progresstexas.org/blog/deep-heart-pride-celebration-pride-month-texas Instagram users: be sure to enable political content on that platform, which has begun opting users out: https://x.com/ProgressTX/status/1771276124498100667?s=20 Thanks for listening! Find our web store and other ways to support our important work this election year at https://progresstexas.org/.

Conversations from the Gulf Coast Power Association conference. This bonus episode of the Energy Gang was recorded live during the spring meeting of the Gulf Coast Power Association in Houston, Texas. Host Ed Crooks is joined by Beth Garza, President of the Gulf Coast Power Association, Frank O'Sullivan, Managing Director for Clean Energy at S2G Ventures, and Ken Medlock, Senior Director at the Center for Energy Studies at Rice University. The GCPA is a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting a strong energy industry in the Texas and Gulf Coast region.First up Ed speaks with Beth about the increase in electricity demand in the region. Unlike most of the US, the Gulf of Mexico coastal region has already been seeing growth in demand for electricity over past couple of decades. But now there are signs that this growth is being kicked into a higher gear as a result of a wave of new data centers, manufacturing facilities and LNG plants. We discuss the challenges and opportunities in this new era.Increasing strain on the Texas grid is one problem. The catastrophic consequences of Winter Storm Uri in February 2021, in part caused by failures in natural gas supply and gas-fired generation, exposed how the system was unprepared for such an event. Beth Garza discusses the changes that have been made in the three years since then, and how the industry can tackle the new challenges facing the grid.Plus, Frank O'Sullivan and Ken Medlock join Ed on stage for a panel discussion on strategies for integrating new technologies as the demand for power rises. They debate the key trends in electricity demand growth, and the ability of Texas as a deregulated competitive market to respond to these new opportunities and difficulties.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Heather Warlick recently covered a tragic eviction case in Oklahoma City that made nationwide news. Paul Monies on developments involving the Oklahoma attorney general suit regarding Winter Storm Uri. Keaton Ross on why most state legislative races won't appear on November's general election ballot.

TOMMY WALLER, President and CEO, Center for Security Policy MICHAEL MABEE, U.S. Army Retired, Author, The Civil Defense Book How Waller and Mabee became interested in protecting the U.S. electric grid The impact of Winter Storm Uri on the Texas electric grid Issues with the federal government's electric utility standards The importance of federal regulation on the United States' critical infrastructure TYLER O'NEIL, Managing Editor, The Daily Signal How is the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) able to influence media companies in the U.S.? How the SPLC “manufactures hate” JONATHAN TOBIN, Editor-in-Chief, JNS.org, Senior Contributor, The Federalist Why does the Biden administration want Israel to stop fighting Hamas? Has Hezbollah fully “joined” the Israel-Hamas war? Are U.S. troops going to end up in Gaza?

TOMMY WALLER, President and CEO, Center for Security Policy MICHAEL MABEE, U.S. Army Retired, Author, The Civil Defense Book How Waller and Mabee became interested in protecting the U.S. electric grid The impact of Winter Storm Uri on the Texas electric grid Issues with the federal government's electric utility standards The importance of federal regulation on the United States' critical infrastructure TYLER O'NEIL, Managing Editor, The Daily Signal How is the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) able to influence media companies in the U.S.? How the SPLC "manufactures hate" JONATHAN TOBIN, Editor-in-Chief, JNS.org, Senior Contributor, The Federalist Why does the Biden administration want Israel to stop fighting Hamas? Has Hezbollah fully "joined" the Israel-Hamas war? Are U.S. troops going to end up in Gaza?

In his second appearance on the podcast (the first was in February 2022,) Brent Bennett, policy director for Life:Powered, an initiative of the Texas Public Policy Foundation, talks about his recent report on electric vehicles and the challenges facing the Texas electric grid, three years after Winter Storm Uri. Bennett explains why climate activists have an almost religious attachment to EVs, why wind and solar are “holy fuels,” the problems with batteries, and why policymakers should think of electricity not as a commodity, but a service. (Recorded January 30, 2024.)

As more frequent extreme weather events become the new normal, grid operators and project developers alike seek improved data sources and market signals to help balance their daily load forecasts. The surge in electricity demand during such crises not only escalates power costs but also exposes the vulnerabilities of our energy grid, underscoring the urgency for innovative forecasting strategies. How do we harness data technology to better prepare for and respond to these environmental challenges? Sean Kelly, CEO of Amperon, provides nearly 2 decades of energy market & trading expertise to help us understand the implications. His firsthand encounter with the devastating effects of Winter Storm Uri highlights the tangible impact of these weather phenomena, and his stories help anchor the hard truth for his team and clients. At Amperon, Sean leveraged his extensive background in energy trading to pioneer the use of advanced analytics and machine learning in creating precise load forecasts based on real-time weather data. Their work enhances grid reliability and efficiency, offering a proactive approach to managing the unpredictability of weather patterns and their impact on energy systems.Here are a few things Sean teaches us in today's Tactical Tuesday:the increasing relevance of data in forecasting and preparing for extreme weather events;how clean energy is a response to natural disasters and can help balance the grid; the imperative for regulatory agility to accelerate the clean energy transition; the financial wisdom in adopting a 'merchant mindset' for project optimization and security;the growing focus on asset management and risk assessment in energy investments; and the evolution of weather data as a key constituent to the clean energy transition. This conversation is a clarion call for collaborative efforts towards building a resilient and reliable clean power grid. You'll find more resources and learn about SunCast's guest(s), recommendations, book links, and more than 650 other founder stories and startup advice at www.mysuncast.com.You can learn more about partnering with SunCast here: https://mysuncast.com/sponsorsYou can connect with me, Nico Johnson, on:Twitter - https://www.twitter.com/nicomeoLinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickalusSubscribe to Valence, our weekly Linkedin Newsletter, and learn the elements of compelling storytelling: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/valence-content-that-connects-7145928995363049472/

Singles Awareness Day. RIP the Pop-Tarts guy. Winter Storm Uri. Keep your flowers fresh. Clownfish are angsty. Otter sighting. Jokes with Sean. Fun facts.

Singles Awareness Day. RIP the Pop-Tarts guy. Winter Storm Uri. Keep your flowers fresh. Clownfish are angsty. Otter sighting. Jokes with Sean.

Short walk of shame. Singles Awareness Day. RIP the Pop-Tarts guy. Winter Storm Uri. Keep your flowers fresh. Clownfish are angsty. Otter sighting. Jokes with Sean. Fun facts. This day in history. Stuffy wars. Luna graduated from obedience school. Sock hop history with Scott.

The Texas citrus industry is still recovering from Winter Storm Uri three years ago. Rio Grande Valley row crop farmers may not be able to plant a crop this year due to a severe lack of irrigation water. A federal court has vacated registrations of dicamba.  Top dressing wheat is an important consideration for many Texas wheat farmers.   There are promising opportunities for U.S. red meat exports.   Creep feeding young lambs can help develop their digestive system.  

Host Bill McGeeney is joined by freelance writer, Lauren Collee, astronomer, Tim Brothers, and film maker, Tara Roberts Zabriski.See Full Show Notes, Lighting Tips and more at LightPollutionNews.com. Like this episode, share it with a friend!Bill's Picks:It's autumn everywhere except under this streetlight, Be Smart.The Small Town That Turned Christmas Lights Into an Economic Miracle, Ruth Simon and Dave Cole, The Wall Street Journal.City of Davis looking for better ideas to light up streets, James Yalor, CBS News Sacramento. Streetlight Color Temperatures our Community Cares About, City of Boulder.Power outage and environmental justice in Winter Storm Uri: an analytical workflow based on nighttime light remote sensing, International Journal of Digital Earth.An inventory of human light exposure behaviour, Scientific Reports.In rural California, bright Santa Tracker spotlight divides a community, Clare Fonstein, San Francisco Chronicle. Maine's Penobscot Watershed Is Too Important to Allow Mining, Linda Coutant, National Parks Conservation Association.Influence of COVID-19 on night-time lights in Czechia, Journal of Maps.Support the showLike what we're doing? For the cost of coffee, you can become a Monthly Supporter? Your assistance will help cover server and production costs.

Have you ever wondered what would happen if the US power grid failed? Studio Sponsor: Cardio Miracle - "The finest heart and health supplement in the world!": https://www.briannicholsshow.com/heart In this episode of The Brian Nichols Show, we explore that question and more with special guest Robert Bryce - host of the Power Hungry podcast. They start off discussing the fragility of the US electric grid, using the 2021 Texas blackouts from Winter Storm Uri as a case study. Bryce explains how the crony capitalist approach to electricity pioneered by Enron made systems more vulnerable to disruption in California. He also argues for the need to embrace nuclear power to ensure grid reliability and meet climate goals. The two delve into energy subsidies, with Bryce highlighting how solar and wind get hundreds of times more federal funding per unit of energy than nuclear power and other sources. He calls this distortion of the market "terrible for the poor and middle class." When it comes to solutions, Bryce asserts that strong, bipartisan federal government support for nuclear is essential. On threats to the grid, Bryce warns that it is vulnerable not just to severe weather events, but also physical attacks, cyber-attacks, and even internal sabotage by environmental groups. Yet he says many policy decisions to address undermine reliability based on emotion rather than sound engineering. Bryce concludes by emphasizing the need for clear-eyed, sober decision-making on energy and power. He plugs his new docu-series "Juice: Power Politics and the Grid" which provides an in-depth look at these issues. ❤️ Order Cardio Miracle (https://www.briannicholsshow.com/heart) with code TBNS at checkout for 15% off and take a step towards better heart health and overall well-being!

Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas: No progress reported on the standoff between Governor Greg Abbott and President Joe Biden on federal access to the border: https://www.vanityfair.com/news/texas-refuses-budge-in-border-standoff-with-biden Eagle Pass firefighters talk about the trauma of recovering so many drowned migrants from the Rio Grande lately: https://www.cnn.com/videos/us/2024/01/30/eagle-pass-texas-migrant-surge-border-immigration-contd-orig-lr-ag-ak.cnn Christian voters, in particular, should be wary of stunts like the "God's Army" truck convoy: https://www.msnbc.com/opinion/msnbc-opinion/gods-army-texas-border-christian-nationalism-rcna136279 Ken Paxton gets a pass - for now - on being deposed tomorrow in the whistleblower case against him: https://www.cbsnews.com/texas/video/texas-supreme-court-pauses-depositions-in-paxton-whistleblower-case/ ...Donald Trump appears to have persuaded the Texas Supreme Court to stay the deposition order: https://www.texastribune.org/2024/01/30/ken-paxton-texas-supreme-court-whistleblowers/ ...Trump has also joined Paxton in backing a hard-right primary challenger to House Speaker Dade Phelan: https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2024-election/trump-endorsement-texas-house-speaker-rcna136440 ...While an Abbott-backed candidate in the special election to fill the House seat for District 2 is narrowly defeated by an opponent backed by more moderate GOP types: https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/politics/lone-star-politics/jill-dutton-wins-race-to-fill-seat-vacated-by-expelled-member/3448714/ The Democratic judge who will preside over Ken Paxton's felony securities fraud trial in Houston this spring is relatively inexperienced: https://news.bloomberglaw.com/litigation/second-year-texas-judge-takes-on-long-awaited-ken-paxton-trial The Texas Supreme Court hears arguments that the PUC overstepped its bounds during the 2021 Winter Storm Uri disaster in ordering ERCOT to hold energy prices at maximum: https://www.kvue.com/article/news/local/texas/texas-power-2021-winter-storm-supreme-court/269-83efc0b3-72af-48b8-93f0-a131bc4a8662 ...And also arguments against SB-14, the new state law outlawing gender-affirming care for trans youth: https://www.fox4news.com/news/senate-bill-14-texas-supreme-court-hearing Studies show that liberal Twitter users are willing to back down from disproven positions, while conservative users will double down on debunked ideas: https://www.psypost.org/2022/11/liberals-produce-more-tweets-about-important-events-conservatives-are-more-likely-to-share-rumors-64245 ...Speaking of which, recently-circulating video of tanks rolling across a desert highway are NOT in fact Texas troops after a federal surrender: https://www.newsweek.com/texas-tanks-border-biden-abbott-video-1865325 The deadline to register for the March primary is this Monday, February 5: https://www.fox26houston.com/news/texas-2024-primary-deadline-approaching-to-register-to-vote-in-march-primary Early Giving is underway for this year's Amplify Austin non-profit and charity fundraiser, and is a great way to support Progress Texas: https://www.amplifyatx.org/organizations/progress-texas-institute Thanks for listening! Find our web store and other ways to support our work at https://progresstexas.org/.

Plus, the Texas Supreme Court heard arguments Tuesday in a case related to the cost of electricity during Winter Storm Uri in 2021, and Atmos Energy seeks protection from lawsuits linked to the explosion at a downtown Fort Worth hotel.

A new poll shows that U.S. Senator Ted Cruz is in a dead heat with BOTH Dallas U.S. Representative Colin Allred and San Antonio State Senator Roland Gutierrez: https://www.newsweek.com/ted-cruz-poll-raises-alarm-bells-texas-election-1862204 ...That same poll finds Allred well ahead of all Democratic challengers, but with a plurality of Texas Democratic primary voters still undecided: https://emersoncollegepolling.com/texas-2024-poll-allred-leads-democratic-senate-primary-plurality-are-undecided/ ...While Cruz swallows his own considerable pride to endorse Donald Trump for a third time: https://www.vanityfair.com/news/ted-cruz-donald-trump-endorsement-2024 ...And his own political future hangs on a U.S. Supreme Court decision on whether the Colorado Supreme Court can find Trump ineligible for that state's ballot: https://www.msnbc.com/opinion/msnbc-opinion/trump-supreme-court-14th-amendment-republicans-congress-rcna134736 ...And the Houston Chronicle rebukes Cruz for his "betrayal" in Winter Storm Uri and recent jokes about it: https://www.newsweek.com/ted-cruz-rebuked-largest-texas-newspaper-betrayal-1862503 A new Biden campaign ad features a Dallas OB/GYN who found herself without needed abortion care: https://x.com/JoeBiden/status/1749161319519912355?t=zNL10Ckqsp8zvWX5gP8iHA&s=03 ...While a Texas A&M professor who also found her life threatened by Texas' abortion ban relates her horrific experience in Newsweek: https://www.newsweek.com/i-miscarried-texas-doctors-abortion-law-1861677 A Salon op-ed accuses Governor Abbott of taking Texas to a dangerous brink over the border: https://www.salon.com/2024/01/22/greg-abbott-is-pushing-texas-to-the-brink/ Water supplies are at dangerously low levels heading towards the summer of '24 in multiple sections of Texas: https://www.texastribune.org/2024/01/22/texas-water-supply-reservoirs-drought/ ...While the Texas Water Development Board predicts that growth will far exceed water availability in Texas by 2070: https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/texas-population-is-projected-to-surpass-50m-by-2070-do-we-have-enough-water/3439855/ ERCOT made it through the MLK freeze, but our grid remains vulnerable: https://www.dallasnews.com/opinion/commentary/2024/01/22/the-texas-grid-did-its-job-during-the-freeze-but-the-jobs-not-done/ ...While ERCOT's governing board, the PUC, has voted down their proposed system of fines and penalties for battery storage operators: https://www.expressnews.com/business/article/battery-ercot-contested-regulations-1186-18614035.php And Tex-Mex ascends to the top of the most popular cultural culinary motifs in America: https://www.axios.com/2023/04/14/food-trends-us-restaurant-menu-tacos Thanks for listening! Find out how to support Progress Texas in our important work this election year at https://progresstexas.org/.

Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas: The winter blast inbound for MLK weekend is thought NOT to be on par with conditions we saw during Winter Storm Uri: https://www.austinmonitor.com/stories/2024/01/worried-about-the-texas-power-grid-heres-what-to-expect-from-the-incoming-arctic-blast/ ...Should be mostly dry, with possible exceptions in northeast Texas: https://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-weather/article/how-texas-freeze-next-week-compares-february-2021-18600817.php ...A handy checklist by which to prepare for the cold: https://www.kxan.com/news/local/austin/texas-winter-weather-checklist-how-to-prepare-ahead-of-storms-freezes/ Governor Abbott says on a radio show that the main thing keeping him from ordering the shooting of migrants is the fact that murder is illegal: https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/greg-abbott-murder-charges-shooting-migrants-1234945121/ ...While Operation Lone Star troopers seize a public park in Eagle Pass without permission from the city: https://www.houstonchronicle.com/politics/texas/article/migrants-eagle-pass-park-18602608.php ...Setting up a clash between federal Border Patrol agents and state officers: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/texas-blocks-federal-border-agents-processing-migrants-eagle-pass-shelby-park/ A mass of wild animals are found to have been burned alive after being trapped against a border wall in a federally-protected area last summer: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/jan/11/texas-border-wall-wildfire-trapped-wild-animals-dead It's official: 2023 was the hottest year on record in Texas: https://www.texastribune.org/2024/01/11/texas-2023-hottest-year/ ...And it came with a record number of heat-related deaths in the state: https://www.texastribune.org/2024/01/12/texas-heat-deaths-2023-record-climate-change/ Ken Paxton has asked the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals to allow Texas' ban on drag shows to take effect: https://www.kxan.com/lgbtq/ken-paxton-appeals-texas-drag-performance-law-injunction/ ...While a New Braunfels campsite refuses to allow a gay couple to hold their wedding on their property: https://www.mysanantonio.com/news/local/article/new-braunfels-refuse-gay-marriage-18598901.php With all that negativity today, a chance for a lift: a national blood shortage makes today and this weekend a great time to give blood: https://www.cbsnews.com/texas/news/red-cross-declares-emergency-blood-shortage-urges-donations/ Thanks for listening! Please consider supporting our important work - multiple ways to do so at https://progresstexas.org/.

Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas: The incoming winter weather should fall short of "historic" measure: https://www.theweathernetwork.com/en/news/weather/forecasts/canadian-deep-freeze-steaming-towards-texas-is-it-historical ...While ERCOT issues a fresh weather watch: https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/texas-news/ercot-issues-weather-watch-ahead-of-arctic-blast/3430486/ ...Homeowners are advised to prepare pipes, plants and pets: https://www.fox7austin.com/news/texas-winter-weather-homeowners-plan ...And we're all reminded of the signs of hypothermia: https://www.newswest9.com/article/sports/outdoors/texas-outdoors/with-temperatures-expected-to-drop-in-west-texas-hypothermia-could-be-a-real-concern/513-76565658-b8bd-4f2c-9607-91c7de96b104 ...And in an epic case of bad timing, ERCOT's former CEO testifies that Governor Abbott ordered that energy prices remain at the maximum during Winter Storm Uri in 2021: https://www.kvue.com/article/news/local/texas/former-ercot-ceo-following-gov-abbott-order-prices-at-max-cap-feb-2021-winter-storm/269-fe79947a-8ed2-4817-b4d5-037b72c46443 A heartbreaking story of a young Luling woman who died in the midst of a difficult pregnancy - possibly exacerbated by Texas' abortion care restrictions: https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2024/01/15/abortion-high-risk-pregnancy-yeni-glick Special education programs at Texas public schools brace for a sudden $300 million denial of federal funding: https://www.expressnews.com/politics/article/special-education-funding-cut-18598018.php Texas lawmakers in D.C. are leading the impeachment effort against Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas: https://www.texastribune.org/2024/01/10/texas-republicans-mayorkas-impeachment/ Ken Paxton is pleading with the Texas Supreme Court to block a lower court's order for him to testify in that ongoing whistleblower lawsuit: https://www.kxan.com/news/texas-politics/paxton-asks-texas-supreme-court-to-block-sworn-testimony-in-whistleblower-case/ ...While the Texas Supreme Court declines to intervene on the behalf of a Texas secessionist group: https://www.tpr.org/government-politics/2024-01-10/texas-supreme-court-wont-take-up-secessionist-groups-push-to-get-texit-measure-on-gop-ball Texas A&M president Mark Welsh addresses a crank theory that A&M has sold out its nuclear weapons research to Qatar: https://www.kagstv.com/article/news/local/texas-am-president-clears-up-misinformation/499-66e2100d-e813-45c8-a727-6a124d0950e2 Progress Texas will help host a debate between Democratic candidates for U.S. House District 32 next week: https://www.mobilize.us/richardsonareademocrats/event/597311/ Thanks for listening! Please check out the several ways in which you can help support our ongoing work at https://progresstexas.org/.

Clean energy researcher Roishetta Ozane is a single mother of six children and lives in a Louisiana town that scientists have called, "the heart of America's climate crisis." With her Lake Charles-area home surrounded by refineries, natural gas facilities and petrochemical plants, her family has been inundated with ‘shelter-in-place' alerts and storm-related emergency alarms throughout their lives. Witnessing so much systemic hardship, Ozane created a mutual aid organization to help communities of color and low-income residents navigate government agencies to obtain relief after disasters strike. And she uses her platform to speak out publicly as an advocate for environmental justice at local forums, municipal hearings and regional climate conferences. But are state juries, industry leaders and agency officials willing to listen and take action? Stay tuned as I SEE U Host Eddie Robinson chats candidly with the founder of The Vessel Project of Louisiana, Roishetta Ozane. She speaks unguarded about her passion to build solidarity around an effort to combat climate change. A survivor of a 17-year abusive relationship, Ozane reminds us that while the industry sector continues to expand, worsening storms and violent hurricanes will repeatedly use this vulnerable Gulf Coast region as target practice.

Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas: Local law enforcement, especially in border communities, are not prepared to enforce SB-4 when it lands in March: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/sb4-texas-immigration-law-enforcement-migrant-crisis/ ...While Governor Abbott takes to the skies in his ever-expanding theater of migrant cruelty: https://www.axios.com/2023/12/21/texas-governor-charters-migrant-flight-chicago-border-protest-biden ...And federal authorities target Colony Ridge, previously targeted by right wing conspiracists, for predatory practices against Hispanic home buyers: https://www.nytimes.com/2023/12/20/us/colony-ridge-texas-builder-prosecution.html A new strain of misinformation regarding trisomy 18, the condition afflicting the pregnancy of Kate Cox, is debunked: https://www.factcheck.org/2023/12/scicheck-post-spreads-misleading-information-about-texas-abortion-case/ ...While new polling on abortion rights sheds light on why Republicans are desperate to change the subject: https://news.yahoo.com/poll-texas-abortion-case-is-a-warning-sign-for-republicans-193548558.html Ken Paxton sues the U.S. Department of Transportation over new vehicular emissions rules: https://www.washingtonpost.com/transportation/2023/12/20/texas-lawsuit-fhwa-greenhouse-gas-rules/ ...While an Austin judge says Paxton and his aides must testify in that whistleblower suit brought by his former staffers: https://www.statesman.com/story/news/politics/state/2023/12/20/texas-attorney-general-ken-paxton-must-testify-in-whistleblower-case/71975188007/ A major new study finds over-reliance on natural gas-powered backup generators was key to the Winter Storm Uri disaster of 2021: https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/texas-grid-over-relies-natural-gas-restore-power-after-blackouts-study-2023-12-19/ ...While a new winter outlook from ERCOT is full of inaccurate climate statements that echo the talking points of climate change deniers: https://www.factcheck.org/2023/12/scicheck-post-spreads-misleading-information-about-texas-abortion-case/ U.S. Rep. Colin Allred of Dallas extends his polling lead in the race to challenge Ted Cruz next year for the Democrats: https://www.kxan.com/news/your-local-election-hq/allred-widens-lead-over-gutierrez-in-texas-senate-poll-cruz-leads-both-democrats/ ...While Ted Cruz dominates the U.S. Senate in the number of tweets he sent this year - but still trailing bullshit fountain Chip Roy in the House: https://www.sacurrent.com/news/ted-cruz-chip-roy-tweet-more-than-anyone-else-in-congress-33364950 Thanks for listening! Please consider making a donation to help Progress Texas continue our important work at https://progresstexas.org/.

OU faces criticism over ending its diversity, equity and inclusion program.Oklahoma's top prosecutor creates a tip line over a 2021 winter storm.The debate over National Forests heats up amid climate change.You can find the KOSU Daily wherever you get your podcasts, you can also subscribe, rate us and leave a comment.You can keep up to date on all the latest news throughout the day at KOSU.org and make sure to follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram at KOSU Radio.This is The KOSU Daily, Oklahoma news, every weekday.

Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas: The ACLU has prepared a legal challenge to the new Texas immigration bill SB-4, which it will file immediately after Governor Abbott signs it into law: https://wsbt.com/news/nation-world/aclu-prepping-lawsuit-awaiting-abbott-approval-of-controversial-immigration-law-southern-border-migrant-crisis-border-security-initiatives-american-civil-liberties-union-rio-grande-floating-barrier ...Meanwhile Abbott's migrant busing effort has caused major problems in all of its destination "sanctuary" cities: https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/texas-gov-greg-abbott-divided-democrats-immigration-migrant-busing-rcna128815 Republicans struggle with messaging difficulties surrounding abortion as a big election year looms: https://www.cnn.com/2023/12/17/politics/texas-abortion-case-republicans-2024/index.html ...While in Texas, our abortion ban appears to be working just as their authors intended: https://www.nytimes.com/2023/12/17/opinion/kate-cox-abortion-texas-exceptions.html A Houston court determines that Texas' power companies cannot be held liable for injury or death due to power outages during Winter Storm Uri: https://www.kut.org/energy-environment/2023-12-15/texas-power-plants-have-no-responsibility-to-provide-electricity-in-emergencies-judges-rule Travis County's Republican Party wants primary votes to be counted by hand - which may jeopardize countywide voting locations: https://www.kut.org/politics/2023-12-15/voting-centers-in-travis-county-could-be-eliminated-for-the-upcoming-2024-march-primary A new graph from the Texas Tribune shows the most and least liberal members of the Texas Senate: https://www.texastribune.org/2023/12/18/mark-jones-texas-senate-special-2023-liberal-conservative-scores/ Thanks for listening! Please consider supporting Progress Texas with a holiday donation at https://progresstexas.org/donate.

For our 150th special, we decided to pull out all the stops. Join us as we chat with Pat McKinnon FVP, Energy Markets and Digital Distribution at Navitas Assurance Partners. From crude oil to electricity, we delve into the complex nature of commodities, energy markets and supply chains, highlighting the multiple transactions and transformations that occur while commodities convert into usable products that reach their end users. We also touch upon how the transition to renewables changes nothing except the logistics of energy trade and the role that insurance companies play in the liberation of capital to energy projects. Host: Chris Sass & Jeff McAulay Additional Reads: Navitas Assurance Partners - https://navitasassurance.com/  

This Week in Oklahoma Politics, KOSU's Michael Cross talks with Republican Political Consultant Neva Hill and Civil Rights Attorney Ryan Kiesel about the Oklahoma Highway Patrol abandoning decades of precedent and ticketing drivers with tribal tags who live outside of the nation's boundaries, the State Supreme Court temporarily suspending three measures related to abortion in Oklahoma and justices denying State Superintendent Ryan Walters request to join in opposition to a lawsuit against a proposed Catholic charter school.The trio also discusses State Superintendent Ryan Walters announcing an agreement for Chinese language classes in Oklahoma schools and the Corporation Commission turning over thousands of documents to Attorney General Gentner Drummond related to Winter Storm Uri in 2023.

UK-based Octopus Energy has seen extraordinary growth since launched in 2015 by fund-management firm Octopus Group. It's heavily invested in renewable energy in the UK and elsewhere, and it has retail energy supply operations in Australia, Germany, Italy, Japan and New Zealand, with its U.S. arm headquartered in Houston. As its name would suggest, Octopus has its tentacles everywhere all at once in competitive energy supply, it would seem. And that reach promises to extend even further with the company's Kraken software platform, which it doesn't keep to itself but licenses to other retail energy providers.The fact that the company chose Texas as the first energy market in the U.S. to invest in serves as a strong counterpoint to baseless criticisms of the ERCOT market in the wake of the deadly Winter Storm Uri outage. It's simple: Texas, with its wholesale power market unencumbered by the price caps hobbling competitive eletricity markets in the Northeast, provides the price signals Octopus needs to actively engage its residential customers in aggregating demand response and distributed solar energy resources, and shares the proceeds the company earns in the wholesale market with its participating retail customers. Its recent pilot during the month of August saw participants earning, on average, 20 cents per kilowatt-hour on their self-produced renewable energy they, through Octopus, sold back into the grid rather than consume during critical events in ERCOT, or roughly twice what might have been available via net metering.  Some customers made nearly $1,000 that month for arbitraging their energy use and "exporting" their clean energy to the grid, says Octopus Energy US CEO Michael Lee."What we're really doing is really aligning customers to say, yes, you want to produce your power and you want to sell it back," he says. "Let's move on beyond this product called net metering, and let's align the financial outcomes to the customers." It's an example of what Lee describes as moving beyond the "Retail 1.0" offered by most energy suppliers today to a much more consumer-centric "Retail 2.0.""Usually, net metering is a one-for-one credit. But because we were able to find financial incentives they were getting more than one-for-one and some people were getting a 20-to-one credit because they were getting $1 or $2 a kilowatt-hour for their exports for the entire month of August," Lee says of the recently concluded pilot. "My personal opinion is that Retail 1.0 has quite underserved the market. There's a huge opportunity to completely rethink what retail energy is going forward and what it looks like for customers and how that benefits all the players, the grid, the utilities – everyone."Support the show

Winter Storm Uri. Texas's unique legal system. And Juneteenth. All together in one episode. www.BrandonSeale.com

In this episode, Jeff and Jim discuss: Having a passion for your work. The ubiquitous nature of marketing.Getting out of your comfort zone. The sustaining nature of faith.   Key Takeaways: Marketing is not an expense, it is an investment in your business. You need to let people know who you are, what you're selling, and be available. Community is what people need. The average home size has decreased in the last 50 years, but humans need connection and community. If not for your struggle, you cannot know your strength.   "Life offers you a second chance - it's called tomorrow. You've got to suit up every single day." —  Jim “Mattress Mack” McIngvale About Jim McIngvale: Born in Mississippi, Jim “Mattress Mack” Mcingvale attended high school in Dallas, TX and was a student at the University of Texas and the University of North Texas where he played football for both schools in 1969-1970 and 1972-1973, respectively. After college, Mack worked at a convenience store where his boss did him a huge favor one day: he fired him.Refreshed and determined, Mack found a job at a furniture store on the other side of town where he diligently worked, absorbing the business practices and trades of the furniture industry. Inspired, he made a decision that would forever change his life and the competitive world of the retail industry: to open up his own furniture store.Mattress Mack now has three Gallery Furniture stores, the original North Freeway, 110,000 square foot location, the largest store on Grand Parkway, and the smaller Post Oak store. While Gallery Furniture is well known, Mack's philanthropy is legendary. In fact, his philanthropy is as contagious as his passion for furniture. His work on special projects has helped to build the first Mobile Stroke Unit in the USA for patients in Houston and when Hurricane Harvey hit Houston in August of 2017, Mack opened the doors of Gallery Furniture to those who were seeking shelter from the flood. Most recently, Mack served 3,000+ meals and provided overnight shelter to more than 700 Houstonians at Gallery Furniture who were affected by Winter Storm Uri. When there's a great charitable need, Mack is usually the first to respond, if not spearhead the effort.Anyone who's ever worked for or with Mack knows that he builds his business and performs his acts of charity not for recognition, but to benefit the community at large. Mack has a huge heart and is focused on helping Houston become the greatest city in America. Mack is one of Houston's most recognized citizens and has touched the lives of countless Houstonians in a positive way. Connect with Jim McIngvale:Website: https://www.mattressmack.com/   Connect with Jeff Thomas: Website: https://www.arkosglobal.com/Book: https://www.arkosglobal.com/trading-upEmail: jeff.thomas@arkosglobal.comTwitter: https://twitter.com/ArkosGlobalAdv Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/arkosglobal/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/arkosglobaladvisorsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/arkosglobaladvisors/

The Texas power grid has had a volatile few years. As temperatures in the Lone Star State soared earlier this summer, power prices spiked to nearly $5,000 per megawatt-hour. However, that eye-watering price tag paled in comparison to what happened after Winter Storm Uri in February 2021, when per-MWh prices hit a staggering $9,000. The Electric Reliability Council of Texas (Ercot) has a grid structure unlike any other in the US, but equally unique are some of its solutions for handling grid flexibility. On today's show, Dana speaks with Thomas Rowlands-Rees, BNEF's Head of Research for North America, and BNEF Associate for US Power Nathalie Limandibhratha. Together they discuss the way ERCOT operates, how Bitcoin mines are impacting grid flexibility and the state's growing renewable energy rollout. Complimentary BNEF research on the trends driving the transition to a lower-carbon economy can be found at BNEF on the Bloomberg Terminal, on bnef.com or on the BNEF mobile app. Links to research notes from this episode: Texas Is Sizzling, But Renewables Keep Power Prices Cool Ercot Market Outlook: Everything Depends on BitcoinSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Host: Kevin Smith Dives into the weekly news most impactful to the HeartlandHEADLINESA $24B Michigan budget for schoolsMichigan Advance - https://michiganadvance.com/2023/07/05/heres-whats-in-the-24b-michigan-budget-for-schools/Batteries And Renewables Are Saving Texas During The Heat WaveForbes - https://www.forbes.com/sites/anandgopal/2023/07/02/batteries-and-renewables-are-saving-texas-in-the-heat-wave/?sh=6727f65621ddLIGHTNING ROUNDMissouri,Medicaid recipients in Missouri are now at risk of losing their health insurance coverage https://news.stlpublicradio.org/health-science-environment/2023-07-03/missouri-begins-disenrolling-medicaid-patients-after-three-year-freezeMissouri's new prescription drug monitoring program (PDMP) will allow physicians and pharmacists to track a patient's prescriptions.https://fox2now.com/news/missouri/missouris-prescription-drug-monitoring-program-to-launch-soon/Arkansas,Sanders Slashes State Worker Raiseshttps://www.kark.com/news/state-news/state-employees-protest-on-arkansas-state-capitol-steps-about-pay-raise-policies/Sanders Seeks Stacked Supreme Court https://apnews.com/article/huckabee-sanders-arkansas-supreme-court-hiland-republicans-e89a6ee9f7640b1687c1f52dd5e0a9d5Ohio,Groups hoping to enshrine abortion rights in Ohio's constitution delivered nearly double the number of signatures needed to place an amendment on the fall statewide ballot.https://apnews.com/article/abortion-rights-ohio-ballot-constitutional-amendment-88bddf55dc5f08201c8efe1f3093d1b5And Lastly,Sen Josh Haulin' Ass Hawley gets it wrong

Host: Kevin Smith Dives into the weekly news most impactful to the HeartlandHEADLINESA $24B Michigan budget for schoolsMichigan Advance - https://michiganadvance.com/2023/07/05/heres-whats-in-the-24b-michigan-budget-for-schools/Batteries And Renewables Are Saving Texas During The Heat WaveForbes - https://www.forbes.com/sites/anandgopal/2023/07/02/batteries-and-renewables-are-saving-texas-in-the-heat-wave/?sh=6727f65621ddLIGHTNING ROUNDMissouri,Medicaid recipients in Missouri are now at risk of losing their health insurance coverage https://news.stlpublicradio.org/health-science-environment/2023-07-03/missouri-begins-disenrolling-medicaid-patients-after-three-year-freezeMissouri's new prescription drug monitoring program (PDMP) will allow physicians and pharmacists to track a patient's prescriptions.https://fox2now.com/news/missouri/missouris-prescription-drug-monitoring-program-to-launch-soon/Arkansas,Sanders Slashes State Worker Raiseshttps://www.kark.com/news/state-news/state-employees-protest-on-arkansas-state-capitol-steps-about-pay-raise-policies/Sanders Seeks Stacked Supreme Court https://apnews.com/article/huckabee-sanders-arkansas-supreme-court-hiland-republicans-e89a6ee9f7640b1687c1f52dd5e0a9d5Ohio,Groups hoping to enshrine abortion rights in Ohio's constitution delivered nearly double the number of signatures needed to place an amendment on the fall statewide ballot.https://apnews.com/article/abortion-rights-ohio-ballot-constitutional-amendment-88bddf55dc5f08201c8efe1f3093d1b5And Lastly,Sen Josh Haulin' Ass Hawley gets it wrong

In February 2021, Texas and wide swaths of North America were shut down by Winter Storm Uri, which caused massive blackouts and left millions of people without power for days. The winter storms exposed vulnerabilities in our country's electrical grid, and underlined the pressing need for a more reliable energy system. Is a recent breakthrough in nuclear fusion a possible path forward?

The Texas Legislature is now in the final days of considering a spate of bills that could change how the state's electricity market functions. In this episode, Doug Lewin, who has been tracking energy-related legislation at the Texas Capitol for more than 20 years, explains the surge in distributed generation, the huge amounts of solar and storage coming onto the ERCOT grid, the prospects for a Texas capacity market, and why his first priority would be to “weatherize, weatherize, weatherize” the state's gas plants, homes, and businesses. (Recorded May 5, 2023.)