This month Texans have been at the mercy of some extreme, shoe-melting heat. Yet, despite the heat wave and resulting high demand in electricity, the state’s main grid operator, the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT), has barely broken a sweat. Demand even passed the previous record-high mark twice in one afternoon, but ERCOT has… Keep reading →
On August 13, 2015, a Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Administrative Law Judge issued an initial decision in which she found that BP America Inc manipulated the natural gas market in Texas for over two and a half months in 2008.
If you drive around the Lone Star State, you’re sure to see bumper stickers that say, “Texas: Bigger than France.” It references an ongoing debate about which “country” is bigger (something Texans feel very strongly about), but a closer look (aka, a quick Google search) reveals Texas and France are roughly equivalent in size. This,… Keep reading →
Methane emissions from vast oil and gas operations in the densely populated Barnett Shale region of Texas are 50 percent higher than estimates based on the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) greenhouse gas inventory, according to a series of 11 new papers published today in Environmental Science & Technology. The majority of these emissions are from… Keep reading →
U.S. wind energy industry leaders went to Texas on Wednesday to release their annual market report and highlight wind’s continuing successes and benefits there. A couple of their selling points were familiar – cheap and clean power – but there was another item that got big emphasis this year, and you’re likely to hear a… Keep reading →
Cowboys, frontier grit, accented English, and wild, wide open spaces are just a few of the similarities shared by Texas and Australia. Both places also have an energy-water problem. But, the good news for Texas is that it’s not too late for us to learn from Australia’s mistakes – and a few successes, too. In… Keep reading →
Slow and steady wins the race, according to Chevron, a company that is actually increasing its US upstream capital budget this year. Chevron started slow in the Permian Basin and watched what other companies were doing while it honed its drilling strategy. Now that oil prices are considerably lower than they were at the beginning… Keep reading →
Georgetown, Texas is to be powered by 100% renewable energy as the state moves toward clean energy infrastructure despite prominent Republican Sen. Ted Cruz protecting the interests of the oil industry. “I was called an Al Gore clone, a tree-hugger,” says Jim Briggs, interim city manager of Georgetown, a community of about 50,000 people some… Keep reading →
The most commonly selected areas energy professionals call home Houston, being one of the main cities populated by energy professionals, has a broad range of areas to select when it comes to finding a home. Having to accommodate lifestyle types coming from around the globe, Houston is able to offer choices in neighborhoods and communities,… Keep reading →
When the U.S. military calls climate change a “threat multiplier” and “a serious threat to national security,” it makes anyone stand up and pay attention. From direct land impacts and food and water shortages, to the displacement of millions of people, climate change is not taken lightly by our armed forces. Earlier this week, two… Keep reading →
