Commentary: Keep Texas going with a mix of power
Matt Welch, For the Express-News The last week has been insane for Texans. Cascading failures of our major energy systems have left many of us questioning our faith that the lights will turn on when we flip the switch or the heat will come on when we turn the dial. People are furious, and they […]
Battery storage on verge of changing Texas power grid
L.M. Sixel Business Writer, Houston Chronicle Texas is carving out a leadership position in adopting large-scale battery storage as battery prices fall, technology improves and electricity demand grows, potentially paving the way for renewable power to dominate the state’s energy mix. The amount of storage on the state’s power grid is still small — just […]
Wind and Solar Power Have Become Amazingly Affordable
Costs are falling so fast, it can make more sense to build new renewable capacity than to run old coal plants. By Peter R. Orszag In the midst of otherwise depressing developments in the progress of climate change, one bit of good news shines through: The economics of renewable energy have been improving fast — especially […]
The competitive Texas electric grid proves critics wrong again
Chris Tomlinson Oct. 2, 2019 Another blazing hot summer is another vindication of Texas’ cutting-edge electricity system. Critics of Texas’ wholesale electricity market began the summer, as they did in 2018, fear-mongering about brownouts and blackouts. The problem, they claim, is that the primary grid operator only pays generators for the electricity they consume, does […]
Rich Powell: Dems want to fight climate change in all the wrong ways – Here’s what they should support
Rich Powell | Fox News When it comes to the world’s changing climate, many Democrats have been wearing blinders. If you’ve been paying attention to what the Democratic presidential candidates are saying on climate, make sure you look for the big picture. Yes, climate change is real, and industrial activity is contributing to it. Economic […]
Let’s keep the energy momentum going
Kevin Brady Sep 23, 2019 Houston is the energy capital of the world, and hundreds of thousands in the area are employed by the oil and gas industry. In the state of Texas alone, the industry employs 1.9 million people – over 12 percent of the state’s total workforce. Across the nation, the oil and […]
How Conservatives Can Protect the Environment and Win Voters, Too
Making America beautiful is part of making America great. Chris Buskirk – September 9th, 2019 Conservatives need to do a better job on the environment. That seems like a controversial thing to say, because usually when you hear a conservative speak positively about an issue closely identified with liberalism, it is the precursor to a […]
Let’s reduce wholesale market costs by tapping the full potential of DERs
AUTHOR Chris Rauscher PUBLISHED Aug. 27, 2019 The following is a contributed article by Chris Rauscher, Sunrun’s director for Policy & Storage Market Strategy. The cost and performance of distributed energy resources (DERs) have improved faster than anyone would have expected. Between 2010 and 2017, residential rooftop solar system costs fell over 60%, and lithium-ion […]
How to fight climate change without fighting capitalism
By Bertrand Piccard August 26, 2019 When I flew around the world non-stop in a hot air balloon with my friend Brian Jones, we took off with 3.7 tonnes of liquid propane. After 20 days, we landed with 40 kilos. So when we say “the sky is the limit,” it’s wrong. It’s the fuel. I […]
Leading by example: Lawmakers should step up performance contracts on federal buildings
AUTHOR Charles Hernick PUBLISHED Aug. 8, 2019 The following is a contributed article by Charles Hernick, director of policy and advocacy at Citizens for Responsible Energy Solutions Forum. Often overlooked and underestimated, the energy efficiency industry has been a star player in cleaning up the national energy market. Rather than developing new ways of energy […]
