Texas Senate passes bill to upend energy market, spur… | Canary Media Texas legislators have a new plan for their state’s famously competitive energy market, and it looks a lot like the government picking winners and losers. On Wednesday, the Texas Senate passed SB388, which would set a target for 50% of new power plant capacity to be “sourced from dispatchable generation other than battery energy storage.” An earlier version of the bill mandated that these plants “use natural gas.” Power plant owners and utilities that don’t invest their money according to this political directive would have to buy credits to comply with the new regulatory bureaucracy, raising the cost of doing business in the ERCOT energy markets. If passed by the House and signed by Republican Gov. Greg Abbott, the bill effectively would penalize renewables and reward a subset of dispatchable generators that politicians in Austin favor. Such a policy would upend the competitive system that has ruled ERCOT for two decades, one that empowers investors to build whatever power plants they think the market will reward. This design has made Texas a favorite place to do business for power plant developers, and unleashed innovative technologies and business models that are held back in other states by utility monopolies and restrictive regulations. SB 388 could be particularly impactful because Texas has established itself as the most dynamic clean energy market in the country. Renewables and battery developers have thrived thanks to the wide-open competitive energy market, abundant land, relatively easy permitting requirements, and the nation’s fastest timelines to interconnect projects to the grid. Texas is building more solar and battery capacity today than any other state, California included; on average, developers have connected about 1 gigawatt of new solar and batteries to the grid each month for the last year, noted Austin-based energy analyst Doug Lewin. Used to Republicans were all about free markets, anti regulation etc etc. it was all about the bottom line, regardless of the impacts such as pollution etc. bad as that was at times, at least there was a rationality to it. Now it is hard to figure out a rational reason for most of what they do. Best i can tell it’s whatever the libs do or like, we are going to do the opposite, even if it makes everybody else, including them, worse off. We have had record heat during the summer last couple of years and ever increasing power consumption due to population growth, warming, and now crypto/AI/server farms. Amazingly the grid has held each summer without any (or very few) rolling shutdowns. The reasons? Renewables - mostly solar energy. In the extreme heat waves solar/wind (mostly solar) was hitting around 30% of power and all renewables 40%. Solar is pretty easy to construct and get out there quickly. Natural gas and other plants takes years to plan and construct. Plus there is a backlog nationwide. Now the Texas senate was to limit renewables to 50% of new power (its recently been over 90%) but it is literally impossible to ramp up natural gas or anything else rapidly - so this bill would effectively dramatically decrease new power generation at the same time power demand is increasing. This is typical of what republicans are doing. Just dumb stuff that isn’t conservative, it isn’t free market, it really benefits nobody, but it seems like it is just shooting themselves in the foot to “own the libs” Perhaps Abbott doesn’t sign it. Maybe he should and we need to suffer some power outages - I guess we need to let people touch the stove more.
They might one-up this pretty soon: Texas bill targets 'furries,' banning non-human behavior in schools
Forces the market to CO2. nat gas generated CO2 is now possible. Perhaps this helps pay for capture and use instead of just release? Rewards carbon capture? Compressed carbon dioxide energy storage - Wikipedia
Is this like the opposite of “carbon credits”? Texas wants clean energy producers to purchase credits if they don’t pollute enough? Is that the gist of it?
The litter box thing is still so alive and well it blows my mind. No one has ever seen one, but its totally happening everywhere and your children will start worshiping satan because of it soon. Worse yet, they may vote D.
Seems like they are just penalizing potential investors that don't give money to cronies favored by the government
I think it fits quite well in as much as lawmakers doing stupid shit for no reason. Furries, Meowing in School Now a 'Radical Trend,' According to Lawmaker
Dont be cowards Texas, remove the exceptions for school mascots and theater kids! Who do you think the furries are, the football team?
Texas Seeks Primacy For Carbon Capture And Storage Permitting This designation would allow Texas to manage CO2 injection permitting within its borders, rather than relying on the EPA, which currently faces a substantial backlog of project applications. The groups contend that streamlining the approval process by empowering states would provide industry with the necessary regulatory certainty to invest in American energy projects. Texas currently has 43 projects awaiting review, representing a third of all applications nationwide. The state aims to become the fifth to receive EPA authorization for independent oversight of CO2 injection permitting. Proponents suggest that carbon capture and storage initiatives could inject up to $1.8 billion into the Texas economy and support the needs of US liquefied natural gas (LNG) export facilities, many of which serve international clients seeking lower-carbon energy sources.
ExxonMobil wins largest offshore U.S. Co2 storage site | ExxonMobil “This is yet another sign of our commitment to CCS and the strides we’ve been able to make,” said Dan Ammann, president of ExxonMobil Low Carbon Solutions. “With our growing roster of customers ready to deploy CCS, we’ll be driving substantial emissions reductions along the Gulf Coast through a comprehensive solution that includes capture, transportation, and storage—capabilities that make us a clear leader.” The terms of the agreement will directly benefit the Texas Permanent School Fund. This will enhance education for Texas children, while also reducing emissions and promoting community development in nearby areas. “As the steward of 13 million acres of energy-rich state land, I am proud to partner with ExxonMobil in utilizing state land for innovative solutions that can help ensure future energy production. Energy independence is vital to ensuring our state and country remain economic leaders around the globe,” said Commissioner Buckingham. “As a mom, I have long said that educating our children is the most important thing we do, and I am thrilled that the revenue from this lease will go toward benefiting our great state along with our Texas school children.” Offshore acreage provides much-needed storage space for CO2 emissions with the Gulf of Mexico’s vast potential playing a key role in meeting society’s net-zero goals. ExxonMobil operates the largest CO2 pipeline network in the U.S. and is well-positioned to leverage its extensive infrastructure and storage space to deliver an end-to-end solution.
all that refining produces massive volumes of co2. better to use it than waste it. no interest in furries, sorry to distract
The next Friday Night Lights is gonna be about a coach who has his players get in the mindset of their "Cougar" mascot by becoming furries the week of the big game, giving them the edge over their hated rival who just does mat drills and wind sprints
the more you know...in many ways Texas is leading the green revolution with solar, nat gas, nex gen nuclear, carbon capture. they need battery for AI though Texas's Carbon Gamble: Will Storage Solutions Spark | decarbonfuse.com Texas is making a bold move to gain control over carbon capture and storage (CCS) permitting, aiming to fast-track projects and stimulate private investment. A coalition of major energy and industrial organizations is urging the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to approve the state's bid for primacy. Economic Impact and Energy Innovation Supporters of Texas’s bid highlight the economic benefits of local control over CCS projects. Analysts estimate these initiatives could generate up to $1.8 billion for the Texas economy, creating jobs and supporting the energy sector's transition to lower-carbon solutions. Carbon capture and storage technology is critical for meeting global energy demands while reducing emissions, especially for LNG export facilities serving overseas clients seeking cleaner energy alternatives. Major Developments in Texas's Low-Carbon Energy LandscapeTexas's low-carbon energy sector is rapidly evolving, marked by major initiatives driving the state’s transition to sustainable solutions. ExxonMobil’s ambitious blue hydrogen and ammonia facility in Baytown with Worley stands out, promising 28.3 million cubic meters of low-carbon hydrogen daily. Additionally, developers are pursuing offshore carbon storage hubs along the Texas coast, and HNO International has secured a hydrogen offtake agreement with a Texas-based mobility company. 1PointFive and Enterprise are collaborating to build a CO2 transportation network for the Southeast Texas Sequestration Hub, while SunHydrogen has joined the Texas Hydrogen Alliance to promote hydrogen economy growth.
Thanks for sharing this. It’s a very interesting policy shift for ERCOT. Abbott must feel the weight of the tree with all the power outages a few years ago. He is still limping around from that. The marked up language of SB388 is interesting. There is no doubt that the bill is specifically for NG, but they changed the language throughout from NG to “dispatchable generation”, which means coal, hydro, and gas (i.e excludes non-intermittent wind / solar). However, the main point is battery storage. Wind and Solar are trying to get to a dispatchable level with battery storage. So, feels like a chilling effect.
