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☆ Millions lose power every year because of extreme weather. Here’s how experts say we can prevent it
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-18 | by ( Ella Nilsen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

This ability to get electricity from one part of the country to another is ever more important as America’s grid is lashed by increasingly extreme weather. Extreme weather isn’t the only reason the grid needs to expand. “We run a VHS grid for a Hulu economy.”America’s grid is actually three grids: the Eastern and Western interconnections, plus the independent Texas grid. The physical electrical lines connecting all of the systems are fragile and outdated, experts told CNN. Clements cautioned that even a bigger grid can’t solve all the challenges posed by climate change-fueled extreme weather.

Persons: Cary Kottler, ” Kottler, Helene, Milton, ”, Allison Clements, “, you’ve, Clements, ” Clements, Rob Gramlich, Ariel Horowitz, Horowitz, Biden, Jennifer Granholm, there’s, Hurricane Helene Organizations: CNN, Texans, Pattern, Energy, “, Energy Department, DOE Locations: Uri, Texas, California

☆ The pandemic helped increase support for guaranteed income. Then came the backlash
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-09 | by ( Lorie Konish | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

While universal basic income provides money to everyone, guaranteed income may provide either targeted or universal support. The organization did not provide comment, but the Foundation for Government Accountability's research lays out the reasons for its opposition to guaranteed income programs. Once they have access to guaranteed income, that often allows them to figure out ways to increase what they earn, she said. "Folks who press arguments about guaranteed income creating dependency aren't looking at the fact that what guaranteed income is actually allowing participants to do is make good choices," Bogle said. 'The status quo isn't working'Many other guaranteed income program participants have seen life-changing improvements, particularly when it comes to their earnings capability.

Persons: Harish Patel, Patel, Austin, Mary Bogle, Bogle, Taniquewa Brewster, Winter Storm Uri, Brewster, Michael Tubbs, Harris, Rodney Ellis, Ken Paxton's Organizations: Economic Security, American, Getty Images, Foundation, Government, Solutions, Foundation for Government, Urban Institute, Austin, Winter Storm, Mayors, Democrats, Republicans, Houston . Houston Chronicle, hearst Newspapers, Getty, Hearst Newspapers Locations: Columbus , Ohio, Getty Images Idaho , Iowa, South Dakota, Arkansas, Austin , Texas, Austin, Harris, Texas, Houston .

☆ How Hedge Funds Are Betting on Electricity and the Changing Power Grid
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-05 | by ( Alex Morrell | Bradley Saacks | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +19 min

A onetime commodities backwater, congestion trading has become a growing business in recent years as the demand for electricity and volatility on the power grid in the US has soared. The financial category, which includes specialized power-trading companies, banks, hedge funds, and large proprietary trading firms, dominates the market, in part because the physical power firms typically operate in only one or two regions. He launched three congestion trading teams for the firm, including in California and Texas after those states introduced congestion trading in 2008 and 2010, respectively. Citadel, along with Susquehanna International Group and Tower Research, has been involved in FTR trading since the market's infancy. Volatility has been increasing on the power grid, in part because of changing weather patterns, Jeev added.

Persons: Kumar Jeev, Jane Street, Richard Roseblade, who's, There's, Roseblade, Bill Clark, Jeev, DC Energy's Tyler Kuhn, DRW, California Al Seib, Brevan Howard, Jane, Stephanie Staska, Staska, couldn't, Joe Biden's, It's, Meredith Angwin, Angwin Organizations: Business, Capital, Midwest, Citadel, Tower Research, Yes Energy, Energy, Anadolu, Getty, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, FERC, Nasdaq, York Stock Exchange, Nvidia, Johns Hopkins University, DC Energy, Wayfair, Squarepoint, Appian, Boston Energy, Susquehanna International Group, DC, Bloomberg, Commodities, Traders, Wall Street, Workers, GreenHat Energy, JPMorgan, Hill Energy Resource & Services, P, Grid, & $ Locations: Wall, East Coast, DRW, Susquehanna, FTRs, New York, Canada, Texas, Virginia, California, Berlin, Chicago, Oregon, California Al, Ukraine, Russian, Uri, Northern Virginia

☆ From black gold to green power: Texas, weirdly, is leading America's clean energy future
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-21 | by ( Catherine Boudreau | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +16 min

John DavisDeals like Davis' have made Texas — America's oil capital for more than a century — the top producer of renewable energy in the US. The state has long generated the most wind power and is second only to California as a solar-energy producer. The high-stakes battle for Texas' energy future is a microcosm of how tricky America's green transition is shaping up to be, especially when politics are involved. Slowing down renewable energy could cost Texas in the long term, both economically and socially. The coalition seems to be growing stronger, even as Texas politicians shift further to the right on issues beyond renewable energy.

Persons: John Davis, Davis, Greg Abbott, Critics aren't, there's, George W, Bush, Rick Perry, Abbott, Winter Storm Uri, hasn't, it's, It's, Judd Messer, Madeline Gould Laughlin, Michael Looney, San Angelo Chamber of Commerce Brent Bennett, Bennett, Messer, That's, Enel's Laughlin, Enel, Sandhya Ganapathy, Catherine Boudreau Organizations: Menard, RES, Texas, Republican, Texans, Power Alliance, John Davis Texans, University of Texas, Winter Storm, ERCOT, Bloomberg, Texas Public Policy Foundation, Texas Energy Fund, Advance Power Alliance, San, San Angelo Chamber of Commerce, Chamber of Commerce, ExxonMobil, Chevron, West Texas Chamber of Commerce, Lone Star, EV Locations: North Dakota, Texas, America, Nowhere, Menard , Texas, Concho County , Texas, California, Menard, Austin, San Angelo, Midland , Texas

☆ Texans to Vote on Funding to Modernize Electricity Generation
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-06 | by ( Nov. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

By Nicole JaoNEW YORK (Reuters) - Texans are set to vote on Tuesday on a constitutional amendment to determine whether the state will create a special fund for financing the "construction, maintenance, and modernization of its electric generating facilities." The energy fund would be administered and used only by the Public Utility Commission of Texas to provide loans and grants to maintain and upgrade electric generating facilities. The biggest chunk of the fund, $7.2 billion, would go into loans and incentives to build new power-generating facilities in the ERCOT (Electric Reliability Council of Texas) region. The proposal, titled Proposition 7, is one of several efforts by lawmakers and regulators in Texas to avoid another energy crisis like the one caused by a deadly winter storm in February 2021. That storm, known as Winter Storm Uri, left millions without power, water and heat for days as ERCOT struggled to prevent a grid collapse after the shutdown of an unusually large amount of generation.

Persons: Nicole Jao, Storm Uri, ERCOT, Cynthia Osterman Organizations: Texans, Public, Commission, of, Storm Locations: Texas, of Texas

☆ Backup Power: A Growing Need, if You Can Afford It
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-06 | by ( Ivan Penn | Peter Eavis | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

“The neighborhood has lost power a whole lot, but I have not,” Ms. Dudley said. Ms. Dudley estimates that her utility bills are about $2,300 a year lower because of that investment and her geothermal system. Generator companies believe that growing electricity usage and the threat of outages will keep demand high for their products. Many people also bought generators because of severe weather, including an extreme heat wave in 2021 in the Pacific Northwest, and winter storm Uri, which caused days of blackouts in Texas and killed an estimated 246 people. “People are thinking about this,” Mr. Jagdfeld said, “in the context of the broader changes in climate and how that may be impacting not only the reliability of power but the things that they need that power provides.”

☆ The Price of Bitcoin Mining and More: The Week in Reporter Reads
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-14 | by ( ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Winter Storm Uri had knocked out power plants across Texas, leaving tens of thousands of homes in icy darkness. Their operations can create costs — including higher electricity bills and enormous carbon pollution — for everyone around them, most of whom have nothing to do with Bitcoin. Until June 2021, most Bitcoin mining was in China. Then it drove out Bitcoin operations, at least for a time, citing their power use among other reasons. The United States quickly became the industry’s global leader.

☆ An influx of natural disasters and rising storm-recovery costs means Americans will have to pay pricier utility bills for decades
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-11 | by ( Jordan Hart | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Utility bills are costing Americans more than ever, thanks to natural disasters rocking power grids. Companies have taken on billions in debt to strengthen their grids against storms, according to WSJ. One in six US households are behind on their utility bills, the National Energy Assistance Directors' Association reported. According to a November release from the National Energy Assistance Directors' Association, one in six households in the US are behind on their utility bills. The families owe a total of $16.1 billion as of August 2022, an $8 billion increase from December 2019.

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