Smart Meters from the Golden to the Lone Star State
Smart meters are being installed throughout the United States as a part of the process of modernizing the nation’s electric grid. Two major players in the smart meter installation game are California and Texas. Check out two smart meter commercials from these two (very different?) states: The Golden State of California Texas – The Lone Star State [Title page photo by:... Read More
Chinese Coal Plants Face Bankruptcy – Woes of the Regulated Utility
According to a recent article by Industrial Fuels and Power, 87of China’s coal-fired power plants could face bankruptcy as a result of disagreements between state-owned utilities and government economic planners. These plants, which represent 20% of China’s coal fleet, are struggling to survive as high demand (and resulting high coal prices) collides with government mandated electricity... Read More
The Winds of Change are Blowing in West Texas
This video was released in 2007 on CBS Sunday Morning News, but it still speaks today – when more than 10,000 MW of wind power has been installed in Texas. A wind boom that doesn’t seem to be slowing down. A transcript from this video can be found here. [Title photo by Chrishna. Used with permission.] Read More
The Fracking Debate – The “Truth” about Gasland and water contamination
One of the major concerns with regards to hydraulic fracturing is the potential for fracking fluids – specifically, the chemicals in them – to contaminate drinking water. The YouTube video titled “My Water’s on Fire Tonight” outlined this concern: But there’s more in the water than just H2O Toxic chemicals help to make the fluid flow With names like benzene and formaldehyde You... Read More
The Hydraulic Fracturing Debate (pt 1) – “My Water’s on Fire Tonight”
Hydraulic fracturing – fracking – is a process that can be used to extract natural gas from rock (shale) underground. In this process water, sand and chemicals are injected into the ground to crack the rocks containing the natural gas. A recent YouTube video discusses some of the major arguments for and against the use of hydraulic fracturing in a – shall we say – less conventional... Read More
Texas Smart Grid Experts Head to the White House
Kate Galbraith The Texas Tribune, 5/19/2011 Texas’s smart-grid initiatives are getting some attention in Washington. On Friday morning, a small group of Texans, including the chairman of the Public Utility Commission, Barry Smitherman, will brief White House representatives on the smart-meter rollout and related issues in the state. “There is a lot of experimentation and research going... Read More
100 Turbines in 100 Days – 300 MW of installed offshore wind
Wind power is generally discussed in two main applications – onshore or offshore. In Texas, we have worked to expand our onshore capacity, installing turbines (with a capacity on the order of 2 Megawatts) on land in west Texas and the Texas Panhandle. But, we have largely ignored offshore capabilities, where turbines would be installed on platforms in the Gulf of Mexico. There are many advantages... Read More
CNN: 70% of Americans Favor Increased Offshore Drilling
Today, the House of Representatives voted 266-149 in favor of H.R. 1230, the Restarting American Offshore Leasing Now Act. According to the current Speaker of the House, John Boehner (R – Ohio), this bill will help to stop policies that drive up the price of gasoline while creating jobs for Americans. According to Boehner’s website, this bill acts on what Americans want – more offshore... Read More
