Page 15 - Commission Shift News Today

Published: Thursday, May 20, 2021 Texas Capitol in Austin following a winter storm. Photo credit: Joe Raedle/Getty Images Documents from the Public Utility Commission of Texas, which is based in Austin, show how early state leaders were dealing with gas issues in February. The Texas Capitol is pictured in this Feb. 19 photo. Joe Raedle/Getty Images Texas electricity leaders were deeply focused on natural gas shortages days before blackouts crippled the state in February and plunged the state...

Advocates for the Texas natural gas industry have spent much of the 11 weeks since February’s deadly power blackouts downplaying the sector’s culpability in the crisis and working to stop lawmakers from requiring winterization of far-flung wells and pipelines. But new data suggest failures by natural gas producers and suppliers to keep the commodity flowing might have triggered as much as a fifth of the freeze-related power outages near the peak of the calamity. Whats not up for debate ...

Fossil Fuel Companies’ Tough Sell: Oil and Gas Sites With Costly Environmental Clean-up The total cost of decommission offshore oil wells around the world is expected to be over $100 billion by 2030. Analysis Image: The Birds! Platform Holly, offshore from Goleta. Credit: Glenn Beltz (CC BY 2.0) Last year was rough for major oil companies. BP, Chevron, ExxonMobil, Shell, and Total suffered a combined $77 billion in losses for 2020. And now, as Reuters reports, many are trying to sell-off “d...

Why are taxpayers are bailing out the worst-performing oil companies?

, at least 12,000 wells are poised to be abandoned just in the next four years. The number could be still higher—and more of the cleanup cost shifted to taxpayers—if Texas continues to lead the nation in oil and gas bankruptcies, a trend started by the long-term collapse of shale drilling and accelerated by the pandemic. “Texas is known for having one of the better plugging programs, but we’re still so far behind,” Palacios said. The main reason is that bonds are far too low. In Texas...

When the power went out, Texas oil and gas regulators rushed to defend the industry’s image Texas Tribune Published:  Updated:  Tags:  Carmen Pena, right, waited for a ride Feb. 17 at the Rebekah Baines Johnson Center, an independent living center in Austin that lost power during the storm. Credit: Montinique Monroe for The Texas Tribune When the power went out for Marsha Hendler on Feb. 15, she rushed to her downtown San Antonio office to ride out the winter storm. Than...

Close Carmen Pena, right, waited for a ride Feb. 17 at the Rebekah Baines Johnson Center, an independent living center in Austin that lost power during the storm.  Montinique Monroe for The Texas Tribune featured When the power went out, Texas oil and gas regulators rushed to defend the industry’s image By Erin Douglas and Mitchell Ferman Apr 5, 2021 4 hrs ago Carmen Pena, right, waited for a ride Feb. 17 at the Rebekah Baines Johnson...

Carmen Pena, right, waited for a ride Feb. 17 at the Rebekah Baines Johnson Center, an independent living center in Austin that lost power during the storm. Credit: Montinique Monroe for The Texas Tribune When the power went out for Marsha Hendler on Feb. 15, she rushed to her downtown San Antonio office to ride out the winter storm. Thankful to find the electricity and heat still on, she typed out an email to the elected officials who regulate her small, independent oil an...

Solar energy becoming more popular in Webb County March 16, 2021 FacebookTwitterEmail 1of3 Victor Hugo Garcia, manager and owner of Vilu Energy LLC, said solar energy has seen a rise in popularity in the past couple of years, and he expects this trend to continueCourtesy /Vilu Energy LLCShow MoreShow Less 2of3 Hot and sunny is the norm in Webb County, making it an ideal location to solar energy production.Laredo Morning Times fileShow MoreShow Less 3of3 The sun shines bright most days in Webb C...

House speaker pushes using Texas savings, Biden relief money to help weatherproof power plants Loans funded with the state’s “rainy day” dollars could spur weatherization and help Texas avoid a repeat of last month’s blackouts, Speaker Dade Phelan says. Updated at 2:48 p.m., March 12, 2021: to include White House spokeswoman’s comment about Phelan’s idea of using federal money and note introduction in Texas House of legislation to create “SURF” fund. AUSTIN — House Speaker...