Interested in learning more about geothermal energy and its potential in Texas?
Dr. David Blackwell of Southern Methodist University has published an excellent report titled “Texas Geothermal Assessment for the I35 Corridor East” for SECO (State Energy Conservation Office).
“Geothermal development in Texas is on the cutting edge, yet it is a resource that has been examined multiple times in the past. Every time is has been deemed a worthwhile target. With multiple power projects underway currently in the Gulf Coast region and many companies looking into how to tap the resource economically, the time for Texas to become a leader in geothermal energy is starting to come to fruition. This is a new beginning for the geothermal energy industry in Texas.”
The Peterson Institute for International Economics recently released a report titled, “Assessing the American Power Act: The Economic, Employment, Energy Security, and Environmental Impact of Senator Kerry and Senator Lieberman’s Discussion Draft”.
The report highlights the key impacts of the American Power Act and ultimately concludes that, “By pricing carbon, the American Power Act raises the cost of fossil fuels, prompting firms and consumers to improve the efficiency with which they use energy or switch to low-carbon sources of energy supply.”
“The Obama administration lost its court bid to maintain a six-month moratorium on offshore deepwater drilling which a federal judge ordered lifted last month.
The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals denied the government's emergency request to stay that judge's order pending appeal.
The motion was denied because the government failed to show "a likelihood of irreparable injury if the stay is not granted," the appeals panel judges wrote in a 2-1 ruling.”
The Institute for Electric Efficiency (IEE) recently completed a white paper detailing the effect variable electricity pricing has on low-income customers.
The IEE commissioned The Brattle Group to look at five studies undertaken during the past few years that examined how variable or dynamic electricity prices affected residential customers.
The IEE found that, “while there is mixed evidence on the magnitude of the responsiveness of low income customers relative to other customers, there is strong evidence across these five programs that low income customers do respond to dynamic rates”.
See for yourself by downloading the full report here.
To learn more about the IEE, visit their web site here.
“The Future of Natural Gas is the third in a series of MIT multidisciplinary reports examining the role of various energy sources that may be important for meeting future demand under carbon dioxide emissions constraints. In each case, we explore the steps needed to enable competitiveness in a future marketplace conditioned by a CO2 emissions price.”
We’re proud to note that PAT Board Member Ralph Cavanagh served on the Advisory Committee.
Yesterday, Power Across Texas’ Board Member John Hofmeister was a featured guest on NBC’s Meet the Press. John was joined by Senator Mary Landrieu, Congressman Ed Markey, BBC's Katty Kay, Governor Hailey Barbour and Ken Feinberg, the appointed administrator of BP's escrow fund.
The group discussed the status of the oil spill in the gulf, the government's response, and the reaction to BP's recent testimony.
John’s new book Why We Hate the Oil Companies: Straight talk from an Energy Insider is now available for sale.
Power Across Texas Announces New Advisory Board Member And New Corporate Member.
We are very pleased to announce the addition of a new Advisory Board Member of Power Across Texas – Mr. Ralph Cavanagh. Ralph is a senior attorney and co-director of the Natural Resources Defense Council’s energy program. I am excited to welcome Ralph to the Advisory Board and believe his guidance and support will help PAT further it's mission as a nonpartisan, independent organization. Please see our website for Ralph’s complete bio: www.poweracrosstexas.org.
Additionally, we are excited to announce that Calpine Corporation has joined Power Across Texas as a Gold Level corporate sponsor. Calpine, founded in 1984, is a major U.S. power company, capable of delivering nearly 25,000 megawatts of clean, cost-effective, reliable and fuel-efficient electricity to customers and communities in 16 states in the U.S. and Canada.
Calpine “generates electricity in a reliable and environmentally responsible manner for the customers and communities it serves” and “believes that a strong commitment to environmentally responsible electrical generation is a key element to achieving its goal of being the finest power company in North America.”
We appreciate Calpine’s support in achieving our mission to provide a learning center for energy issues that draws allies from all corners of the political, academic and corporate sectors, and that fosters awareness around aspects of energy issues that affect us all.
In January, Power Across Texas' Advisory Board and Corporate Members met in Austin for a Strategy Session to ensure PAT's mission was filling an appropriate vacuum in the energy market and to identify projects that PAT should focus on during 2010 and 2011.
Michael Milligan, Kevin Porter, Edgar DeMeo, Paul Denholm, Hannele Holttinen, Brendan Kirby, Nicholas Miller, Andrew Mills, Mark O’Malley, Matthew Schuerger, and Lennart Soder
The natural variability of wind power makes it different from other generating technologies, which can give rise to questions about how wind power can be integrated into the grid successfully. This article aims to answer several important questions that can be raised with regard to wind power.
