Our electric bills are about to go up. Most Texans have no idea why. Texas regulators approved $33 billion in new high-voltage power lines (the Strategic Transmission Expansion Plan, or STEP) without a single legislative vote. Factor in financing, maintenance, and taxes over the life of the projects, and the tab for ratepayers hits nearly...
At 4:03 a.m. on July 4, the Guadalupe River breached its banks in Kerr County. The flood came fast and silent—crashing through windows, sweeping entire homes off their foundations, ripping families from their beds. At least 132 people are confirmed dead. Nearly 100 remain missing. The Hill Country has become a graveyard of wreckage and...
The Public Utility Commission of Texas should pause implementation of ERCOT’s Strategic Transmission Expansion Plan (STEP) and carefully evaluate more affordable, reliable alternatives before committing Texans to the largest transmission projects in state history. While Texas faces growing electricity demand from population growth, industrial expansion, and data centers, STEP fails to address the state’s most...