Texas bond elections often pass with low voter turnout and simple majorities, driving up local debt as a result. Raising voter approval thresholds could protect taxpayers and ensure a stronger consensus for public spending. Key points: Even though tax relief has been funded at the state level, increased debt at the local level has led...
Texas is America’s manufacturing and energy export powerhouse. If the Trump administration envisions a true American energy renaissance on the horizon, Texas must lead. But before Texas can lead, it must get its own grid in order. Decades of federal and state subsidies—the latter now thankfully dead—have powered an overinvestment in periodic wind and solar...
KEY POINTS • Transmission costs in ERCOT rose from $1.5 billion in 2010 to over $5 billion in 2024 and could increase to over $12 billion per year by 2033. • After adjusting for inflation and overall rising electricity demand, the average ratepayer in the ERCOT region paid 57% more in transmission charges in 2024...