On June 26, 2009, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the 1,480 page American Clean Energy and Security Act (ACES). The U.S. Senate plans to consider this bill as early as October. As the nation’s leading energy producer, Texas would be more severely impacted by this bill’s aggressive carbon caps and new federal energy mandates than any other state.
Transmission Trouble
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...