Energy and Air Pollution in Texas

TPPF Releases New Research on ERCOT’s 765-kv Strategic Transmission Expansion Plan

AUSTIN– Today, TPPF’s Life:Powered campaign released new research outlining the cost and impact of ERCOT’s 765kv Strategic Transmission Expansion Plan or STEP. The paper finds that the STEP does not meaningfully reduce the need for new generation, nor does it reduce prices for consumers.  In fact, the STEP would impose nearly $100 billion in lifetime...

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...

An Overview of the Business Franchise Tax: 2023 – 2027

Texas’s business franchise tax is costly, complicated, and time-consuming to observe. Its negative and distortionary effects should motivate policymakers to eliminate it entirely. Key points: Because of the substantial costs, large and small business owners can often spend more on compliance than on paying the franchise tax itself. Phasing out or repealing the tax altogether...