House Bill 3188: Prohibition of…

Dr. Brent Bennett’s Testimony Before the House State Affairs Committee: Data Centers & 765-kV Transmission Lines

Testimony of Brent Bennett, Ph.D. Policy Director, Life:Powered Texas Public Policy Foundation Before the House State Affairs Committee August 19, 2026 Chairman King and Members of the Committee: Thank you for this opportunity to testify about the important challenges facing the Texas electric grid and specifically the challenges and opportunities being presented by data centers....

Forecasting the Future of the ERCOT Grid, Part 1: The Ongoing Winter Reliability Challenge

Forecasting the Future of the ERCOT Grid, Part 1: The Ongoing Winter Reliability Challenge Written By: Michael Reed and Brent Bennett, Ph.D. Download the full research paper here. Key Points While the operational performance of the ERCOT grid has improved since Winter Storm Uri in 2021, the increasing reliance of the grid on wind, solar,...

Housing Is Too Expensive. Blame Your Local Tree Ordinance.

Matthew Bernard wanted to build a home. He bought a small lot in Oakland, California, and began clearing several diseased and fallen trees that the local fire department had identified as hazards. The result was a $915,000 “mitigation fee” from the city of Oakland—nearly five times the value of the lot itself. Under Oakland’s tree ordinance,...