Long, Hot Summer

What to know: As we enter July and August, Texas’ energy needs are only increasing.

The TPPF take: Our “dispatchable” power—energy we can access at any time—has been not been increasing.

“The ERCOT grid’s net load, which is electricity demand minus wind and solar output, set new records in 2023,” says TPPF’s Brent Bennett. “That means the demand for gas, coal, and nuclear capacity in ERCOT is still rising, but the supply of those resources has remained roughly flat over the past decade. The balance of investment between wind and solar and dispatchable resources needs to be corrected but by requiring wind and solar to pay for reliability costs.”

For more on the electric grid, click here.

Shopping Scheme

What to know: Arkansas’ attorney general says the Chinese shopping app Temu is “dangerous malware.”

The TPPF take: Temu is worse than TikTok.

“Once downloaded, Temu can access almost anything on your phone — the camera, internet, audio recordings, etc.,” says TPPF’s David Dunmoyer. “That means the CCP could theoretically install applications and spyware files on an individual’s smart device to use for complete surveillance of all user activity on a phone.”

For more on Temu, click here.

A Win for Compassion

What to know: The Supreme Court has ruled that cities can ban people from camping on city property.

The TPPF take: This is a compassionate ruling for the homeless—and for others in our society.

“The compassion we feel for other people who find themselves in dire straits is natural and is an important component when deciding policy,” says TPPF’s John Bonura. “However, it is not compassionate to allow people to be stuck in a cycle of government-enabled homelessness, nor is it compassionate to forget about the safety of the public.”

For more on homelessness, click here.