We Have Reservations
What to know: ERCOT, the state’s power grid manager, continues to exaggerate its reserve margins of electricity available to Texans, claiming there’s less than a 1% chance of more blackouts this summer.
The TPPF take: ERCOT’s overconfidence is a slap in the face to the Texans it is supposed to serve.
“The problem is straightforward, if not simple — reserve margin calculations overestimate performance of wind and solar, which make up a significant and growing chunk of our electric generation,” says TPPF’s Jason Isaac. “Unlike natural gas, clean coal, and nuclear — which produce a near-constant flow of electricity with reliability percentages rarely falling below the mid-90s — wind and solar production fluctuates wildly. For example, in just one summer week in 2019, wind generated between 2 and 63% of its installed capacity.”
For more on reserve margin calculations, click here.
No, That’s Not It
What to know: The national media (not least the New York Times) is doing a terrible job explaining what exactly is in the election integrity bills before the Texas Legislature.
The TPPF take: For example, some claim that the new bills would give new, extraordinary powers to poll watchers.
“Their powers, confined to observing election workers and reporting, remain the same,” says TPPF’s Chad Ennis. “Poll watchers have an important role in our election process. Poll watchers are the public’s eyes and ears at the polling place. They are there not to watch the voters, but to watch the process and report any chicanery to the proper authorities. Poll watchers strengthen elections by watching the process and ensuring the election process is fair.”
For more on election integrity, click here.
Hey, We Agree!
What to know: There’s now support across party and philosophical lines for ending special tax breaks for big corporations.
The TPPF take: These tax breaks, referred to by their portion of the tax code, Chapter 313, rarely help struggling school districts.
“At best, these incentives do not work; at worst, they can be harmful,” says TPPF’s Carine Martinez. “It’s hard to understand how Chapter 313 could be described as an economic development tool that brings investments and jobs to Texas, yet allows school districts to simply waive the job requirement.”
For more on Chapter 313 agreements, click here.