Nov. 16-23, 2009
CAPP NEWS ROUNDUP
November 16, 2009 through November 23, 2009
Industry News
Electric customers get some new protections
By Tom Fowler
Houston Chronicle
November 20, 2009
The CAPP blog (Cities Aggregation Power Project) reports today on the Public Utility Commission approving new electricity consumer protection rules today.
EPA Tangles with Texas in Battle Over Air Quality
By Ana Campoy
Wall Street Journal
November 21, 2009
Air-quality fights are especially heated in Texas. Officials in the big cities complain the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, which enforces federal regulations, isn't strict enough. Dallas and Houston have been in violation of federal air-quality standards for years.
The time to get plugged in is now
By Jason Few
Houston Chronicle
November 22, 2009
Imagine, for a moment, Texas with a growing fleet of electric vehicles. Our environment would be better off, because fully electric vehicles have no emissions. We would need less gasoline and diesel to power our cars, so we would need less imported oil. And because electric vehicles cost less to maintain and operate than conventional vehicles, drivers would save some money.
Seeking ‘holy grail’: a solution to storing wind power
By Jennifer A. Dlouhy
Houston Chronicle
November 18, 2009
WASHINGTON — Utilities harnessing power from the wind and sun are up against a major challenge: how to store electricity so that it can be delivered to customers when the air is still and the sun has set.
Will Houston Become an Electric-Car Capital?
By Angel Gonzalez
Wall Street Journal
November 17, 2009
Gas-guzzling Houston, bete noire of environmentalists worldwide, is planting the seeds of an electric future. On Tuesday, Mayor Bill White and local electricity retailer Reliant Energy launched a plug-in hybrid program that includes 10 vehicle-charging stations around the city. Seven of the stations will be available to the public, and electricity will be free the first year, Mayor White said.
The high price of a deal gone bad: Rebuilding CPS leadership
By Robert Rivard
San Antonio Express-News
November 22, 2009
It's come to this: The simple truth withheld from the community by CPS Energy was revealed last week by NRG Energy executives to a Houston gathering of financial analysts: San Antonio can't afford the high price of expanding the South Texas Project nuclear facility.
Blown Away: Wind Power Keeps Growing in Texas
By Russell Gold
Wall Street Journal
November 17, 2009
Can the U.S. produce 20% of its electricity from wind? The U.S. Department of Energy thinks it can get there by 2030. That doesn’t sound so far fetched anymore. A couple weeks ago – October 28th to be exact – wind turbines provided about 25% of Texas’ power consumption.