Odessa American: RRC commissioners assess over $3 million in penalties
March 19 — The Railroad Commission of Texas assessed $3,141,077 in fines involving 775 enforcement dockets against operators and businesses at the Commissioners’ Conference on Tuesday. The Commission has primary oversight and enforcement of the state’s oil and gas industry and intrastate pipeline safety.
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KAMR: Texas Railroad Commission helped protect oil and gas leases during the Texas Panhandle wildfires
March 20 — According to officials from the RRC, operators in the Panhandle mowed grass and treated weeds to keep fuels for fires of leases and well pads. Officials also note that RRC safety officers joined the state’s coordinated response to the wildfires and manned a State Operations Center to be in direct contact with other emergency responders while maintaining communications with regulated entities in the Panhandle including gas utilities.
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Odessa American: PUCT adopts first rule for implementing Texas Energy Fund
March 21 — The Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUCT) Thursday adopted a new rule implementing the Texas Energy Fund In-ERCOT Generation Loan Program. This program will incentivize the construction of new dispatchable electric generating facilities or the expansion of existing facilities within the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) region by providing low-interest loans to qualifying companies. The new rule establishes the application process, project eligibility requirements, evaluation criteria, and loan terms. The rule will be posted in PUCT Docket No. 55826.
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KVUE: Public Utility Commission continues work to expand Texas power plants
March 22 — The PUC recently established new funding opportunities for electric generation projects.
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San Antonio Express-News: ERCOT program cost Texas utilities an extra $90 million during January freeze, market monitor says
Feb. 28 — As Texans drove power demand to a wintertime record high during last month’s deep freeze, power companies paid $90 million in wholesale costs the grid operator’s independent monitor says could have been avoided — and that eventually could be passed along to their customers.
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KERA News: Texas bitcoin miners don’t have to report energy usage yet; Denton touts selling renewables
Feb. 29 — In January, the U.S. Energy Information Administration announced that as part of an emergency data collection request, it would require bitcoin mining facilities such as Core Scientific in Denton and Riot Platforms in Rockdale to start reporting their energy use for the first time through a provisional survey called the Cryptocurrency Mining Facilities Report.
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Power Magazine: Texas Adds Two More Utility-Scale Solar Power Projects
Feb 29 — Texas continues to add to its U.S.-leading portfolio of renewable energy projects, with two large solar power installations recently coming online. Clearway Energy Group on Feb. 22 said it had completed the 452-MW Texas Solar Nova complex in Kent County.
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Utility Dive: Crypto miners, Biden administration appear to reach agreement over energy data collection
Feb. 29 — The Biden administration appears to have reached an agreement with bitcoin mining companies over the U.S. Energy Information Administration’s plan to collect energy usage and other data from the sector. A federal district judge on Thursday canceled a preliminary hearing on the matter and wrote that the parties “represented to the court that an agreement-in-principle was reached.”
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Fort Worth Star-Telegram: Will TX railroad commissioner candidates make natural gas companies more transparent?
Feb. 28 — The Star-Telegram asked Texas Railroad Commissioner candidates what steps they would take to bring more transparency to the natural gas sector, which has long opposed it amid calls for more accountability. One organization committed to that goal, Commission Shift, has published a voter guide with candidate and election information.
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