CBS News: Pipeline explodes, spreads fire in Houston suburb, forcing evacuations
Sept. 17 — A pipeline explosion near Houston erupted in a towering flame over neighborhoods for hours on Monday, forcing evacuations and shelter orders and melting playground equipment as firefighters struggled to keep nearby homes from burning. Operators shut off the flow of natural gas liquids, but so much remained in the 20-inch (51-centimeter) pipeline that firefighters could do nothing but watch and hose down adjacent homes until it burns itself out. That could take hours, perhaps into Tuesday, Deer Park Mayor Jerry Mouton Jr. said.
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Texas Standard: Lawmakers expect better vetting from Public Utility Commission for power plant loans
Sept. 17 — Last year, Texas voters approved $5 billion for the Texas Energy Fund – a pot of state money to help pay for new power plants or upgrades. The idea is to bolster the grid after winter storms in 2021 and 2023 kept millions of Texans cold and in the dark for extended periods. The Public Utility Commission of Texas is responsible for choosing projects to receive loans. But lawmakers are now concerned about the commission’s vetting process after serious problems were discovered about a finalist’s application.
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Associated Press: Texas lawmakers question agency’s ability to oversee $5 billion energy loan program after glitch
Sept. 16 — The Texas agency overseeing a $5 billion low-interest loan program to help build new power plants, and the firm it’s paying millions to manage it, missed red flags on an application and chose the project as a finalist for a loan. When the issues came to light, the Public Utility Commission of Texas rejected the application on Sept. 4. But the incident put a cloud over the rollout of the newly-created Texas Energy Fund, angering lawmakers and raising questions about the agency’s ability to implement the program.
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Reuters: Energy Transfer pipeline catches fire in La Porte, Texas
Sept. 16 — A natural gas liquids (NGL) pipeline owned by Energy Transfer (ET.N), opens new tab caught fire in La Porte, Texas, on Monday morning, the company said in a statement, knocking out power to thousands of homes and businesses and prompting a widespread evacuation. Videos posted by a local news station early in the day showed a massive flame near streets and businesses. The line had been isolated by midday for residual product to burn off, Energy Transfer said, adding that it did not have a timeline for how long that process would take.
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Utility Dive: ERCOT accelerates initiative to streamline energy procurement and dispatch
Sept. 16 – The Texas grid operator is now targeting a December 2025 start for the real-time co-optimization of energy and ancillary services, about six months sooner than initially expected.
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Houston Public Media: CenterPoint says its on track to improve resilience after backlash from Hurricane Beryl preparation, response
Sept 12 — CenterPoint plans to invest more than $5 billion to harden its Houston-area distribution system over the next four years. The promise came after Hurricane Beryl knocked out power to more than 2 million households in July.