Austin, TX
6 things to know about Texas weather and the grid this August
Check out some of Community Impact’s recent coverage of energy and the environment below.
Low wind, high demand could trigger Texas power grid emergency in August
High temperatures, rapid population growth, and an influx of cryptocurrency and artificial intelligence companies will continue to squeeze Texas’ power grid, energy officials reported in June.
- There is a 12% chance of rotating power outages on August nights with little wind, according to the Electric Reliability Council of Texas.
- During the summer, the strain on the power grid is typically highest from 8-9 p.m., when more people are using electricity and less solar power is available.
- If wind power production is also low, ERCOT may ask Texans to reduce their energy use. The grid operator called for energy conservation 11 times last summer.
What to know about Texas’ power grid ahead of another hot summer
Energy leaders face continued skepticism from Texans in the three-plus years after the deadly power outages during Winter Storm Uri, the dayslong freeze in February 2021. Community Impact sat down with ERCOT leaders in May to discuss how the grid has evolved to meet the needs of Texas’ rapidly growing population and more.
- ERCOT relies partially on solar power to meet high demand during the summer, resulting in a “rapidly declining energy source” as the sun sets, CEO Pablo Vegas said.
- Power plants and transmission facilities across the state have been upgraded to ensure they can withstand extreme temperatures, said Venkat Tirupati, ERCOT’s vice president of DevOps and Grid Transformation. ERCOT did not confirm how many plants had been upgraded but said officials have inspected 2,117 “weatherized” facilities since December 2021.
Report: Texas summers will keep getting hotter, drier
Texans can expect more 100-degree days and longer wildfire seasons in the coming years, according to a recent report from the state climatologist at Texas A&M University.
- 2023 was Texas’ hottest year on record, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. By 2036, the year Texas turns 200, triple-digit days will likely be four times more common than they were in the 1970s and ‘80s.
- Rising temperatures and varying rainfall can cause drier conditions, leading to an increased risk of wildfires. With higher temperatures occurring earlier in the year, researchers expect the spring and summer wildfire seasons will last longer.
Texas’ first statewide flood plan finds over 5 million people live, work in flood-prone areas
Over 5 million Texans live or work in areas vulnerable to flooding, according to a draft of the state’s first flood plan.
State lawmakers tasked the Texas Water Development Board with creating the plan in 2019, in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey. The 267-page draft, published in early May, recommends over $54.5 billion in funding to reduce flood risks.
- Nearly 1.3 million homes and over 12 million acres of agricultural land are in flood-prone areas, the plan estimates. Each of Texas’ 254 counties has experienced at least one federally declared flood disaster.
- The plan asked the Texas Legislature to expand early warning systems for floods; create minimum building and infrastructure standards to reduce fatalities and property damage; improve low-water crossing safety; and enhance dam and levee safety programs.
‘Profits over people’: Lawmakers, residents demand change from CenterPoint after Hurricane Beryl
CenterPoint Energy faced another day of reckoning over its response to Hurricane Beryl on July 31. Around two dozen Texas House members grilled CenterPoint CEO Jason Wells on how the utility prepared for the storm, what changes it was making and why power restoration took so long.
- “We keep hearing the same thing: we’ll do better, we’ll do better,” Rep. Ana Hernandez, D-Houston, told Wells. “It’s an excuse. That’s not enough. People want to know that this will not happen again and that we will make changes.”
- CenterPoint has proposed raising customers’ electricity bills by 2% for the next 15 years to cover the nearly $1.8 billion in recovery costs associated with the May derecho and Hurricane Beryl.
Gov. Abbott orders CenterPoint to speed up action plan for future storms
CenterPoint Energy will speed up its plans to trim trees, replace utility poles and increase communication with its customers ahead of future storms in Southeast Texas, Gov. Greg Abbott announced Aug. 1. Abbott said he met with CenterPoint executives for over two hours Aug. 1 and ordered them to complete the bulk of their proposal by the end of the month.
- CenterPoint will clear tree branches and other vegetation from 2,000 miles of “higher risk” power lines by Aug. 31, according to the proposal. The company originally planned to complete this project by the end of the year.
- About 1,000 utility poles will be replaced by the end of August, which was also originally scheduled for the end of the year.
- Abbott also directed CenterPoint to improve its communication with Houston-area residents after Hurricane Beryl. The utility has held five community listening sessions to get customer feedback since July 17 and will hold large open houses in each of the counties it serves before Sept. 30.
Austin, TX
Everything you need to know about Austin run clubs
AUSTIN (KXAN) — Data analyst Corey Yeung created the ATX Running Guide to help runners find community across Central Texas. What started as a personal project has become one of Austin’s most comprehensive running resources.
Looking for a Run Club? There’s a Map for That
When Corey Yeung moved to Austin three years ago, he had a simple question:
“How many run clubs are actually out there?” The answer wasn’t easy to find. While several websites listed local groups, Yeung felt none offered a complete picture. So, he decided to build one himself. What started as a spreadsheet evolved into ATX Running Guide, a website and social media platform that helps runners discover clubs throughout the Austin area.
“The list would be more useful if it were a map and search tool,” Yeung said. “The Instagram page was simply a way to communicate those free resources to the community.”
Today, the guide covers running groups from San Marcos to Hutto and serves as a one-stop resource for runners looking to connect. In this episode of KXAN’S Plus Simple Health, Corey Yeung walks us through everything you need to know about the 200-plus running clubs in Austin.
Austin, TX
Texas Volts begin first home slate Thursday at Dell Diamond
AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Texas Volts are off to a rough start in the Athletes Unlimited Softball League, but maybe a little home cooking can help them get right.
After playing their first five games on the road, the Volts open play at Dell Diamond in Round Rock at 6 p.m. Thursday against the Utah Talons, kicking off an 8-game homestand.
It’s the first season the Volts will call Dell Diamond home. In the league’s inaugural season last year, the original four teams competed with a touring schedule that included a stop at Dell Diamond. This is the first year that the AUSL, now a 6-team league, will play in home markets.
They have a roster peppered with local stars, including 2-time NCAA national champion middle infielder Leighann Goode from the Texas Longhorns. Aliyah Binford, a New Braunfels native, played collegiately for Ole Miss and former Texas State pitcher Jessica Mullins made an appearance in the Volts’ previous series against the Carolina Blaze.
Goode said there’s been a bit of a learning curve, but she credits her teammates for helping her adjust to the league.
“This group has brought me in and taught me stuff, taken me under their wings,” she said. “They’ve done an awesome job.”
Legendary Texas pitcher Cat Osterman is the team’s general manager, and the head coach is Texas State’s Ricci Woodard.
“We’re ready to rock and roll at home,” Woodard said. “I’m anxious to see what happens now that we get to play in our own place.”
Texas Tech pitcher NiJaree Canady, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2026 draft, joined the team last weekend after a brief contract holdout.
The Volts are 1-4 this season, picking up their lone win over the Oklahoma City Spark on June 10. They’ll face the Talons in a 3-game series, the Chicago Bandits for a pair June 23-24, and finish the homestand with a 3-game set against the expansion Portland Cascade on June 26-28.
Ryan Sanders Baseball, the organization that owns and operates the Round Rock Express, is an operating partner with the Volts and an investor with the AUSL.
Austin, TX
Investigators seek clues in small jet crash that killed 1 in Texas, where bystanders rushed to help
(AP) – Investigators combed through wreckage Wednesday for clues to why a business jet crashed on a Texas highway, killing one person on board after its pilots reported mechanical problems while requesting an emergency landing at a nearby airport.
The fiery crash late Tuesday in Laredo near the Mexican border sent bystanders racing from their cars to help police rescue passengers and crew from the burning aircraft. The crash killed Joshua Baer, a leader in Texas’ technology and startup sectors, the president of Baer’s company told the Austin American-Statesman.
Video from the frantic scene showed someone trying to smash the cockpit glass with a sledgehammer, while others used makeshift levers as they worked to open the plane’s door. Local officials said a firefighter entered the smoke-filled jet to extract one person still inside after the rest had escaped.
“While the loss of life is deeply regrettable, it is nothing short of a miracle that this tragedy did not become a mass fatality event,” Laredo Mayor Victor Treviño told a news conference Wednesday.
The cause of the crash was not immediately known. The Federal Aviation Administration was investigating along with the National Transportation Board.
Laredo Police Chief Miguel Rodriguez Jr. said investigators working to reconstruct the crash were at the crash site Wednesday.
Crash victim worked to help entrepreneurs launch startups
Baer was the founder and chief executive of Austin-based Capital Factory, which helps entrepreneurs connect with investors and others to launch their businesses.
“Joshua was a fearless leader, a brilliant partner, and a dear friend to so many of us,” Capital Factory President Bryan Chambers told the Austin newspaper.
Capital Factory executives did not immediately return phone messages Wednesday from The Associated Press.
Baer lived in Austin with his wife and three children, according to his LinkedIn page. He recently taught a student entrepreneur class at the University of Texas at Austin.
“I help people quit their jobs and become entrepreneurs,” Baer said on his LinkedIn page.
In a social media post, U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas called Baer “one of the most significant figures driving innovation and entrepreneurship across America.”
Police did not release the name of the person killed, citing a request from family members. Rodriguez said those on the plane included two pilots and three teenagers.
Pilots reported low fuel, electrical issues, airport director says
The Cessna Citation Latitude twin jet departed Tuesday evening from the Mexican resort city of San José del Cabo and was bound for Austin, Texas, the FAA said in a statement.
The plane was operated by NetJets, a company owned by Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway that lets people buy part ownership in private jets. NetJets said in a statement it was cooperating with authorities.
The jet went down at about 10 p.m. Tuesday on the Loop 20 highway, just a few minutes after its pilots radioed the local airport seeking to make an emergency landing. Their call to air traffic controllers “mentioned low fuel and a power outage,” Laredo International Airport Director Gilberto Sanchez said.
“They had mechanical issues and they lost communication with the tower,” Sanchez said Wednesday, “and that’s when the accident happened.”
Dashcam video posted on social media showed the aircraft careening down the highway and knocking down a light post before coming to a stop near the airport. The jet also barreled into a car, sending one motorist to a hospital in stable condition, said Laredo police investigator Jose Baeza.
Video posted to social media showed the plane on its side, smashed into a highway barrier with the tail ripped from the fuselage.
“It looked like part of a movie. I was in shock,” said Zayra Garza, an esthetician who was driving her co-workers home when she came upon the crash.
Garza, who shot video of the scene as her husband ran to help, saw motorists leave their cars to try to help smash the cockpit glass. She said the plane’s door opened and three people who looked like teenagers rushed out, followed by someone who appeared to be a pilot. Another crew member tried to pull out a person who seemed to be unconscious.
Smoke billowed from the plane as a firefighter climbed into the aircraft to rescue the remaining passenger. Police officers helping prop open the door had to back away as they doubled over coughing because of the intense smoke. Police said five officers were treated at a hospital for smoke inhalation.
“What was worrying me was the fire,” Garza said. “I was concerned that it could have just exploded at any time.”
This was the third significant aviation accident in as many days. A B-52 crashed Monday during a test flight at Edwards Air Force Base in California and killed all eight people aboard, while on Sunday, 12 people were killed when a plane on a skydiving outing in Missouri crashed.
___
Golden reported from Seattle; Collins reported from Hartford, Connecticut; and Bynum reported from Savannah, Georgia. AP journalists Josh Funk in Omaha, Nebraska, and Jeffrey Collins in Columbia, South Carolina, contributed to this report.
Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
-
Mississippi5 minutes agoMississippi veterans urged to seek PTSD help during Awareness Month
-
Missouri8 minutes agoMissouri judge strikes down nearly all state abortion regulations
-
Montana13 minutes agoNewly released documents shed light on Montana PSC dispute
-
Nebraska20 minutes agoNebraska Dept. of Agriculture proposes ban on food and beverages containing any amount of THC
-
Nevada23 minutes agoWOW Carwash touts year-round water conservation with recycling tech in Southern Nevada
-
New Hampshire28 minutes agoConcord celebrates 237 years of Constitution ratification with festivities – Concord Monitor
-
New Jersey35 minutes agoIs ICE giving up on Roxbury detention center? NJ leaders laud report
-
New Mexico38 minutes agoNew Mexico leaders push funding to fight screwworm after 1 local case