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.
Juneteenth celebrations are happening across the city this weekend. The events will mark the 161st anniversary of the day Union troops arrived in Galveston Bay to announce that more than 250,000 enslaved people in Texas were free. The announcement on June 19, 1865, came more than two years after the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation. June 19 — known as Juneteenth — became a federal holiday in 2021.
From historical bike rides to Austin’s annual parade, here are seven events taking place in Austin.
Annual Juneteenth FunRun, June 19
The city of Austin’s African American Cultural and Heritage Facility will host a fun run starting at 8:30 a.m. on Friday at East Martin Luther King Jr. Street and Leona Street, and concluding at Hargrave Street near the Millennium Youth Entertainment Complex. Participants will have one hour to complete the course. The route is the same as the parade through the African American Historical Cultural District that will start later that morning. Runners and walkers of all ages and levels can participate.
Central Texas Juneteenth Parade & Festival, June 19
The annual Juneteenth parade will take place Friday and begin at 10 a.m. at East Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and Leona Street and will travel down to Chicon Street before turning on Rosewood Avenue. The parade will feature floats, live music and performers.
A Very Juneteenth Comedy Jam, June 19
The Velveeta Room, Austin’s longest-running comedy club, will have shows highlighting Black voices Friday night at 8 p.m. and 10 p.m. The 18+ event will feature comedians like Freddy Do Less and Roderick McDaniel. Tickets for both shows are around $23.
Sistas Walk And Talk: Juneteenth Edition, June 20
Texas Sistas Society will host a 3-mile walk and talk Saturday at 515 S. Pleasant Valley Road starting at 7:45 a.m. Texas Sistas Society is an Austin-based community created for Black women and women of color. Attendees are encouraged to wear Juneteenth colors: red, yellow, green or black, and to RSVP ahead of time.
The Carver Kickback: Juneteenth Edition, June 20
The George Washington Carver Museum in Austin is dedicated to creating a “space where the global contributions of all Black people are celebrated.” The museum is hosting a free celebration from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday with barbecue plates, live music, vendors and activities for all ages.
Black Auteur Film Festival, June 20
The Black Auteur Film Festival, a nonprofit dedicated to uplifting Black filmmakers in Texas, is hosting its third annual film festival to showcase short films directed by Black Texans at AFS Cinema on Saturday. One filmmaker will win the $1,000 “Best of Fest” award, and attendees can enter a raffle for a chance to win Austin Film Society memberships and movie tickets. The festival runs from 2 to 5 p.m. Tickets are $14.
Juneteenth Social Ride, June 21
Black History Bike Ride, an Austin nonprofit teaching people about the city’s Black history through cycling, is hosting its seventh annual Juneteenth ride starting at the Haskell House on Saturday at 10 a.m. Austin-based historian Harrison Eppright will serve as the ride’s guide. Registration is required for all attendees. The event is free, but donations are encouraged.
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 (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.
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