Austin, TX
Experts warn ERCOT pause in maintenance could mean more breakdowns during summer
AUSTIN, Texas — The state’s energy operator, ERCOT, is asking some power plants to pause scheduled maintenance this week because of rising temperatures that are expected to increase demand for power. With higher temperatures this spring, experts say changes are needed to the grid to handle future extreme weather event.
ERCOT expects a spike in temperatures Tuesday night, bringing the energy demand close to the supply. ERCOT did not ask Texans to conserve electricity. Instead, some plants are asked to stop planned maintenance and instead supply energy.
“This is not uncommon for ERCOT to call for a halt to maintenance activities but when they do this defers the maintenance on these power plants and we see more breakdowns during the summer,” said Ed Hirs, a University of Houston Energy Fellow.
With hundreds of people moving to the state every day, some energy leaders want to see a shift from fixing the grid to investing in the future of it.
“Our companies continually invest in the infrastructure of the grid both in the transmission distribution space but also in the generation space. We just need more electrons on the grid to serve the people of Texas and the industries of Texas,” said Mike Bell, president of the Association of Electric Companies of Texas.
Last fall voters approved the Texas Energy fund, and $5 billion was allocated from the state budget surplus to repair existing power plants and toward low-interest loans to develop new power plants.
“If I were a big generation company with a bunch of units, I would not really be wanting to add or bring back three or four power plants because I would know that by doing so, I would only keep the price down,” said Hirs. “I would much rather see a squeeze and see the price go up like it’s forecast to do for this afternoon. And well make a significant profit at the expense of normal Texas.”
Advocates for solar power want to see lawmakers invest in other energy sources to decrease the dependability on the grid.
“Most solar homeowners use their own solar. They don’t use the grid while the sun is shining and so that is an automatic reduction in demand,” said Pete Parsons with the Texas Solar Energy Society.
ERCOT expects the power emergency to end Wednesday, but experts predict as temperatures rise this summer so will people’s energy bills.
Austin, TX
Shooting at Gus Garcia Rec Center Results in Fatality
One person is dead and other is injured but in stable condition after a shooting at the Gus Garcia Recreation Center over the weekend.
At 12:43 a.m. on Feb. 15, Austin Police Department responded to a call about shots fired at the Gus Garcia Recreation Center at 1201 E. Rundberg Lane.
When officers arrived, they located 32-year-old Jamal Elijah with apparent gunshot wounds to his body. Life-saving attempts failed and Elijah was pronounced dead at 1:07 a.m. A second male victim was transported to a local hospital and is reportedly in stable condition.
Homicide detectives later obtained surveillance video that showed Elijah at the recreation center spending time with friends when they were “confronted by a suspect group who shot and killed Elijah.”
APD posted a 29-second surveillance footage clip to its YouTube channel, and it calls the individuals shown in the video “people of interest who the Austin Police Homicide unit are trying to identify,” according to the press release.
Anyone with information about the shooting should contact the Homicide Unit at 512-974-TIPS. You can also submit anonymous tips through the Capital Area Crime Stoppers program at 512-472-8477. The department is offering a $1,000 reward for information that leads to an arrest.
This case is being investigated as Austin’s ninth homicide of the year. The eighth homicide of the year occurred on Feb. 14. Police responded to a residence in South Austin to find two people dead in what was an apparent murder-suicide.
Although that investigation is also still ongoing, detectives believe Rios fatally stabbed Montgomery before taking his own life. Anyone with information about that case can contact APD at 512-974-TIPs or submit an anonymous tip through the Capital Area Crime Stoppers Program.
Austin, TX
Texas DOT Says I-35 Overpass That’s Obviously Splitting Is ‘Structurally Sound’
If you’re fed up with your government not filling potholes on your daily commute, be glad that’s all it is. At least you aren’t doing a slightly smaller scale version of the drawbridge jump from “2 Fast 2 Furious.” Drivers on Highway 290 East in Austin, Texas, can look up at the northbound Interstate 35 flyover and see what I’m talking about. Or, you can look at these embeds from social media.
Austin locals started posting about it online Tuesday, and I stumbled across it while on Reddit last night. User __MOON_KNIGHT___ uploaded this clip to r/Austin, with the comment section going about how you’d expect. To my surprise, the Texas Department of Transportation had already inspected the area and given it the all-clear.
And here’s another by Reddit user Dollypootin:
TxDOT told local ABC affiliate KVUE that there were no structural concerns with the bridge. Likewise, a spokesperson for the department told MySA, “TxDOT has monitored the flyovers at US 290 and I-35 for some time and they are structurally sound. The bridge joints are designed to expand and contract. In the case of these joints, they’ve created a larger gap and are due for replacement. There is a plan to replace the bridge joints. Replacement should get underway soon.”
So, they plan to fix it. That’s good news. But it doesn’t seem to be incredibly pressing, which is almost hard to believe.
There haven’t been any reported incidents due to the gap. You can also find previous snapshots of the joints in less-than-ideal shape on Google Earth. These screenshots show the flyover’s condition in March 2024, and although the guardrail hadn’t yet separated, it still looked super sketchy.
Anywho, just be careful if you drive an EG Civic on cut springs and decide to take that route. I can’t imagine the jolt you’d get from that when a roadkill possum rattles your teeth.
Got a tip or question for the author? Contact them directly: caleb@thedrive.com
Austin, TX
Talarico rallies in Austin as early voting opens after Colbert interview controversy
AUSTIN, Texas — State Rep. James Talarico, who is running for U.S. Senate, spoke to supporters Tuesday night as early voting began in Texas, following controversy over an interview with “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” that aired online instead of on television.
Colbert said CBS blocked the interview from airing on TV. CBS, however, said the network had received legal guidance that the broadcast could trigger the FCC equal-time rule for two other candidates, including Rep. Jasmine Crockett.
The interview was set to run just before early voting for the March 3 Democratic primary. Talarico described the situation as “the most dangerous kind of cancel culture.”
“You all may have seen that they’ve launched a probe into The View after I went on that show,” Talarico said, referring to a previous FCC action. “So it’s the second time we’ve been targeted by the FCC.”
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ALSO| Texas Rep. James Talarico caught in CBS-Colbert dispute over ‘Late Show’ interview
Colbert explained the network’s concern during his show, noting the equal-time rule requires that if a show hosts a candidate during an election, it must offer all opponents an equal opportunity to appear. The FCC issued guidance Jan. 21 saying the rule now applies to daytime and late-night talk shows, which were previously exempt.
Russ Horton, a lawyer with George Brothers Kincaid & Horton LLP in Austin, who frequently works on First Amendment issues, said the new guidelines could pressure networks to limit political appearances on entertainment programs. “The legal department of CBS decided they just didn’t want to risk having a candidate the current administration may not view as favorable,” Horton said.
Rep. Crockett, who is also running in the Democratic primary, said she understood CBS offered options to air Talarico while maintaining equal-time compliance. “There may have been advice to just have me on, and then they could clear the issue. It was my understanding that someone somewhere decided we just don’t want to do that,” she said.
Talarico kicked off early voting in Austin with a rally Tuesday night, telling supporters he is ready for the upcoming primary. CBS Austin also reached out to Ahmad Hassan, a third Democratic candidate, but had not received a response.
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