Austin, TX

Texas governor criticizes Houston energy

Published

5 months ago

July 15, 2024

Texas governor criticizes Houston energy

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — The majority of Houston outages that followed Hurricane Beryl should be fixed within the next two days, the city’s main utility company said Monday as Texas Gov. Greg Abbott threatened to punish CenterPoint Energy even after the lights come back.

What You Need To Know

The Texas Public Utility Commission announced Monday it had launched an investigation into CenterPoint’s storm preparation and response afer Gov. Greg Abbott demanded answers

Hurricane Beryl created high winds that brought down power lines and knocked out power to about 2.7 million homes and businesses. CenterPoint reported Monday that it had restored power to more than 2 million customers

The governor has given the utility until the end of July to submit plans to protect the power supply through the rest of what could be an active hurricane season, as well as trim trees and vegetation that threaten power lines

More than 200,000 remained without power on Monday

The Texas Public Utility Commission, the state’s regulatory agency, announced Monday it had launched an investigation Abbott demanded into CenterPoint’s storm preparation and response as hundreds of thousands of residents sweltered without power for more than a week after the storm. The governor has given the utility until the end of July to submit plans to protect the power supply through the rest of what could be an active hurricane season, as well as trim trees and vegetation that threaten power lines.

But some energy experts question whether Abbott and the Texas regulators, whose leaders are appointed by the governor, have done enough before now to get tough on utilities or make transmission lines more resilient in the nation’s biggest energy producing state.

“What CenterPoint is showing us by its repeated failure to provide power, is they seem to be just incapable of doing their job,” Abbott said Monday in Houston.

Spokespeople for CenterPoint, which has defended its response and pace of restoring outages, did not immediately return an email seeking comment Monday.

A week after Beryl made landfall as a Category 1 hurricane — toppling power lines, uprooting trees and causing branches to crash into power lines — the damage from the storm and the prolonged outages have again put the resiliency of Texas’ power grid under scrutiny.

In 2021, a winter storm plunged the state into a deep freeze, knocking out power to millions of residents and pushing Texas’ grid to the brink of total collapse. Following the deadly blackout, Abbott and state lawmakers vowed changes that would better ensure that Texans would not be left in the dark in dangerous cold and heat.

Unlike that crisis — which was caused by failing power generation — Beryl created high winds that brought down power lines and knocked out power to about 2.7 million homes and businesses. Most were concentrated in the Houston area, where CenterPoint reported Monday that it had restored power to more than 2 million customers. Still, more than 200,000 remained without power.

Houston-area residents have sweltered in heat and humidity, stood in long lines for gas, food and water, and trekked to community centers to find air conditioning. Hospitals have seen a spike in patients with heat-related illnesses and carbon monoxide poisoning caused by improper use of home generators.

“This isn’t a failure of the entire system,” Abbott said. “This is an indictment of one company that’s failed to do its job.”

In a special meeting of the Houston City Council on Monday, resident Alin Boswell said he was on day eight without power and had not seen anyone from CenterPoint in his neighborhood until that morning. He said the city and the company should have known the potential for damage after storms in May knocked out power to more than 1 million.

“You all and CenterPoint had a preview of this debacle in May,” Boswell told council members.

Ed Hirs, an energy fellow at the University of Houston, said the failures extend beyond CenterPoint. He said regulators have been reluctant to ensure that transmission lines are more resilient and trees are sufficiently trimmed.

Hirs said Abbott and other leaders who are solely zeroing in on the utility after Beryl are looking for a scapegoat.

“Of course, not one of them have a mirror around,” he said. “It’s not CenterPoint exclusively. The regulatory compact has totally broken down.”

CenterPoint has at least 10 years of vegetation management reports on file with Texas regulators. In April, the company filed a 900-page report on long-term plans and expenses that would be needed to make its power system more resilient, from tree trimming to withstanding storms and flooding to cybersecurity attacks.

In a report filed May 1, CenterPoint said it had spent nearly $35 million on tree removal and trimming in 2023. It said it would target efforts this year across more than 3,500 miles of its estimated 29,000 miles of overhead power lines in 2024.

Vegetation management remains a key issue for avoiding another power outage when the next storm hits, said Michael Webber, a University of Texas mechanical engineering professor with a focus on clean energy technology. But it’s just one ongoing problem for power providers.

Policy makers must rebuild Texas’ energy grid to adapt to its changing climate, Webber said.

“We’ve designed our system for weather of the past,” he said.

The utility has defended its preparation for the storm and said that it has brought in about 12,000 additional workers from outside Houston. It has said it would have been unsafe to preposition those workers inside the predicted storm impact area before Beryl made landfall.

In a message to CenterPoint customers Sunday night, CEO Jason Wells wrote that the company had made “remarkable” progress.

“The strong pace of the restoration is a testament to our preparation (and) investments we have made in the system,” Wells wrote.

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Austin, TX

Where to recycle your Christmas tree in Texas

Published

1 hour ago

December 25, 2024

Press Room

Where to recycle your Christmas tree in Texas

TEXAS — Once the holidays have passed, you are encouraged to give your natural Christmas tree another life by recycling it at any number of locations in Texas.

Most drop-off sites open on Dec. 26, but check with your city or county ahead of time to confirm.

There are typically guidelines for tree mulching and recycling. Check with your local recycling location for specifics, but the following rules, provided by Travis County, usually apply:

Only natural trees are accepted (no plastic/artificial trees)
Remove all ornaments, decorations, lights and tree stands (wooden blocks)
Remove all nails, screws, staples, wire and metal
Trees sprayed with flocking or artificial snow are not accepted
Do not place the tree in a “tree bag” or any plastic bag
Netting or rope wrapped around the tree is not accepted
Trees taller than 6 feet must be cut in half

Here are some locations where you can recycle your tree in Texas. The list isn’t exhaustive, so check online with your city or county for a location near you.

For recycling in Travis County, click here.
For the Austin area, click here.
For San Antonio, click here.
For Dallas, click here.
For Fort Worth, click here.
For El Paso, click here.

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Austin, TX

Texas A&M vs USC preview: Scouting report, predictions for Las Vegas Bowl

Published

11 hours ago

December 25, 2024

Press Room

Texas A&M vs USC preview: Scouting report, predictions for Las Vegas Bowl

All that’s left in the season for Texas A&M football is the Las Vegas Bowl. With one game left, the Aggies head west to take on the USC Trojans for the first time since 1977.

Texas A&M (8-4, 5-3 SEC) dropped out of the US LBM Coaches Poll at the end of the season, while the Aggies’ next opponent is fighting to finish above .500. USC is 6-6 overall and is 11th in the Big Ten at 4-5.

BUY TICKETS TO TEXAS A&M VS USC

Will A&M take care of business in the final game of 2024? Can they send off Year 1 under head coach Mike Elko on a good note? How will the Aggies fare down three key defenders up front? Can Elko and the Aggies secure a nine-win season for the first time since 2020?

Here’s a full scouting report for the Texas A&M Aggies vs the USC Trojans:

Texas A&M vs USC in Las Vegal Bowl

When: 9:30 p.m. Friday.

Where: Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.

TV: ESPN.

Radio: 1370 AM in Austin; 1150 AM, 93.7 FM in College Station.

Line: Texas A&M is favored by 3½.

Weather: Allegiant Stadium is a dome, rendering the weather ~~to be~~ a nonfactor.

Texas A&M vs USC history

All-time: USC leads 3-0.

Last meeting: 47-28 USC win (1977).

Most memorable meeting: It hasn’t been an extensive history between the two programs, and it hasn’t been a joyous one for the Aggies either. The latest matchup came in the 1977 Bluebonnet Bowl, played annually in Houston.

The final meeting between the Aggies and Trojans was also the last time A&M played in the bowl game. A&M lost to USC, 47-28, aided by a then-bowl record four-touchdown pass performance from USC’s Rob Hertel. Trojans’ running back Dwight Ford broke a school record with 94 rushing yards.

Know the foe: USC

Last game: 49-35 loss to Notre Dame.

Players to watch: Thanks to increased player movement, it’s oftentimes hard to get a beat on who will and won’t play in non-playoff bowl games. However, looking at the Trojans’ offense, their passing attack was led by sophomore wide receivers Makai Lemon and Zachariah Branch. The duo have combined for 93 receptions, 1168 yards and four touchdowns. Branch is in the transfer portal and is not expected to suit up against the Aggies.

The Trojans started the year with Miller Moss at quarterback, but thanks to USC making a switch, sophomore Jayden Maiava is the starting quarterback now. He has made the last three starts for the Trojans, while Moss has entered the transfer portal, reportedly joining Louisville ahead of the 2025 season.

As a starter, Maiava has totaled 840 passing yards, seven touchdown passes and three interceptions.

Central Texas connections: The USC Trojans football team is a national brand, and with that comes an extensive reach on the recruiting trail. As a result, the Trojans’ roster has its fair share of Texas natives. In total, 11 players call the Lone Star State home, including junior tight end Lake McRee who is from Austin and played at Lake Travis.

When Texas A&M has the ball

It will be interesting to see how the Aggies handle the Las Vegas Bowl, with 19 players reportedly in the transfer portal and at least Nic Scourton already forgoing the bowl game for NFL aspirations.

What Aggies fans can expect to see is Marcel Reed getting plenty of work with him being viewed as the unquestioned starting quarterback heading into the new season for the first time.

Also, preseason-projected starting running back Rueben Owens made his first appearance against the Longhorns in Week 14 following a knee injury that made him unavailable for most of the year. It will be interesting to see if they once again give him game action to close out the year.

Look for the Aggies to work in young players such as freshman wide receiver Ashton Bethal-Roman who finished the year with four receptions, 44 yards and one touchdown in limited action as they head into next season.

When USC has the ball

The Trojans’ passing game is well-documented. They enter the game with the 10th-best passing attack in the nation, averaging 291.7 yards a game. Maiava will be looking for Makai Lemon for much of the evening, while Austin native Lake McRee is also a viable option.

Even with all the attention being paid to their passing game, senior running back Woody Marks tallied 1,133 rushing yards and nine rushing touchdowns this year, and will be a problem the Aggies will need to contend with as well.

Texas A&M vs USC key matchup

Aggies’ defensive backs vs Trojans’ receivers

A&M’s secondary will have its hands full with this Trojans passing attack, and it will be up to Will Lee III, Dezz Ricks and BJ Mayes to limit the big-play ability of USC’s passing attack.

While teams have had success running on the Aggies recently, the Trojans’ strength lies in the passing game, and A&M should be prepared for an aerial attack during the season finale.

Texas A&M vs USC predictions

Tony Catalina: It’s hard to get a beat on how these non-playoff games will go with all the changes and uncertainty. However, Mike Elko has a chance to get his ninth win of the season, and there is still enough talent in the program and coming back that I think A&M is able to find a way. Texas A&M 27, USC 20.

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Austin, TX

Texas Longhorns HC Steve Sarkisian Prasies Clemson Tigers QB Cade Klubnik

Published

19 hours ago

December 25, 2024

Press Room

Texas Longhorns HC Steve Sarkisian Prasies Clemson Tigers QB Cade Klubnik

The Clemson Tigers weren’t able to pull of the massive upset against the Texas Longhorns in the first-round of the College Football Playoff, resulting in their season coming to an end.

It was a really solid 2024 campaign for the Tigers. They were able to win 10 games, the ACC Title, and made the newly expanded CFP.

However, going on the road against the Longhorns proved to be no easy task. While it was a 14-point loss, the argument could be made that Clemson exceeded some expectations, especially on the offensive side of the ball.

Texas has one of the best defenses in the country, and certainly one of the best secondaries. Throwing the ball on the Longhorns has been something that few players have had success at this season. However, Cade Klubnik and the passing offense of the Tigers had one of their best games of the season in the big moment.

In the loss, Klubnik totaled 336 passing yards, three passing touchdowns, and one interception. Considering Texas was allowing less than 200 yards per game through the air, this was an impressive showing.

After the game, Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian spoke very highly of Klubnik and what he was able to do against the Texas defense.

“I’m proud of Cade,” Sarkisian said via Clemson Insider. “I’ve known him for a long time, been recruiting him I feel like forever when he was in high school, and the fact that his career didn’t start off maybe the way he would have liked at Clemson, and there was a lot of expectations for him there, but to come out and have the season that he had this year for them, to get them to the playoffs, to be ACC champs, that’s a credit to him. He’s a very good football player.”

After a mediocre sophomore season, the Tigers quarterback took a massive leap in 2024. Overall, Klubnik finished with 3,639 passing yards, 36 passing touchdowns, and just six interceptions. While a lot of the attention goes to him throwing the ball, he was also able to rush for nearly 500 yards with seven scores.

The junior quarterback quickly became one of the best players at the position in the country, and was a massive part of why Clemson achieved as much as they did this season.

Now, the hope will be for the Tigers that Klubnik returns for his senior season. If he does, they will be entering 2025 with one of the best passing offenses in the country.

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