Texas
Texas energy officials’ proposal to overhaul the power grid is drawing skepticism
/static.texastribune.org/media/files/013aaca3f8b4cc2b217bafbed730cda0/ERCOT%20Command%20Center%20REUTERS%20TT%2002.jpg "Texas energy officials’ proposal to overhaul the power grid is drawing skepticism")
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Texas lawmakers and consultants who examine the state’s energy grid aren’t thrilled with a proposal by state vitality officers geared toward stopping future widespread outages such because the one in the course of the 2021 winter storm.
The Public Utility Fee of Texas final week unveiled a proposal, backed by Chair Peter Lake, that will primarily pay energy turbines to ensure they’ve sufficient reserve electrical energy to feed the state’s electrical grid in instances of extraordinarily excessive demand. Turbines would obtain “efficiency credit” after proving their skill to maintain the lights on throughout these durations — a system that doesn’t exist anyplace else on the earth, in line with the fee’s guide.
Within the days since, state legislators and vitality consultants have forged doubts on the proposal, which might value energy clients an extra $460 million yearly, in line with the PUC’s estimate. Additionally they questioned the plan’s complexity and the time it could take to implement such a novel system.
“There are enormous reliability stakes and large greenback stakes,” stated Alison Silverstein, a former senior adviser on the PUC, which regulates the Electrical Reliability Council of Texas, the state’s grid operator. “We’d like certainty. However there are methods to create certainty with out making doubtlessly billion-dollar errors.”
The Texas Legislature final 12 months ordered the fee to overtake the state’s vitality market, which capabilities largely off of provide and demand, within the wake of the winter storm. Texas’ electrical grid practically collapsed as ice and snow blanketed the state. Beneath-freezing temperatures brought on the demand for electrical energy to surge, triggering widespread energy outages that left hundreds of thousands of Texans in the dead of night with out warmth for a number of days. A whole bunch of individuals died because of this.
Energy suppliers have been allowed to cost sky-high costs for vitality as demand spiked in the course of the storm — however frozen gear meant that they couldn’t meet that demand.
Throughout their first likelihood to weigh in on potential reforms to the market, lawmakers on a key Senate panel this week made it clear they’re not impressed with the fee’s principal proposal.
“This plan is so convoluted, has a protracted timeline to be put into place, that it’s a set-up for failure for everyone,” state Sen. Donna Campbell, R-New Braunfels, stated throughout a Thursday listening to of the Senate Enterprise and Commerce Committee, including that the extra prices of the plan will in the end be paid by energy clients.
“The top loser is the top person,” Campbell stated.
Senators expressed considerations about making the state’s energy clients pay extra for an untested system on prime of paying off billions of {dollars} in prices incurred in the course of the storm — prices that vitality consultants have stated Texans will probably be paying off for many years.
“There was already a wealth switch that we noticed occur [during Uri], in all probability the biggest within the state’s historical past,” state Sen. Lois Kolkhorst, R-Brenham, stated.
Texas residents have had a more durable time than the remainder of the nation paying for electrical energy this 12 months. As many cranked up their air conditioners throughout a sweltering summer season, about 45% of Texans informed the Census Bureau they needed to in the reduction of on different requirements resembling meals and medication to pay their electrical invoice — greater than the nationwide common of 34%, in line with a LendingTree evaluation of census information.
Lake testified earlier than the committee and defended the “efficiency credit score” thought as a approach to make the grid extra dependable by offering additional incentives, past provide and demand, to energy turbines to make sure they produce sufficient electrical energy in periods of excessive demand.
“What now we have in entrance of us as a market-based resolution that our evaluation signifies would ship an enchancment in reliability for much less cash than … the absence of motion,” Lake stated throughout Thursday’s assembly.
The fee paid E3, a California consulting agency, greater than $600,000 to determine what modifications to the state’s electrical market wanted to be made to keep away from widespread blackouts throughout extreme climate. However Lake bucked the agency’s suggestion for overhauling the grid, which might require electrical suppliers to purchase “reliability credit” from energy turbines — the concept is that turbines would commit prematurely to supply sufficient energy in periods of excessive demand.
However observers and a few lawmakers have pointed to what they name flaws in E3’s report, chief amongst them the truth that the guide didn’t take into consideration climate situations as extreme as those who brought on blackouts throughout final 12 months’s winter storm. With out that, consultants say, it’s troublesome to know the way the grid would maintain up throughout excessive chilly or warmth because of any change — or how a lot shoppers’ vitality payments would go up.
“If we’re altering the market due to what occurred throughout Winter Storm Uri, then we should always know what the market modifications will do if we get one other Winter Storm Uri,” stated Joshua Rhodes, an vitality guide and analysis scientist on the College of Texas at Austin.
In accordance with the E3 report, the guide “doesn’t anticipate the identical ranges of outage could be noticed throughout comparable climate situations” due to reforms resembling new weatherization requirements enacted for the reason that winter storm.
A PUC spokesperson stated the examine “ran 1000’s of extreme climate eventualities” based mostly on historic climate information.
However local weather change is making climate patterns extra erratic, stated Silverstein, the previous PUC adviser, prompting demand to spike unexpectedly because it did throughout Uri and this 12 months’s early-arriving warmth wave.
“The fact is that local weather change is creating increasingly anomalies, and it’s creating these anomalies in instances that we didn’t anticipate,” Silverstein stated.
The E3 report additionally assumed turbines would “have limitless entry to gasoline” in case of utmost climate, although many energy vegetation struggled to acquire pure gasoline to maintain operating in the course of the winter storm.
Worries additionally abound that the “efficiency credit score” system favored by Lake and PUC employees would take too lengthy to implement — the E3 report estimates it could take as much as 4 years to write down the foundations governing such a system and put it into place — and dissuade funding in new energy manufacturing.
“It’s simply the novelty of it and all the questions across the implementation which are unknown,” Julia Harvey, vp of presidency relations at Texas Electrical Cooperatives, informed senators Thursday.
Texas has made marginal enhancements to {the electrical} grid since Uri however would nonetheless see an enormous shortfall in energy provide ought to an identical winter storm hit the state within the coming months, in line with an October evaluation by the Federal Vitality Regulatory Fee — though these findings have been disputed by state officers.
Pablo Vegas, ERCOT’s new CEO, acknowledged Thursday that “there could possibly be a spot” within the energy provide if there’s excessive climate regardless of enhancements to the grid.
“There’s a threat that we’re coping with, which is why the case for change is so pressing,” Vegas stated.
Disclosure: Texas Electrical Cooperative and College of Texas at Austin have been monetary supporters of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan information group that’s funded partly by donations from members, foundations and company sponsors. Monetary supporters play no function within the Tribune’s journalism. Discover a full checklist of them right here.
The Texas Longhorns are three games away from a national championship, and for the quarterfinal matchup against Arizona State, the Horns will travel to a familiar field.
Texas will take on the Sun Devils at the Mercedes Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia, the same venue that hosted the SEC Championship loss to Georgia.
The new opponents have a similar story to Texas: a conference newcomer that dominated the veterans.
Arizona State joined Texas’ former conference, the Big 12, and had a breakthrough season. The Sun Devils defeated Iowa State in the conference championship to take the trophy home in their maiden season.
The Sun Devils are led by redshirt freshman quarterback Sam Leavitt, a transfer from Michigan State. Leavitt has recorded 192 completions in 304 passing attempts for 24 touchdowns.
The defense is also led by a transfer player out of New Mexico State. Junior defensive back Myles Rowser has recorded 88 tackles and one sack.
Arizona State only dropped two games this season, both in conference play at Cincinnati and Texas Tech. The season record and championship clinch earned the Sun Devils the No. 4 seed in the College Football Playoff, awarding them with a bye week in the first round.
Texas, on the other hand, fell to Georgia in the championship game and dropped to the fifth seed, while the Bulldogs earned the second. But that wasn’t enough to stop the Longhorns from advancing.
The Horns had no issues defeating ACC champion Clemson in the first round at home.
Texas and Arizona State will face each other on New Year’s Day for a spot in the semifinals.
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The Texas Longhorns had a great weekend in the College Football Playoffs and the NFL. Multiple former players scored touchdowns, sacks and even made interesting kicking history.
Here are some of the top performances for former Longhorns in the NFL:
Jones tried his best for Denver against the Los Angeles Chargers having his third game of the season with ten tackles (seven solo). He even added his tenth pass deflection of the year, the first time he has had 10+ pass deflections in his five-year NFL career.
The Broncos however dropped to 9-6, losing 34-27.
The other Longhorn in the Broncos secondary also had a good game to a lesser extent. Locke got six tackles (two solo) which was third on the team. The Broncos next play the Cincinnati Bengals on Dec. 28th.
Now going to the winning side of Thursday Night Football, Dicker knocked down both of his field goal attempts, including a rare fair catch free kick from 57 yards out to cut the Chargers’ deficit to 21-13.
A rare fair catch free kick results in a Cameron Dicker 57-yard FG for the @Chargers 🤯
It’s the first free kick FG since 1976! pic.twitter.com/yb0cyPuKnR
— NFL (@NFL) December 20, 2024
That kick was his second longest of the season, Dicker also knocked down a 37-yarder earlier in the second quarter as well and knocked both of his extra-pointers. The Chargers are now 9-6 this season.
Worthy has seen his production increase for the Chiefs in recent weeks. And on Sunday against the Houston Texans, Worthy had a career-high seven receptions for 65 yards and a touchdown. The touchdown came in the third quarter to give the Chiefs a 24-16 lead. Kansas City went on to hold on 27-19 to continue to a league-best 14-1 record.
That’s Worthy’s fifth touchdown of the season which ties him for first on Kansas City in receiving touchdowns with Noah Gray.
Tucker has struggled a tiny bit in recent weeks but he bounced back strongly in the 34-17 win against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Tucker tried and succeeded with a 51-yarder late in the second quarter to extend the lead 17-7, and then he hit a 23-yarder to put the game to rest in the fourth and make it 34-17.
Tucker also knocked his four extra point attempts as the Ravens won a crucial game, and moved to 10-5.
The Falcons dominated on all cylinders with new QB Michael Penix against the New York Giants, and Bijan Robinson helped a lot with it.
He rushed for 94 yards on 22 attempts, scoring two touchdowns, one in the second and one in the third. Robinson is now at 11 touchdowns this season for the Falcons as they win 34-7 and improve to 8-7.
The Browns struggled, losing 24-6 to the Cincinnati Bengals. But Hicks led the team in tackles with nine (seven solo).
But the Browns move to 3-12 after losing their fourth straight.
On the other sideline, Ossai had his best game of the season, having a season-high in tackles with five (four solo) and also getting his fourth sack of the season.
Ossai capped off his dominant performance with his first forced fumble as well as the Bengals win their third straight, and go to 7-8.
Monday Night Football between the Green Bay Packers and the New Orleans Saints will only have one former Longhorn with Saints linebacker Jaylan Ford, has only four tackles all season for them.
That game will start at 7:15 p.m. CT on ESPN.
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Texas women’s basketball nonconference schedule
Texas women’s basketball nonconference schedule
After a 103-57 win over South Dakota State on Sunday, the Texas Longhorns will head into their holiday break on a high note.
Sunday’s lopsided win at Moody Center came five days after Texas beat La Salle by a 111-49 score. Texas hadn’t scored 100 points in consecutive games since it did so against McNeese State and UTSA in November 2017.
Texas never trailed on Sunday, and freshmen Jordan Lee and Justice Carlton served as first-half catalysts for the No. 6 team in the USA Today Sports Coaches Poll. Lee started and scored 10 first-quarter points while Carlton came off the bench to score 17 first-half points on 7-of-9 shooting. Combined, Lee and Carlton had 29 points in the first half. South Dakota State’s entire team had 26.
While Texas built its 53-26 lead in the first half, eight of the nine Longhorns who played scored. The surprising exception was All-American Madison Booker, who distributed three assists and grabbed three rebounds but missed her three shots.
A perennial NCAA tournament qualifier that had split its prior games against ranked Creighton and Duke teams, South Dakota State (10-3) never cut into its 27-point halftime deficit in the second half.
Here are three observations from Sunday’s 46-point rout:
Mwenentanda remains patient with her process
Carlton finished with 19 points and nine rebounds while senior forward Taylor Jones had 15 points, 11 rebounds and four blocks. Lee and senior guard Rori Harmon respectively added 14 and 13 points for a Texas team that shot 53.9% from the field. Booker was limited to nine points, but Harmon pointed out after the game that Booker’s +/- of 41 was the best among the Longhorns.
Ndjakalenga Mwenentanda was the fifth Longhorn to record a double-digit scoring total. Over 11 minutes, Mwenentanda scored 10 points on 5-of-6 shooting.
Mwenentanda grew up in South Dakota and was that state’s Gatorade Player of the Year in 2022. The school in Sioux Falls where she won a state championship is about an hour drive from South Dakota State’s campus. Mwenentanda was recruited by the Jackrabbits but she said that she was attracted to what Texas could offer her athletically and academically.
Since arriving on campus, Mwenentanda has shown glimpses of her potential since arriving at Texas, but she has mainly been a role player for the Longhorns. Sunday was the 11th time that she scored at least 10 points in a game. Just twice in her career has she played more than 25 minutes.
Mwenentanda sees herself as a Swiss Army Knife on the Texas roster. She’s listed as a 6-foot-2 guard on the team’s roster, but Vic Schaefer has mainly used her as a “4” player this season. Mwenentanda played some in the paint last season, but she got more playing time as a guard. Training more with the post players this offseason has helped her adjust to that role this season.
“I physically prepared for it, I mentally prepared for it. I’m enjoying it,” Mwenentanda said.
Schaefer praised the play of Mwenentanda in his postgame press conference on Sunday. Earlier in the week, Mwenentanda said that she was staying patient with her process.
“Everybody’s process is different. I feel like comparing myself to other people’s process would be one reason to give up,” Mwenentanda said. “Everybody on this team are great players, are great women so even though this process is a little bit different for me, it’s not something I look at negatively because I know everybody’s working hard and everybody’s pitching in.”
Status for sidelined Laila Phelia remains unclear
Texas senior Laila Phelia missed her third straight game on Sunday. Phelia suffered a detached retina during the offseason. Texas has not announced a timeline for her return, but Schaefer has said the program will soon release an update.
The leading scorer at Michigan last season, Phelia has played in just eight of the Longhorns’ 13 games. She is averaging 6.1 points and 19.4 minutes per game while shooting 40.5% from the field.
What’s next for Texas? Rest and one final tune-up
Next on the schedule for Texas is a home game against UTRGV (6-6) on Dec. 29. That will be the Longhorns’ final game until their Southeastern Conference debut at Oklahoma on Jan. 2, 2025.
But first, the Longhorns will get some rest. Mwenentanda won’t be able to fly back to South Dakota until Monday morning, but the rest of the Longhorns headed home after Sunday’s win. The Longhorns will return to practice on Dec. 27.
How will the Longhorns spend their break? The three players who attended Sunday’s postgame press conference – Carlton, Harmon and Mwenentanda – said they’d take some time off, but they added that they’ll get some workouts in with family and hometown trainers.
As for Schaefer? He’ll do some work over the break, but he won’t be in his office.
“I’m going to be standing in about knee-deep water in the morning calling a duck and having my son (Logan) with me and my dog, my hunting dog, not my show dog. We’ll enjoy some time together in the morning and then we’ll wet a line and fish in the afternoon,” Schaefer said. “I’ll probably sit in my bow stand a couple of nights with my computer in my lap and watch film. I don’t really care if I see anything or not, but I usually see a lot. I get more work done sitting in a bow stand in a bow blind than I do a lot of times sitting at my desk.
“I’ll just enjoy time with family. I’m really blessed with Holly and Logan and Blair here and we’re all together at Christmas, and it’s just a special time for us. We really embrace the Christmas season.”
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