Policy Updates
Power Across Texas provides updates on policy hearings and decisions, reported by our staff and other respected contributors.
September 6, 2012: The Senate Committee on Natural Resources met to hear testimony regarding their interim charge to study the effectiveness of the Texas renewable portfolio standard (RPS) .
Chairman Nelson of the PUC recommended that legislators move with extreme caution before adopting any incentives or mandates for renewable energy. Her recommendation was based on her belief that current state and federal incentives for wind have caused market distortions that have been a primary cause of Texas’ resource adequacy problems.
Texas Association of Manufacturers stressed that it would like to see all types of energy be developed… Continue reading
September 11, 2012 – On September 6, the PUC convened to discuss the five market design options set forth in the Brattle Group Report. Those five options are (1) energy-only market with market based reserve margin; (2) energy-only market with adders to support a target reserve margin; (3) energy-only market with backstop procurement; (4) mandatory resource adequacy requirement for Load Serving Entities (i.e., bilateral capacity market); and (5) resource adequacy requirement with a centralized forward capacity market.
After opening remarks by Sam Newell where he once again explained these five options, it was the stakeholders turn to… Continue reading
GUEST BLOG, GUEST, CNBC, ENERGY POLICY, US ENERGY PLANS, US ENERGY, PAUL DICKERSON, CNBC.com
September 4, 2012 | 11:55 AM ET
For energy investors, the past few years have been marked by ups and downs and everything in between. Volatility has always been a key feature of investing in energy companies. After all, their financial fortunes rise or fall with energy prices, which take their cue from all corners of the global economy.
But nobody counted on the Jekyll and Hyde routine we’ve seen out of Washington on all things energy. Going by what’s transpired, one could… Continue reading
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