Union Pacific officials said the train collided with the truck around 2:30 p.m. Sunday at the intersection of U.S. 90 and U.S. 183. The Luling Police Department said the Northern Lights Specialized Transport truck was partially across the railroad track when it was struck by the train. The truck and trailer were overturned. The trailer split, and the turbine blade damaged three parked unoccupied vehicles, the railroad crossing signal controller, a commercial building and a utility pole, all located on the east side of Magnolia Avenue (U.S. 183). 

Safety Texas

Union Pacific officials said the train collided with the truck around 2:30 p.m. Sunday at the intersection of U.S. 90 and U.S. 183. The Luling Police Department said the Northern Lights Specialized Transport truck was partially across the railroad track when it was struck by the train. The truck and trailer were overturned.

Safety Texas

Texas Republican decries renewable energy projects, saying, “This is the green stuff that is just out of control and is going to bring the nation down.”

Impact on Wildlife Impact on Birds USA Texas

Initially, Sun’s acquisitions in Val Verde County went unnoticed. But in late 2017, property owners became incensed when Akuo Energy, a French wind turbine developer, built the Rocksprings wind farm on the eastern edge of the county. Conservationists, led by a local advocacy group called the Devils River Conservancy, were also worried: ...When the Conservancy learned of GH America’s plans to build a second wind farm in the county, it launched a pressure campaign, entitled “Don’t Blow it, Texas,” to prevent construction. 

General USA Texas

Following severe energy shortages in Texas this winter, Texas Governor Abbott drafted this July 6th letter to the PUCT (Public Commission of Texas) calling for immediate action to improve the reliability of the state's electric system. Emphasis in Abbott's letter was on incentivizing new and existing generation for reliability purposes (natural gas, coal, and nuclear) and requiring intermittent resources including wind and solar to pay the price when they fail to deliver. The full three-member PUCT was recently appointed by the Governor. Details about the letter and the actual content of the letter can be accessed from this page. 

Energy Policy Transmission Texas

One of the background sounds in cities such as Lagos, Baghdad or Kabul is the heavy thrumming of diesel generators, which rise in pitch and volume as the grid-powered street lights dim with equipment failures or fuel shortages.

Energy Policy USA California Texas

LYFORD, Texas — A wind turbine caught fire in Lyford on Monday.

Safety Structural Failure Texas

With start of summer a week away, ERCOT calls for conservation Official says it’s concerning but points to generator owners; Temperatures reached the upper 90s in Dallas on Monday, as ERCOT asked Texans to reduce electricity usage through Friday. It’s notable because it comes so early in the summer season, said Doug Lewin, an independent energy consultant.

Energy Policy Texas

Despite the rosy data, the storm will have some effects on clean energy development in Texas. While projects are still moving forward there, developers and investors are rethinking their risk and some weaker projects may not get built in the wake of the storm, said Daniel Sinaiko, a lawyer who represents renewable energy clients for the law firm Allen & Overy. That could include projects that are higher risk, less certain to bring in a profit, or less likely to find a buyer after completion. “The tax investors and the lenders are lining their contracts with covenants and reserves, things that cause the sponsor to be on the front edge of wearing the risks,” he said.

Energy Policy Texas

“The subject matter of the anticipated suit includes gross negligence and various subcategories of negligence.” Sentry is said to have failed to provide a "first aid station, an infirmary, or other medical services for the treatment of injured employees and – in a serious violation of safety protocols – also failed to have a person with first-aid training readily available at the work site to render first aid.”

Legal Safety Injury Texas

Spurred by these security concerns, the Texas Legislature recently unanimously passed legislation that would ban individuals or companies connected with China, Iran, North Korea, or Russia from entering into contracts relating to the state’s critical infrastructure. The bill has been sent to the governor for signature. If it is signed, it will take effect immediately. The country’s critical infrastructure has been the target of several cyberattacks in recent months.

General USA Texas

“Sunsetting this program is a critical victory for each and every Texan — made possible by a tidal wave of bipartisan support for free-market principles and broad property tax relief Texans sorely need," Kevin Roberts, TPPF’s CEO, said in a statement. “For two decades, Texas taxpayers have borne the brunt of special-interest corporate welfare that raises our property taxes and allows government to pick winners and losers. These 20 years of hard data have proven Chapter 313 doesn’t live up to its lofty promises to create jobs or lure new businesses to our state."

Taxes & Subsidies Texas

Property owners and conservationists were the first to raise alarm about the wind farm, saying construction might harm the pristine Devil's River. The also worry allowing a foreign company to connect to the Texas power grid would make it vulnerable. “There are foreign actors, as we've seen recently with the gas pipeline hack, that have ill intent for our country and our critical infrastructure," said Julie Lewey with the Devil’s River Conservancy.

General Texas

The House version of the bill removes language from the original legislation that targeted renewable energy sources such as wind and solar, by requiring these producers to pick up the tab for ancillary services and replacement power, which are charges for reserve power supply. Currently, those costs are covered by consumers.

Energy Policy Texas

For all the benefits the wind turbines have brought to Sweetwater, a critical question remains: What to do with the worn-out wind turbine blades when they are replaced? Wind turbine blades last an average of about 25 to 30 years. When they are replaced, the old blades become a challenge, from transporting them out of the field to finding a place to store the blades, which can be longer than a Boeing 747 wing. 

General USA Texas

The study analyzes the outage periods documented by ERCOT for 191 wind farm units, with a nominal capacity of 21,888 MW, of which 57% (12,495 MW) is subject to a hedged financial structure. Lost energy production from wind farms, aggregating individual wind farm results, was 629,700 MWh with a financial impact of this lost production, whether the financial loss to the owner or gain by others, estimated at $4.18 billion. This represents an average financial impact on any project of $44.4 million. For hedged projects, the financial impact of this lost proxy production is even greater, with an average financial impact of $45.4 million.

General Texas

ArcVera Renewables evaluated the financial losses associated with rolloing blackouts in Texas during the cold spell in mid-February 2021. The summary report and full report prepared by ArcVera Renewables can be downloaded from the document links on this page. 

Energy Policy Texas

A Canadian renewable energy firm on Wednesday sued Citigroup Inc for rejecting force majeure declarations during a February winter storm and billing it over $100 million for replacement power, according to lawsuits filed in a Texas state court. Shannon Wind and Flat Top Wind, subsidiaries of Innergex Renewable Energy Inc (INE.TO), operate North Texas wind farms that halted their wind turbines during an arctic deep freeze. Both had agreements to physically deliver power to Citi Energy, a unit of Citigroup Inc (C.N), at fixed prices.

General Texas

The fees are included in a bill that is the most wide-ranging response yet to pass the Texas Senate dealing with the power outages from the winter storms. Beside the fees on solar and wind producers, the legislation would create an alert system to warn Texans about impending power outages, and would require all electricity providers to weatherize their facilities and transmission lines — a major source of the midstorm power outages. It would also prohibit the wholesale electric index plans that resulted in astronomical bills for some consumers.

Energy Policy USA Texas

Experts warn the Chinese will be able to monitor and potentially interfere with air traffic at America’s largest pilot training facility at Laughlin. The project gives the Chinese communists a foothold in the Texas power grid. As now-retired Lt. Gen. Steven Kwast points out, if the power or water stops, Laughlin AFB stops working. “It triggered alarms the first time that we got evidence of Chinese money.”

Energy Policy Texas