Results tagged “publicutilitycommission”

Remember the rolling blackouts in freakishly hot mid-April? Fast-forward to freakishly hot mid-July, and we may be in for more of the same — although state power grid officials say blackouts now aren't likely. Sort of. On Monday, with temperatures around the state above 100, Texas used a record 62,396 megawatts of electricity between 4 and 5 p.m. (the old record was 60,274, set last August.) The Electric Reliability Council of Texas, which manages the...

We shouldn't see any more rolling blackouts heading into the summer, the Public Utility Commission told a state Senate panel yesterday, but PUC Chairman Paul Hudson said the Electric Reliability Council of Texas needs to communicate better with officials and the public in the future. The Senate hearing was prompted by last week's blackouts, which were caused by a spike in electric demand as temperatures across the state climbed into the 90s and 100s. Up...

Remember those rolling blackouts we had last week when it got hot and the power grid wasn't ready? About 200,000 customers in Texas lost power, 68,000 of them in Houston — if you were one of those people (or even if you weren't), you'll be interested in a report due out today from the Public Utility Commission. The blackouts started the afternoon of April 17 as temperatures climbed into the 90s and 100s some places...

Many Houstonians aren't taking advantage of competitive electricity rates to save themselves money, and that's ticking Mayor Bill White off. To make sure we all make the best decisions — or at least to give us the chance to — Mayor Bill announced a $1 million advertising campaign to tell Houstonians about their energy choices. White said his action, intended to reduce Houstonians' costs in advance of hotter summer months, could also help consumers make...