By Tom Kleckner GEORGETOWN, Texas — He came armed with his traveling slideshow, a sequel to his Oscar-winning documentary, homespun wisdom, and warnings of what human activity is doing to our planet. And what better place than in Georgetown, Texas, a community north of Austin that last year became the...

By Rich Heidorn Jr. How big was Hurricane Harvey? So big that, even before it made landfall in Texas on Aug. 25, the National Weather Service was warning via Twitter that it was “unprecedented.” “All impacts are unknown and beyond anything experienced,” NWS said. “Follow orders from officials to ensure...

By Tom Kleckner The Public Utility of Commission on Wednesday approved a settlement in Oncor’s proposed swap of more than $400 million in assets with Sharyland Utilities, paving the way for the two parties to complete the transaction (Docket 47469). Oncor, Sharyland representatives discuss their settlement with PUC staff. The...

By Tom Kleckner AUSTIN, Texas — Having thrice been rejected in its attempts to acquire Oncor Electric Delivery earlier this year, NextEra Energy is now making a long-shot bid to acquire a minority ownership in Texas’ largest electric utility. PUCT Executive Director Brian Lloyd | © RTO Insider However, the...

By Tom Kleckner AUSTIN, Texas — DeAnn Walker will chair her first open meeting of the Public Utility Commission of Texas on Thursday after her recent appointment, which couldn’t come at a busier time for the commission. Walker | Courtesy DeAnn Walker The Sept. 28 agenda includes an update on...

AUSTIN, Texas — Renewable energy developers, energy providers, end users, renewable manufacturers and others gathered last week for the Infocast Texas Renewable Energy Summit, where attendees heard discussions on the challenges ERCOT faces in building transmission, adding renewable resources and ensuring grid reliability. Here’s some of the highlights. No CREZ...

The Public Utility Commission of Texas last week gave preliminary approval to Oncor’s and Sharyland Utilities’ proposed swap of $400 million in assets. The order lists a set of 27 issues to be discussed before the PUC renders a decision, which is due by Feb. 1, 2018 (Docket 47469). Oncor...

By Tom Kleckner Texas regulators last week praised the response of the state’s utilities, ERCOT and first responders during discussion of a preliminary report on restoration efforts in the wake of Hurricane Harvey. Speaking during an Aug. 31 open meeting of the Public Utility Commission of Texas, Commissioner Ken Anderson...

By Tom Kleckner and Rich Heidorn Jr. Warren Buffett’s bid for Oncor won an immediate endorsement from the head of the Texas Public Utility Commission’s staff Friday, suggesting the Oracle of Omaha may succeed where two other suitors for the state’s largest transmission and distribution utility failed. But first, Buffett may...

By Tom Kleckner Texas regulators last week again refused to revisit their decision to reject NextEra Energy’s proposed acquisition of Oncor, the state’s largest regulated utility. Anderson | © RTO Insider The ruling by the Public Utility Commission of Texas came just two days after Florida-based NextEra filed a 57-page...