Power grid again reaches record demand

The dog-day heat wave has sent power demands to new records, the Austin American-Statesman reported. With much of the state enduring an excessive heat warning, power demand peaked at 85,559 megawatts last week, breaking a record set last August.

While searing outside temperatures certainly boost demand, other factors are in play as well —  the state’s growing population and increased expansion by large-scale industrial users such as data centers and cryptocurrency miners.

Texas is the only state that operates its own power grid. In June, the Electricity Reliability Council of Texas predicted the grid would face challenges this month and increased likelihood for emergency alerts during peak times of the day.

“Reserve shortage risks are the highest during the evening hours ... when daily loads are typically near their highest levels and solar production is ramping down,” the report from June says. While power throughout the state remained largely untouched, around 8,500 customers in Harris County last week experienced outages believed to be related to demand.

CenterPoint to push Beryl 

damage costs to ratepayers

CenterPoint plans to pass costs for electricity infrastructure damages caused by Hurricane Beryl on to its customers. It plans to pass bonds that will ultimately be paid through rate increases, the Texas Standard reported. The company testified last week before the Public Utility Commission.

In its latest quarterly report to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, the company estimated recovery costs related to Beryl and an earlier May windstorm — a derecho — will approach $2 billion for both events. As is customary, ratepayers will be on the hook.

“In my almost 35 years of experience in this utility business, the customers end up paying. They always end up paying,” said energy consultant Karl Rábago, who served on the PUC under Governors Ann Richards and George W. Bush.

“That’s because electricity is essential for modern life, and you can’t just go around bankrupting or allowing utilities to go bankrupt by forcing shareholders to bear what some people might say is the fair consequences of mismanagement.”

Transgender Texans can’t change sex 

on DL

Texans will no longer be allowed to change the gender on their driver’s license even if they have obtained a court order, the Houston Chronicle reported. In a statement, the Texas Department of Public Safety said that  as of Aug. 20, the agency will no longer comply with court orders mandating a change to a driver’s license. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has raised questions about the validity of such court orders.

The department said that was because “neither DPS nor other government agencies are parties to the proceedings and because officials have questions about the legal basis for courts to issue the orders.”

Brad Pritchett, interim CEO of the advocacy group Equality Texas, said the new policy “denies trans people the minimum respect of having a state ID that reflects their identity” and will hurt more than 92,000 transgender adults in Texas.

Busing of migrants is in idle mode

After sending thousands of migrants to northern cities run by Democrats, Gov. Greg Abbott’s bus trips have largely ended after the number of migrants apprehended at the border plunged, The Texas Tribune reported.

The state has not sent any buses north since late June, according to a report in The New York Times.

“Texas has decreased illegal crossings into the state by over 85% thanks to our historic border mission,” Abbott spokesperson Andrew Mahaleris said in a statement.

Abbott plans to continue the busing program, which only takes migrants who voluntarily get on board.

An executive order by President Joe Biden in June effectively stopped granting asylum to migrants. In the first month the order was in place, 32% fewer migrants were apprehended, a sharp drop that continued into July.

Since the busing program began in 2022, nearly 120,000 migrants have been transported to other states, according to Abbott’s office.

Peak of 

hurricane 

season arrives

As the peak of the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season arrives, forecasters have their eyes on four tropical waves with the potential to turn into something more menacing, the Statesman reported. All four systems are moving westward across the Atlantic.

We have entered the traditional peak of hurricane season, with the most activity occurring between now and mid-October, according to the National Hurricane Center. To date, five named hurricanes have been noted this season.

Hurricane season ends officially on Nov. 30.

Teaming up to prevent DWIs

With the Labor Day holiday coming up, the Texas Department of Transportation is teaming up with law enforcement officers to remind motorists about the dangers of drunk driving. The “Drive Sober. No Regrets” campaign reminds motorists of the consequences of driving drunk.

“Every drunk driving fatality is preventable, plain and simple,” said TxDOT Executive Director Marc Williams. “If you plan to celebrate Labor Day by drinking, make sure you arrange a sober ride using a ride share, taxi, public transit or a designated driver.”

In 2023, there were 334 DUI-alcohol related traffic crashes over the Labor Day holiday weekend, resulting in 14 fatalities and 35 serious injuries. TxDOT is working with law enforcement agencies across Texas to identify and arrest drunk drivers through the Labor Day holiday, ending Sept. 2.

The state continues to work to end the streak of daily traffic deaths, now approaching 24 years. The last deathless day on Texas roadways was Nov. 7, 2000.

Gary Borders is a veteran award-winning Texas journalist. He published a number of community newspapers in Texas during a 30-year span, including in Longview, Fort Stockton, Nacogdoches, Lufkin and Cedar Park. Email: gborders@texaspress.com