Houston Chronicle Archives - energyfairness.org

January 9, 2023

Published by Staff at January 9, 2023

Deregulation Is Still Wrong for Consumers

For years, Energy Fairness has warned of the various dangers of deregulating the electricity marketplace, offering evidence to policymakers and the public that deregulation makes electricity more expensive and less reliable for consumers. Now, an article from The New York Times underscores those warnings. What is electricity deregulation? Deregulation simply […]

October 28, 2022

Published by Staff at October 28, 2022

EV Use Is Growing, But Where Are The Chargers?

Electric vehicle interest is growing, despite short supplies. However, even when vehicles are available, a lack of charging infrastructure or “range anxiety” keeps many customers from taking the leap. How can we help potential EV owners face this hurdle? The simple answer is to build out more charging infrastructure. The […]

October 14, 2022

Published by Staff at October 14, 2022

To Drill or Not to Drill

Earlier this month, OPEC announced it would cut production by more than 2 million barrels of crude oil per day starting in November, a move that will increase gas prices when much of the world is already experiencing pain at the pump. The Biden Administration responded by saying there would […]

October 6, 2022

Published by Staff at October 6, 2022

Solar Energy Growth Fuels Need For Recycling

As we wrote last week, the Inflation Reduction Act is expected to spur renewable energy adoption and manufacturing in the U.S. This is welcome news since the vast majority of solar panels have long been manufactured overseas, often in less than stellar conditions. However, the rapid solar panel growth in […]

September 29, 2022

Published by Staff at September 29, 2022

Tax Credits May Spur U.S. Renewable Energy Manufacturing

As we wrote back in August, the recently signed Inflation Reduction Act is a bit of a mixed bag for inflation. However, it contains some bright spots for U.S. manufacturers and the future of the clean energy industry. Will the U.S. finally become a player in the renewable energy manufacturing […]

September 21, 2022

Published by Staff at September 21, 2022

The Race for Nuclear Fusion Is Heating Up

For nearly a century, the scientific community has pursued the goal of nuclear fusion, hoping to invent technology to create plasma, literal star power on Earth at temperatures many times hotter than our sun. The challenges are enormous, but so are the potential rewards. If achieved, fusion can create near-limitless […]

September 8, 2022

Published by Staff at September 8, 2022

California Faces Blackout Risk….Again

Yet another heat wave is scorching California. Temperatures soared into the triple digits, with officials urging residents to conserve energy as the power grid threatened to go dark. Miraculously, the state managed to avert a crisis after a well-timed text message campaign. At 5:30 PM, California’s grid operator ordered its […]

August 31, 2022

Published by Staff at August 31, 2022

EV Tax Credits May Not Spur Widespread Adoption

The recently passed Inflation Reduction Act significantly changed electric vehicle (E.V.) tax credits. While Energy Fairness enthusiastically supports E.V.s, we have to wonder whether the tax credit changes will help speed the E.V. transition. We’re not alone in our concerns. In fact, U.S. automakers worry that up to 70% of […]

August 24, 2022

Published by Staff at August 24, 2022

Germany Looks Elsewhere for Energy Supplies

More than a decade ago, Germany embarked on its aggressive energy transition, known as Energiewende. With the expectation that wind and solar energy alone could someday power Europe’s largest economy, the country set about aggressively shutting down coal and nuclear power plants. It ended up with an unstable power grid […]

August 18, 2022

Published by Staff at August 18, 2022

Diablo Canyon Gets a Lifeline

For years, Energy Fairness has urged California lawmakers to keep Diablo Canyon, the state’s last remaining nuclear plant, online. Finally, Governor Gavin Newsome heard those calls and has released a draft proposal for extending the lifespan of the two reactors by five to ten years. The proposal calls for keeping […]

August 3, 2022

Published by Staff at August 3, 2022

An Energy Bill By Another Name

After going back and forth over energy and climate-related legislation for over a year, Senate Democrats unveiled the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 last week. Along with funding for healthcare and changes to the tax code, the bill includes $369 billion in energy security and climate spending. The bill aims […]

July 29, 2022

Published by Staff at July 29, 2022

Cyber Security Actions Leave Us Vulnerable

In May of last year, the Eastern European crime group DarkSide shut down the Colonial Pipeline for six days. The pipeline provides 45% of fuel for the East Coast and its shutdown left thousands of service stations without gas and pushed prices to levels that, at the time, had not […]