XPost: alt.politics.elections, talk.politics.guns, talk.politics.misc   
   XPost: alt.society.liberalism, alt.politics.republicans, sac.politics   
   From: remailer@domain.invalid   
      
   In article    
      
   Texas voters overwhelmingly approved a ballot proposition Tuesday   
   establishing a billion-dollar state-managed energy fund to bolster   
   natural gas power plant infrastructure.   
      
   Proposition 7 to create the so-called Texas Energy Fund passed in a   
   65% to 35% vote with more than 2.5 million ballots cast, according   
   to the latest data compiled by the Texas Secretary of State's   
   office. The ballot measure — which was supported by the energy   
   industry, but opposed by environmentalists — sets aside $5 billion   
   to guarantee low interest loans for new dispatchable power   
   generation in the state.   
      
   "TXOGA is pleased to see infrastructure propositions to expand   
   water, electricity and broadband pass with overwhelming support from   
   voters," Todd Staples, the president of the Texas Oil & Gas   
   Association, said in a statement Tuesday evening. "By voting to   
   approve these propositions, Texans are ensuring that the Lone Star   
   State continues to be the best place to live, work, play and raise a   
   family."   
      
   He added that Proposition 7 will help "strengthen the reliability of   
   our electric grid by ensuring it performs no matter the weather as   
   well as increase the supply of electricity by encouraging additional   
   generation."   
      
   TEXAS GOVT PUSHING ACTION THAT COULD 'KNEECAP' NEW FOSSIL FUEL   
   GENERATION, DESTABILIZE GRID, EXPERTS WARN   
      
   The measure is the final step to enact Senate Bill 2627, which   
   Republican Gov. Greg Abbott signed into law in July.   
      
   Under the bill, loans financed by the Texas Energy Fund must have a   
   20-year term and interest rate of 3%, and can be used either to   
   upgrade existing dispatchable power generation increasing capacity   
   by at least 100 megawatts (MW) or to construct new power generation   
   with a capacity of at least 100 MW. A natural gas power plant with a   
   capacity of 100 MW can power tens of thousands of homes.   
      
   MICHIGAN DEMS, GRETCHEN WHITMER ARE PURSUING A GREEN NEW DEAL,   
   THREATENING FUTURE GRID STABILITY   
      
   The effort to create incentives for power companies to expand   
   natural gas power generation was designed to address growing   
   concerns that the state's power sector doesn't have an adequate   
   energy generation that can be quickly dispatched to provide   
   electricity during emergency peak periods.   
      
   According to former Public Utility Commission Chair Peter Lake, the   
   state's dispatchable power supply grew only 1.5% between 2008 and   
   2020, while, in that same timeframe, the Texas population grew 24%,   
   meaning demand is outpacing supply. The concern is particularly   
   elevated because of Texas' growing reliance on green energy sources   
   like wind and solar, which aren't dispatachable, and are   
   intermittent, meaning they are reliant on weather conditions.   
      
   "The urgency to move forward with meaningful electric market reforms   
   that will incentivize the development of dispatchable generation   
   remains extremely high," Pablo Vegas, the current president and CEO   
   of the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, said earlier this   
   year.   
      
   In 2022, Texas generated 26% of all U.S. wind-generated electricity   
   and has led the nation in that category for 17 consecutive years,   
   federal data showed. Natural gas, though, still produces by far the   
   largest share of electricity generation in the state.   
      
   In addition to the Texas Oil and Gas Association, ConocoPhillips,   
   Texas Association of Manufacturers, Texas Pipeline Association and   
   Valero Energy Corporation supported Proposition 7. The Sierra Club,   
   Environment Texas, Texas Advanced Energy Business Alliance and Texas   
   Consumer Association opposed it.   
      
   "We need, and Texans want, more clean energy, not less. There is   
   strong support for more wind and solar energy, more battery storage,   
   more energy efficiency, and more interconnection with the national   
   grid," said Luke Metzger, the executive director of Environment   
   Texas. "Unfortunately, the Legislature ignored these solutions to   
   strengthen our electric grid while protecting consumers and the   
   environment."   
      
   https://www.foxnews.com/politics/texas-voters-overwhelmingly-   
   approve-measure-green-lighting-fossil-fuel-development   
      
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