Energy

Cities' Goal To Lower Climate Emissions Could Be Blocked By Gas Utilities

4:14pm February 23, 2021

by Dan Charles

A growing number of cities want to restrict the use of gas in buildings to reduce climate emissions. But many states are now considering laws to block that with backing from the natural gas industry.

National

Texas Isn't Alone. Winter Storms Could Cause An Infrastructure Crisis In Other States

4:20pm February 22, 2021

NPR's Mary Louise Kelly talks with Maggie Koerth of FiveThirtyEight about how a number of states could have experienced the same problems Texas had during last week's winter storm.

Tyler Hollon, who works for a construction company in Utah, says eliminating natural gas from apartment buildings can reduce costs. Hollon's company now shares its designs and budgets with other builders. "The reason we're giving it away is to clean up th

As Cities Grapple With Climate Change, Gas Utilities Fight To Stay In Business

4:20pm February 22, 2021

Natural gas utilities face a bleak future in a world increasingly concerned about climate change. An NPR investigation shows how they work to block local climate action and protect their business.

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Why Some Texas Residents Now Face Huge Electricity Bills

6:36am February 22, 2021

by Christopher Connelly

Texans who managed to keep the lights on during the winter storm are getting sky-high electric bills, the product of a deregulated industry that allows power companies to charge variable rates.

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Power lines near Houston on Feb. 16. Some Texas residents are facing enormous power bills after wholesale prices for electricity skyrocketed amid last week's massive grid failure.

After Days Of Mass Outages, Some Texas Residents Now Face Huge Electricity Bills

3:09pm February 21, 2021

by Rebecca Hersher

Texas allows companies to sell electricity at wholesale prices. When the price of electricity skyrocketed last week, that meant exorbitant bills for many residents who had been trying to save money.

A lower-carbon natural gas flame burns on a stovetop at a NW Natural testing facility.

National

Natural Gas Companies Have Their Own Plans To Go Low-Carbon

7:00am February 21, 2021

by Cassandra Profita

The companies face an existential threat as more governments and businesses move to tackle climate change. So a growing number have their own plans to decarbonize, by creating renewable gas.

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National

How Texas Could Address Its Energy Infrastructure Going Forward

4:16pm February 19, 2021

NPR's Ailsa Chang talks with professor Le Xie of Texas A&M University about what Texas can do to prevent blackouts due to extreme weather as the state has experienced this week.

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President Biden speaks to the press before departing the White House for Milwaukee on Tuesday.

Biden To Authorize Broader Disaster Relief For Texas

3:13pm February 19, 2021

by Alana Wise

The state has for the last week suffered through a major winter storm that left many of its residents without heat, power or potable water.

National

Power Returns To Millions Of Texans, But Many Remain Without

4:06pm February 18, 2021

by Dominic Anthony Walsh

After days without power, millions of Texans have had electricity service restored after a crippling deep freeze and forced reductions. Still, hundreds of thousands are without power.

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Patrons sit in a restaurant without power caused by cold weather blackouts on Tuesday in Richardson, Texas.

National

Texas Rolling Blackouts Are Anything But, Mayor Says

2:33pm February 18, 2021

by Steve Inskeep

"When you've not had power for 3 1/2 days ... you begin to question whether [blackouts] are rolling at all," says Mansfield Mayor Michael Evans.

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