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Journal Article
Addressing Texas grid reliability: Time to go nuclear?
Thirty years after Texas’ last nuclear plant opened, new nuclear generation could provide needed power without planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions.
Journal Article
Spotlight: Oil Patch Productivity Rises; Jobs Vanish
After major oil price busts in 2014 and 2020, the same engineering prowess that helped the oil and gas industry thrive has been driven to find efficiencies to lower operating costs. The result: Fewer workers are needed to produce the same oil and gas output.
Refilling the Strategic Petroleum Reserve offers chance to recalibrate its size
A series of emergency drawdowns, exchanges and planned sales since 2020 have reduced crude oil inventories held by the U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve to a 40-year low. Calls to fully refill the SPR in recent months raise important questions.
Solar, battery capacity saved the Texas grid last summer; an uncertain future awaits
As ERCOT forecasts accelerated load growth due to anticipated data center construction and electrification trends, the current generation mix and market design should garner increased scrutiny.
Record-breaking Texas summer heat tests the grid, ERCOT operations
Texas just witnessed its second-hottest summer ever and its highest electricity demand without experiencing interruption to electricity delivery.
Texas electrical grid remains vulnerable to extreme weather events
New regulations, weatherization standards and operational changes have addressed many shortcomings, but some critical gaps persist.
Don’t Look to Oil Companies to Lower High Retail Gasoline Prices
While U.S. retail gasoline prices in many regions have remained stubbornly high since March, this situation reflects frictions in the retail gasoline market rather than the supply of oil or the price of oil.
Surging Renewable Energy in Texas Prompts Electricity Generation Adequacy Questions
With little investment taking place in new thermal generation, does the design of Texas’ electricity market provide enough incentive to develop capacity for future power needs?
A Ban on U.S. Crude Oil Exports Would Not Lower Gasoline Prices at the Pump
High gasoline prices have stimulated interest in what the Biden administration can do to lower the price at the pump.
Journal Article
Electric reliability concerns spur Texas backup generation boom
Amid growing concerns about reliability of electricity services across power-hungry Texas, deployment of back-up power sources—microgrids and alternative generation—is increasing. These assets, serving customers ranging from college campuses to oilfield operations, help keep the lights on when disaster strikes.