Interesting article. Some things stand out: Centerpoint wanted $100 million from the first round of a $3.5 billion pool of national grant money. That's a big percentage of the available funds. (The total grant program is $10.5 billion but it is awarded in stages.) 58 projects were awarded money in the first round, including $30 million to improve the San Antonio grid. Then there's this bit from the article: Having worked on fed grants before, it's not unusual to give feedback to applicants to help them strengthen an application. Common faults are incompleteness, an imprecise description of the work to be done (and the work that needs to be done for the work to get done), overhead accounting numbers that are out of whack with other applicants, and of course, you always look at the reputation of the applicant-are they good stewards, do they keep good records, do they have a series of completed grants, etc. Later, we read this: Sounds like Centerpoint's initial submission didn't meet the full criteria in the grant award announcement and since then, they have incorporated feedback to make it more competitive in subsequent rounds. Given Centerpoint's history, my guess is they thought since HOUSTON & HURRICANES! it would be automatic and tried to squeeze as much overhead as possible without fully meeting the criteria. That's not how these national grants work.
I'm at home but got a call from the office that they (again) lost power due to the SUPER MINOR storm that just rolled in. But of yall will be like - BRO, TOTALLLLY NORMAL! Of courseeee power would go out when it sprinkles! Thunder is LOUD! LULZZZZZ. Clown show
Wife and I lasted three days in our home with no power and then retreated to a hotel yesterday. The hotel just lost power to a normal thunderstorm. In the Chronicle today, the CEO of Centerpoint defended his company’s performance. These are the times and reasons for bringing back tarring and feathering.
ten, fifteen years ago when I was young and spry, I lived in a cabin with no AC. Open windows and fans plus a good breeze made it tolerable, even in summer.
I was at restaurant near Memorial City when the storm came in today. The lights flickered and collective groan from everyone in the restaurant was so loud.
My folks took me and an ex to a fancy dinner at Beef and Bird years ago...we were sitting in the little wine cave. We have apps and wine...massive t-storm rolls in and power goes out. They lit a bunch of candles in the room, and we continued like nothing ever happened (except for the outer door shaking in the wind)
Everyone realizes this is not an accident, right? Everyone realizes this is not just the way it is, right? This is like in California, where the power company refused to invest in line maintenance for years, pushing profits to the extreme. Eventually, conditions changed enough to where lines started coming down in high winds and causing fires that destroyed towns and killed people. The willful disregard (by Centerpoint, other fossil fuel interests, and Texas politicians) of clean energy, the intentional refusal to think through what changing conditions mean (not just climate, but development patterns, demographics, infrastructure, etc.) and a studied obliviousness about the future are all evident here. We have the cities we have, but we won't have the cities we need unless people quit accepting the status quo. Looking out over a few decades, Houston is already close to a dead man walking. The current course assures it. Demand better. You don't want to join places like Miami, New Orleans, Phoenix, and Las Vegas as this century's equivalent of the Rust Belt.
Texas (and Cali) are at the forefront of wind/solar power. It's not a generation issue, it's a distribution and infrastructure issue.
My sister was close friends with the daughter of the chef at that place. I’m sure you know it doesn’t exist anymore. That was really good food.
Joe Menke was an old friend/customer of my dad's. We got very nice service there. As kids my brother and I were on point to "don't do anything stupid". When the tie comes on, the manners are X10 Do you remember the complimentary smoked salmon dip appetizer? I've been trying to re-create it, and I'm getting close.
You'd think there would be calls for Congressional hearings, either on the federal or state level...but I'm sure Centerpoint is funding many of their campaigns.
If the overall upper air pattern continues through most of the summer, there’s 2 things: one is good, the other is risky. The “Death Ridge” baking Texas for months on end will not establish itself like last summers. Sure, they will nudge west and east and it will be hot, but it should at least allow for sea breeze storms. See yesterday, today and likely tomorrow. Could be through the next few weeks but not as widespread. However, the problem with high pressures off to the east and west is - it allows for troughs routinely over the plains. That creates a path for tropical systems across the N and NW Gulf Coast and obviously the Mexican coast. Here’s to hoping we enjoy the rest of summer without more tropical trouble.
This is what needs to happen. They make enough profit to improve their infrastructure (and it would be a fixed asset and not even be a direct hit to the bottom line). In 2023, their net income was $917 million. Government has to hold them accountable, because it's not like we can "demand better". What should be do? Protest and shut off the energy a lot of people don't already have?
I grew up in the Houston area in a house without AC. We had fans in the windows. Its amazing how you don't miss what you don't have. I was 5 when Alicia hit and I don't know how long we didn't have electricity but we definitely didn't burn up.
