Why Subscribe?
Since Winter Storm Uri in February 2021, Texas’s energy grid has been under the microscope after journalists, policymakers, and everyday Texans alike were shocked by the catastrophe and wanted to understand the causes and potential solutions.
Texas energy is fascinating for reasons far beyond Uri, though. Texas is the number one producer of greenhouse gas emissions with more than twice the level of emissions of the next closest state and accounts for about 2% of global emissions. But it’s also the number one producer of renewable energy, and again, second place isn’t close.
We’re also number one in oil and gas production. Texas will soon be a global leader also in geothermal, hydrogen, carbon dioxide removal (CDR), and energy storage technologies. We’re a diverse state in every way imaginable, with support and opposition for climate policies coming, at various times, from unexpected places. My mission is to unpack the complexity and show how Texas can achieve a more affordable, reliable, resilient, and clean energy grid for Texas.
If you're as intrigued by these dynamics as I am and want to understand how these issues fit in larger political, economic, and historical contexts, subscribe today and be a part of these critical conversations that can help shape the future of Texas's energy and power landscape.
What Do Subscribers Receive?
Free subscribers can expect several articles and podcasts per month.
Paid subscribers receive additional benefits, including:
The Texas Grid Roundup, a periodic rundown of the most important energy news;
Access to additional exclusive articles and Energy Capital Podcast episodes, like my interview with former ERCOT Independent Market Monitor Beth Garza
Access to our full archives (free posts are only available for two weeks)
Invitations to Zoom presentations covering special topics in detail
Ability to comment and ask questions in the comments section for articles and podcasts
Access to subscriber-only Chats, typically during ERCOT Board Meetings or PUC Open Meetings, where you can ask me anything, follow along with the proceedings, and engage in dialogue with fellow readers.
This newsletter is made possible by paid subscriptions from readers like you. If you are able and interested, please join as a paid subscriber or, even better, as a founding member.
Who Am I?
I am the founder and CEO of Stoic Energy Consulting and serve clients in Texas working to accelerate the use of clean energy, reduce pollution, grow the clean energy economy, and increase equity and justice.
Previously, I led government and regulatory affairs work for CLEAResult, an energy efficiency program implementer for over 250 utilities in 40 states and provinces.
Prior to joining CLEAResult, I served as the founding Executive Director of the South-central Partnership for Energy Efficiency as a Resource (SPEER). The US Department of Energy recognized SPEER as the regional energy efficiency organization for Texas and Oklahoma, working with a network of similar organizations throughout the US to advance energy efficiency.
I also worked at the Texas Legislature for five years as a legislative aide, primarily on energy, environment, and climate issues for three different elected officials in the House and Senate. There, I established a successful bipartisan energy policy working group which deepened the knowledge base of a wide group of Capitol staffers and members by bringing in guest speakers from industry and academia.
My work and expertise on the electric grid and related topics has been featured multiple times in every major Texas publication as well as the Washington Post, the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg, Time, NPR’s Marketplace, the Financial Times, and dozens of TV and radio stations.
