Why Do Some Legislators Work Against Their Districts? Reading & Podcast Picks, April 20, 2025

A study for the Texas Association of Business shows grid reliability goes down, costs go up if renewables are constrained; plus articles on SB 819, the Texas Energy Fund, & more. Also, I was on Volts!

Reading and Podcast Picks is a collection of what we’ve been reading and listening to over the last week or so about energy topics.

In addition to the R&P Picks, paid subscribers receive access to the full archives, all of the Grid Roundups, access to chats and special presentations, and select episodes of the Energy Capital Podcast, including this one about distributed energy resources with Bandera Co-op’s COO John Padalino. If you can’t afford a subscription, you can request a complimentary subscription in an email to stoicenergyconsulting@gmail.com.

What in tarnation is going on in Texas? | Volts by David Roberts

Of course, I’m leading with this one! ​​I joined Volts with David Roberts this week to unpack the increasingly bizarre energy policy landscape in Texas. The episode's title pretty much nails it: “What in tarnation is going on in Texas?”