Power Magazine: Xcel Plans New Gas-Fired Plants as Part of 5-GW Expansion in Texas, New Mexico

Oct. 1 — Xcel Energy is adding more natural gas-fired power generation in Texas, with plans to convert a retiring coal-fired plant to natural gas, along with building a new peaker plant to provide electricity at times of high demand.

https://www.powermag.com/xcel-plans-new-gas-fired-plants-as-part-of-5-gw-expansion-in-texas-new-mexico/

KHOU 11: CenterPoint Energy unveils record $65 billion investment plan for next decade

Oct. 1 — CenterPoint plans to make the investments from 2026 through 2035, and it said it has identified an additional $10 billion of incremental capital investment opportunities.

https://www.khou.com/article/money/business/houston-business-journal/centerpoint-energy-record-65-billion-investment-plan-next-decade/285-a992da8a-07b9-4786-b0ae-f16ca2a66a08

Houston Business Journal: Entergy’s new power plants catch up with demand as the company buys power on the market

Oct. 1 — Entergy currently buys power on the market to meet the demand of Texas counties like Montgomery and Liberty that have massive residential growth. The new power plants are intended to help address that.

https://www.bizjournals.com/houston/news/2025/10/01/entergy-power-plants-catch-up-with-demand.html

KFDX: Atmos Energy rate hike impacts Wichita Falls residents

Oct. 1 — Starting Oct. 1, 2025, residents of Wichita Falls will see an increase in their gas bills, following a settlement between Atmos and over 150 cities in Texas.

https://www.texomashomepage.com/news/local-news/atmos-energy-rate-hike-impacts-wichita-falls-residents/

Politico: Vistra Corp. to triple size of its Permian Basin gas plant

Sept. 30 — Vistra Corp. will more than triple the size of its natural-gas-fired power plant in the Permian Basin as the oil-rich region of West Texas braces for booming power demand.

https://subscriber.politicopro.com/article/eenews/2025/09/30/vistra-corp-to-triple-size-of-its-permian-basin-gas-plant-00584409

Reuters: CenterPoint unveils $65 billion capital spending plan over next 10 years

Sept. 29 — CenterPoint Energy on Monday announced it was planning $65 billion in capital spending from 2026 through 2035, as U.S. utilities rush to capitalize on surging power demand.

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/centerpoint-unveils-65-billion-capital-201509417.html

Midland Reporter-Telegram: Despite changes, ERCOT ‘behind the curve by a long shot,’ experts say

Sept. 29 — Texas officials decided to keep electricity within state lines to avoid that federal oversight, he said. During World War II, an interconnected system was developed to shift power to the Gulf Coast to support war manufacturing. It was so successful, he said, that the interconnected system was kept in place.

https://www.mrt.com/business/article/texas-ercot-grid-demand-21074074.php

Utility Dive: Texas backs NRG’s 721-MW Cedar Bayou gas plant with low-interest loan

Sept. 29 —It is the third loan finalized under the Texas Energy Fund’s In-ERCOT Generation Loan Program and the second to support an NRG Energy project.

https://www.utilitydive.com/news/texas-puc-nrg-cedar-bayou-gas-plant-loan/761337/

Texas Tribune: Democratic Rep. Jon Rosenthal will run for Texas Railroad Commission

Sept. 29 — The day after the four-term Houston lawmaker launched his statewide bid, his former chief of staff, Odus Evbagharu, announced he was running to succeed his former boss in the Texas House.

https://www.texastribune.org/2025/09/29/jon-rosenthal-texas-railroad-commission-democrat-legislature-2026/

Bloomberg: CenterPoint CEO on $65B Plan to Meet Electric Demand

Sept. 30 — Jason Wells, CenterPoint Energy CEO, says the company took 100 years to build its system and “may double it” in the next five to 10 years, largely driven by data centers.

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/videos/2025-09-30/centerpoint-ceo-on-65b-plan-to-meet-electric-demand-video

KFDX: Atmos Energy rate hike impacts Wichita Falls residents

Oct. 1 — Starting Oct. 1, 2025, residents of Wichita Falls will see an increase in their gas bills, following a settlement between Atmos and over 150 cities in Texas.

https://www.texomashomepage.com/news/local-news/atmos-energy-rate-hike-impacts-wichita-falls-residents/

TELECOMMUNICATION NEWS

Federal Reserve Bank of New York Report: Broadband Affordability: Assessing the Cost of Broadband for Low-and-Moderate Income Communities in Cities

The study found that low- and moderate-income communities pay a notably higher share of their income for broadband. Such communities pay an average of 2.43% of household income for broadband compared to 0.51% in wealthier areas. In cities where broadband is less affordable, households are more likely to use slower or lower-quality plans, limiting their access to online services.

https://www.newyorkfed.org/outreach-and-education/household-financial-stability/assessing-cost-of-broadband-for-low-and-moderate-income-communities

https://www.fierce-network.com/broadband/states-feel-pressured-hurry-new-bead-rules-0

NPR: Rural America still needs fast internet. Some worry new federal plans will fall short

Sept. 29 — The Trump Administration asked states to find the lowest-cost option in the latest program to build broadband infrastructure in rural areas. That opens the door for more types of technology, which some worry could be less reliable in the long-term.

https://www.kcur.org/news/2025-09-29/rural-broadband-internet-bead

Broadband Breakfast: Carr To Congress: FCC Improving Coordination Among Federal Broadband Programs

Sept. 25 — In its April 28 audit, the Government Accountability Office faulted the FCC, along with Treasury, the Agriculture Department, and the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, for leaving coordination gaps in federal broadband programs three years after an earlier watchdog report called for a national strategy.

https://broadbandbreakfast.com/carr-to-congress-fcc-improving-coordination-among-federal-broadband-programs/

Government Technology: How a Texas City Lost Its ‘Worst Connected City’ Label

Oct. 1 — The city of Brownsville, Texas, was given that designation in 2014. Since then, officials have made investments to change its status, including supporting the deployment of a fiber network.

https://www.govtech.com/network/how-a-texas-city-lost-its-worst-connected-city-label

Broadband Breakfast: Hill Staffers Split on Permitting, Spectrum and Broadband Expansion

Sept. 30 — Aides to some of Congress’s most influential telecom legislators sparred Monday over how to streamline broadband permitting, shape spectrum policy, and advance federal funding for Internet access.

https://broadbandbreakfast.com/hill-staffers-split-on-permitting-spectrum-and-broadband-expansion/

Broadband Breakfast: BEAD Work to Continue Amid Shutdown

Sept. 30 — The government shut down at midnight Tuesday, putting swathes of federal employees on furlough. The Commerce Department said its $42.45 billion Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment program wouldn’t be affected.

https://broadbandbreakfast.com/commerce-bead-wto-continue-amid-shutdown/

Reuters: FCC commissioner says companies should stop capitulating to Trump administration threats

Sept. 30 — The lone Democrat on the Federal Communications Commission on Tuesday called on major companies to stand up to threats from the Trump administration against broadcasters and others.

https://www.reuters.com/business/media-telecom/federal-communications-commission-chair-denies-targeting-broadcast-critics-2025-09-30/