Midland Reporter-Telegram: Railroad Commission to host virtual listening session Nov. 12 – Midland Reporter-Telegram
Nov. 11 — The Railroad Commission is launching a series of virtual listening sessions with the first scheduled for November 12.
https://www.mrt.com/business/oil/article/railroad-commission-virtual-session-21147309.php
KFOX 11: El Paso residents voice concerns over proposed Texas Gas rate hike at community meetings
Nov. 11 — Residents of El Paso are expressing their dissatisfaction with a proposed rate increase by Texas Gas Service, which could result in customers facing about a 27% hike, adding $10 to $15 to their monthly bills.
https://kfoxtv.com/news/local/el-paso-residents-voice-concerns-over-proposed-texas-gas-rate-hike-at-community-meetings
CBS Austin: Austin Energy adds 18.8 megawatts of local solar
Nov. 10 — The utility service took on 749 new solar projects across the city, including 690 residential systems and 59 commercial installations. Austin Energy now supports 188 megawatts of total local solar capacity, putting it within 17 megawatts of reaching its 2027 goal of 205 megawatts of active local solar capacity.
https://cbsaustin.com/news/local/austin-energy-adds-188-megawatts-of-local-solar
Latitude Media: How the data center boom brought down the Texas Energy Fund
Nov. 10 — In the spring of 2023, the Texas Energy Fund seemed poised to deliver on its mission of jump-starting the construction of new fossil gas power plants. As the state’s answer to blackouts during Winter Storm Uri a few years prior, legislators funneled up to $9 billion via low-interest loans and grants, in a move supporters said was necessary to improve grid reliability and meet growing demand.
https://www.latitudemedia.com/news/how-the-data-center-boom-brought-down-the-texas-energy-fund/
Texas Energy & Power Newsletter: Texas Key to US Competition with China
Nov. 9 — The cost of electricity is a highly salient political issue now. Tyler Norris has some ideas for how to bend the curve and, as usual, there’s a Texas angle.
https://www.douglewin.com/p/energy-affordability-takes-center
El Paso Times: El Paso urges residents to attend meetings, speak out on proposed gas rate hike
Nov. 9 — The El Paso City Council has called on the Texas Gas Service to host a series of community meetings to meet with residents to discuss its plans for a 27% rate increase, which the company said it filed to recover costs related to increases in service expenses over the last three years since the last rate increase.
https://www.elpasotimes.com/story/news/local/2025/11/09/el-paso-schedules-meetings-on-proposed-gas-rate-increase/87123298007/
Fort Worth Star-Telegram: The historic TXU power plant on Fort Worth’s future Panther Island is for sale
Nov. 8 — Tarrant County College is looking for buyers for the abandoned TXU power plant property along the Trinity River near downtown Fort Worth, on what will be the future Panther Island development.
https://www.star-telegram.com/news/business/fort-worth/article312763559.html
Simply Wall Street: Is CenterPoint Energy’s (CNP) $53 Billion Investment Plan Changing Its Long-Term Growth Outlook?
Nov. 7 — Earlier this week, CenterPoint Energy announced a plan to invest US$53 billion over the next 10 years to expand its operations in response to rising electricity demand fueled by commercial growth.
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/centerpoint-energys-cnp-53-billion-131626455.html
Real Clear Energy: The Texas Energy Experiment
Nov. 7 — It is not as well known that Texas also leads the U.S. in electricity production using renewables. In the first half of 2025, Texas led the nation in renewable energy production, 181,000 GWh. California was second with 85,000 MWh.
https://www.realclearenergy.org/articles/2025/11/07/the_texas_energy_experiment_1146123.html
Utility Dive: Southwest Power Pool to develop 765-kV regional transmission ‘backbone’
Nov. 7 — Key to the 2025 Integrated Transmission Plan is development of a 765-kV regional transmission “backbone” that can carry four times the power SPP’s existing 345-kV lines do, and do so more efficiently. The grid operator’s transmission system “is at capacity and forecasted load growth will only exacerbate the existing strain,” it said. “Simply adding new generation will not resolve the challenges.”
https://www.utilitydive.com/news/spp-to-develop-765-kv-regional-backbone/804981/
El Paso Matters: Texas Gas Service customers in El Paso face 27% rate increases under proposal
Nov. 6 — Railroad Commission staff – who recommend decisions to the RRC’s three elected commissioners – supported the consolidation. If approved, household gas rates would decline significantly for customers in other parts of south Texas while increasing for El Paso households.
https://elpasomatters.org/2025/11/06/el-paso-texas-gas-service-27-percent-rate-increase-community-meetings/
TELECOMMUNICATIONS AND BROADBAND NEWS
US states could lose $21 billion of broadband grants after Trump overhaul
Nov. 11 — Senate Republican has drafted legislation that would effectively cut a $42 billion broadband deployment program in half.
https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2025/11/us-states-could-lose-21-billion-of-broadband-grants-after-trump-overhaul/
Pluribus News: States await approval for billions in broadband funds
Nov. 10 — States anxious to expand high-speed internet to hard-to-reach areas are awaiting the green light from the Trump administration to spend billions in federal broadband dollars, after changes to the program triggered a chain reaction of tensions and uncertainties.
https://pluribusnews.com/news-and-events/states-await-approval-for-billions-in-broadband-funds/
Benton Institute: Statement on NTIA’s Withholding of Broadband Funds
Nov. 10 — Congress allocated Wisconsin $1.2 billion to improve broadband connection across our state. It was our share of the largest telecommunications investment in US history. Internet connection is required to access government forms, healthcare documents, and even homework, and it is the government’s responsibility to connect households that wouldn’t otherwise be served.
https://www.benton.org/headlines/statement-ntia’s-withholding-broadband-funds
Texas Public Radio: Canceled Digital Equity Act grants disrupt projects aimed at getting underserved people online
Nov. 9 — The $2.75 billion program was part of the 2021 infrastructure law and was meant to train people with limited online skills to do things like apply for a job online or use a health care portal. But President Trump labeled the program “racist,” and canceled grants that had already been awarded to state governments and nonprofit group.
https://www.tpr.org/technology-entrepreneurship/2025-11-09/canceled-digital-equity-act-grants-disrupt-projects-aimed-at-getting-underserved-people-online
NPR: A look at the latest effort to get more Americans in rural communities online
Nov. 8 — Fast broadband is widely available in urban areas, but not in many rural communities. Government figures show about 1 in 5 residents don’t have reliable access to the internet, and that is despite decades of efforts made to try to reach underserved areas. States were close to putting millions of dollars for broadband to use earlier this year, when the Trump administration put out new guidance. Harvest Public Media’s Anna Pope has this report.
https://www.npr.org/2025/11/08/nx-s1-5575723/a-look-at-the-latest-effort-to-get-more-americans-in-rural-communities-online
Route50: Congress is letting states hoard broadband billions
Nov. 10 — The Trump administration’s retooling of the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment program has already saved taxpayers tens of billions of dollars — but some members of Congress are brazenly trying to let states pocket that leftover money instead of returning it to the people who paid for it.
https://www.route-fifty.com/digital-government/2025/11/congress-letting-states-hoard-broadband-billions/409430/?oref=rf-homepage-river
Fierce Network: The FCC’s confusing move to cut down broadband labels (Opinion)
Nov. 7 — Remember the broadband “nutrition” labels ISPs are required to show consumers? The Federal Communications Commission (FCC), as part of its ongoing campaign to “delete” regulations, could soon change what’s on the label and how it’s presented.
https://www.fierce-network.com/broadband/opinion-fccs-confusing-move-cut-down-broadband-labels
Texas Standard: Canceled Digital Equity Act grants disrupt projects aimed at getting underserved people online
Nov. 7 — The Digital Equity Act was designed to work in tandem with the government’s broadband infrastructure program to expand internet access and training.
https://www.texasstandard.org/stories/digital-equity-act-canceled-grants-impact-texas-trump/
The School Superintendents Association: FCC Votes to End Biden-Era Wi-Fi Hot Spot Expansion
Nov. 7 — Late last month, the FCC released orders approved just before the shut down that end E -Rate eligibility and support for Wi-Fi on school buses and Wi-Fi hotspots. Those orders reaffirm that all Program Year 2025 applications for those services will be cancelled and that school districts will receive no funding for them.
https://www.aasa.org/resources/blog/update–fcc-votes-to-end-biden-era-wi-fi-hot-spot-expansion
Benton Institute: Nearly all BEAD Final Proposals Submitted for Review
Nov. 7 — Nearly all 56 states and territories have submitted their Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) Program final proposals to the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA). For the few remaining states that received extensions on the deadline to submit final plans—California, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands—this process is still underway. This week, Guam, Texas, and Washington (DC)are on deck for a breakdown of their BEAD final proposals.
https://www.benton.org/blog/nearly-all-bead-final-proposals-submitted-review
Fort Worth Report: Fort Worth expands broadband access for residents
Nov. 6 — Construction is now underway on Fort Worth’s citywide fiber network, advancing efforts to expand broadband access and improve connectivity for both City operations and residents. This expanded access will support telework, telehealth, and tele-education opportunities, helping bridge the digital divide and assisting more residents in connecting to the services and resources they need wherever they are.