BLOG: What’s Next for Oncor Sale? (Updated)

From Hunt to NextEra to Berkshire Hathaway to Elliott Management and now, finally, to Sempra Energy. That’s been the line-up of successive suitors – both potential and real — for Oncor Electric, the Dallas-based electric utility with 10 million Texas customers. The...

BLOG: CenterPoint Profits, Rates On The Rise

Thanks in large part to its repeated rate increases and customer growth, profits are up for CenterPoint Energy. That’s the word from the Houston Chronicle, which reported this week that its hometown electricity and natural gas distributor made profits of $135 million...

Report: Even With Excessive Profits, Gas Utilities Hike Rates

In Texas, gas utilities already reporting excessive profits frequently seek permission to charge their customers even more. But rather than rejecting those requests outright, regulators typically green light them with almost no questions asked. That dramatic finding,...

BLOG: Pro-Consumer Legislation Advances

Although an important bill assistance program has ended, low-income ratepayers should continue to have access to other important protections thanks to legislation now pending in Austin. Sponsored by state Sen. John Whitmire and Rep. Chris Paddie, Senate Bill 1976 is...

BLOG: ERCOT Establishes New “Risk Desk”

When it comes to producing wind power, Texas beats California, Oklahoma and Iowa — combined. If Texas were its own country, it would be the fourth largest wind producer in the world. But with all that wind energy also comes reliability challenges. In response,...