Claire Hao
@clairehao.bsky.social
Reporting on energy & TX power grid @houstonchronicle.com • ✉️: claire.hao@houstonchronicle.com or clairehao.14 on Signal • RT ≠ endorsement
Texas agency spent at least $55K to withhold info about power plant loan program, cryptocurrency mines, via @clairehao.bsky.social www.houstonchronicle.com/business/ene...
Texas agency spent at least $43K to withhold info on power plant loan program
The Public Utility Commission has spent at least $55K suing Attorney General Ken Paxton’s office to block disclosure of records related to the Texas Energy Fund and cryptocurrency mines.
houstonchronicle.com
President Trump might be wind power's biggest critic. Yet, it was Texas Republicans who started the U.S. wind boom 20+ years ago. How did Texas, a Republican stronghold, come to dominate in an energy source that many Republican politicians now love to hate? www.houstonchronicle.com/business/ene...
Trump hates wind energy. Why does Texas have more than any other state?
President Donald Trump has repeatedly criticized wind energy over the years. Yet decades ago, it was Texas Republicans who started the U.S. wind-power boom.
houstonchronicle.com
During the 2021 freeze, Griddy made lots of headlines for charging customers thousands of $$ for electricity. It agreed to forgive all unpaid bills in a settlement w/ the Texas AG. Those who paid could seek reimbursements. Years later, customers haven't gotten back a dime. 🧵
Remember when some Texas lawmakers suggested CenterPoint shouldn't be allowed to charge Houston residents for its Hurricane Beryl costs last summer? Here's my pitch for local journalism: We follow up. www.houstonchronicle.com/business/ene...
CenterPoint will soon charge nearly $1.2B for Hurricane Beryl and other storms
State regulators gave CenterPoint Energy permission to charge Houston-area customers almost $1.2 billion for last year’s Hurricane Beryl and other storms.
houstonchronicle.com
Entergy wants to build a power line across Lake Livingston. Will it risk Houston’s drinking water? via @clairehao.bsky.social www.houstonchronicle.com/business/ene...
Entergy’s plan to build a power line across Lake Livingston faces pushback
Entergy Texas has proposed building a new transmission line across Lake Livingston. Some residents are worried about water quality impacts.
houstonchronicle.com
$2.4B Entergy proposal for new power plants could increase energy bills in Houston suburbs, via @clairehao.bsky.social www.houstonchronicle.com/business/ene...
How much your energy bill could increase if Entergy's power plants get approved
Entergy Texas, the electric utility for Houston’s fastest-growing suburbs, says new power supply is urgently needed to keep up with the region’s expansion.
houstonchronicle.com
Earlier this month, the Houston-area application portal for utility bill assistance crashed — because a record 100k people tried to apply for just 5,000 slots set aside for August & September. For context, in the entirety of 2024, 44k people applied: www.houstonchronicle.com/business/ene...
Why aid for energy bills is falling short in Houston’s hottest months
Demand for utility bill assistance is only growing as rising energy costs strain families’ wallets across the Houston region, nonprofits and advocates say.
houstonchronicle.com
Are those Houston yard signs offering free generators too good to be true? Here’s what @clairehao.bsky.social found. www.houstonchronicle.com/business/ene...
Are those Houston yard signs offering free generators a scam? What we found.
The messages on yard signs around Houston promoting free back-up generators through a government-funded program might sound too good to be true.
houstonchronicle.com
Houston-area cities fight CenterPoint’s proposed $1.3B rate hike for Hurricane Beryl, other storms, via @clairehao.bsky.social www.houstonchronicle.com/business/ene...
Houston-area cities fight CenterPoint’s $1.3B rate hike for Beryl, other storms
CenterPoint Energy wants to charge customers $1.3 billion for Hurricane Beryl and other storms. Houston-area cities say that’s too much.
houstonchronicle.com
Response to deadly Texas floods was 'a masterclass in how not to communicate,' experts say, via @clairehao.bsky.social and @rebekahfward.bsky.social www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston...
Texas flood response sparks outrage: 'A masterclass in how not to communicate'
Professional crisis communicators watched the news conferences with dismay. Deflecting blame is not helpful if politicians want to build trust with the public, they say.
houstonchronicle.com
Houston solar powerhouse Sunnova Energy had a quick rise — and a dramatic fall. What happened, and what does Sunnova's bankruptcy filing mean for the U.S. residential solar industry's future? I tackled those questions here: www.houstonchronicle.com/business/ene...
The dramatic rise and fall of Houston solar powerhouse Sunnova Energy
Houston-based rooftop solar company Sunnova Energy filed for bankruptcy in June. It offers stark lessons for the future of the U.S. residential solar industry.
houstonchronicle.com
Less clean energy — perhaps much less — will be built in Texas as a result of the “One Big Beautiful Bill” signed into law by President Donald Trump on the Fourth of July. That could raise energy costs for everyday residents: www.houstonchronicle.com/business/ene...
Texans could see rising energy costs as Trump's new law slows clean energy
Less solar and wind power will be built in Texas as a result of the “One Big Beautiful Bill” signed into law by President Donald Trump on the Fourth of July.
houstonchronicle.com
After Hurricane Beryl, Houston-area Democrats redoubled their fight to require generators or other types of backup power at senior homes. A year later, none of their bills passed. The only new law cancels out Harris County's own backup power mandate: www.houstonchronicle.com/business/ene...
Efforts to protect Houston seniors with backup power fail in Texas Legislature
A year after Hurricane Beryl, none of the many bills filed by Houston-area lawmakers to require backup power at senior homes passed.
houstonchronicle.com
Low- to moderate-income residents in the Houston area struggle to pay their energy bills more than residents in other parts of Texas, a statewide nonprofit found in its new report. Meanwhile, the government's safety net to help such residents is fraying: www.houstonchronicle.com/business/ene...
Many Texans cut back on ‘basic needs’ to pay electricity bills, study finds
Nearly 80% of low- to moderate-income Houston-area residents said they cut back on “basic household needs” to afford electricity.
houstonchronicle.com
NEW: We asked TX leaders if they're REALLY sure CenterPoint is giving back $100s of millions consumers spent on unused generators -- since documents indicate otherwise. They pointed us to a spreadsheet that is VERY scant on detail. w/ @clairehao.bsky.social www.houstonchronicle.com/news/investi...
Texas leaders vowed to make CenterPoint pay after Beryl's blackouts. Did they?
Vows of a $480M refund for CenterPoint customers have yet to be fulfilled a year after Hurricane Beryl left nearly a million Texans without power for four days.
houstonchronicle.com
There was a lot of anger at CenterPoint after Hurricane Beryl last year — and a lot of talk from Texas politicians about reform. Nearly a year later, did leaders keep those big promises? Mostly no. W/ @neenareports.bsky.social, who I learn so much from: www.houstonchronicle.com/news/investi...
Texas leaders vowed to make CenterPoint pay after Beryl's blackouts. Did they?
Vows of a $480M refund for CenterPoint customers have yet to be fulfilled a year after Hurricane Beryl left nearly a million Texans without power for four days.
houstonchronicle.com
Interactive map: How AI is fueling a surge of gas power-plant proposals in the Houston area, via @rebekahfward.bsky.social and @clairehao.bsky.social www.houstonchronicle.com/projects/202...
Why Houston could see a surge of new gas-fired power plants
A new report from the Environmental Integrity Project tracks 130 proposals for gas-fired power plants in Texas.
houstonchronicle.com
Renewable energy & battery project cancellations in April and May spiked to levels unseen since 2021's COVID-19 woes, per a recent analysis of ERCOT data. Tariffs and the uncertain fate of the tax credits are to blame: “It’s like a canary in a coal mine.” www.houstonchronicle.com/business/ene...
Renewable energy project cancellations spike in Texas: 'A canary in a coal mine'
Renewable energy and battery storage companies are canceling their Texas projects at rates unseen since 2021, according to an analysis of ERCOT data.
houstonchronicle.com
Texas is betting big on nuclear: Lawmakers have approved a new $350M taxpayer-backed fund to give companies grants to develop new projects. The amount did drop significantly after months of debate. Gov. Abbott said he looks forward to signing the bill: www.houstonchronicle.com/business/ene...
Can $350M in taxpayer funds make Texas the next nuclear energy powerhouse?
Texas sets aside $350M to lure advanced nuclear companies, fueling debate over risks, rewards, and the state’s energy ambitions.
houstonchronicle.com
Houston's Sunnova Energy has filed for bankruptcy, according to court & regulatory filings. The news comes days after Sunnova told federal regulators it had laid off 55% of its workforce: www.houstonchronicle.com/business/ene...
Houston solar company Sunnova Energy files for bankruptcy after mass layoffs
Sunnova Energy, the struggling Houston-based residential solar company, has filed for bankruptcy, according to court and regulatory filings.
houstonchronicle.com
So, the jokes about announcing bad news yesterday, when everyone's attention was elsewhere? Houston's Sunnova Energy seems to have actually done that. The solar company has laid off 700+ employees, or 55% of its workforce, per a Thursday SEC filing: www.houstonchronicle.com/business/ene...
Houston solar company Sunnova Energy lays off 700+ employees
Sunnova Energy has laid off 718 employees, or approximately 55% of its workforce, in a desperate bid to slash costs as one of its subsidiaries files for bankruptcy.
houstonchronicle.com
Is CenterPoint ready for hurricane season? CEO Jason Wells touted a list of "unprecedented" prep to the Chronicle's ed board yesterday. City & community leaders say CenterPoint's responsiveness has improved since Beryl. Still, they want more transparency. www.houstonchronicle.com/business/ene...
Is CenterPoint ready for hurricane season? CEO touts ‘unprecedented’ prep
CenterPoint executives say they have made key changes since Hurricane Beryl, so its Houston-area power grid is ready for hurricane season this year.
houstonchronicle.com
I was joined by the @houstonchronicle.com's @clairehao.bsky.social to unpack the major energy issues in the 89th Legislature, including the anti-energy development bills that didn't make, the nuclear and large load bills that did, and much more. #txlege #txenergy www.douglewin.com/p/its-easier...
"It's Easier to Build Here," Texas Energy After the 89th Legislature with Claire Hao
Houston Chronicle energy reporter Claire Hao covered the legislative session in depth; she joined me to discuss what passed, what didn't, and what it means for the future of the Texas grid
douglewin.com
It’s official: Texas bills targeting solar and wind power are dead. Here's a recap of the arguments that worked, as the renewable energy industry tries the same appeals to lobby against Trump's "big, beautiful bill." www.houstonchronicle.com/business/ene...
Renewable energy survived Texas attacks. Its future now depends on Trump.
Texas bills targeting solar and wind power are dead, so the state’s flourishing renewable energy industry remains alive and well — for now.
houstonchronicle.com
Texas lawmakers have advanced a bill to prohibit offshore wind turbines in the Gulf from connecting to the ERCOT power grid through state waters. All that’s left before it goes to the governor’s desk is a full House vote: www.houstonchronicle.com/business/ene...
Lawmakers: Offshore wind farms should be banned from connecting to ERCOT's grid
The bill bars any offshore wind project or related grid infrastructure in Texas waters from connecting to the Electric Reliability Council of Texas power grid.
houstonchronicle.com
CenterPoint “did not adequately follow its own practices” in leasing generators for nearly $1 billion, per a third-party audit of the deal. Most of the generators can't be used to restore outages caused by damage to neighborhood-level power lines: www.houstonchronicle.com/business/ene...
CenterPoint didn't follow its own policies in leasing generators, audit says
CenterPoint Energy “did not adequately follow its own practices” in leasing its controversial generators for nearly $1 billion, according to a third-party audit
houstonchronicle.com
A few weeks ago, I wrote that CenterPoint would hike rates to pass on $400M of its derecho & other storm costs from last May to Houston-area customers. Many readers responded: Why is the company allowed to do this? Today's story tackles that question: www.houstonchronicle.com/business/ene...
Why are Houston residents responsible for CenterPoint's May derecho costs?
CenterPoint Energy will pass on $400 million of its storm costs from last May to its Houston customers via a recently approved rate increase.
houstonchronicle.com
This year's first major heat wave is here. How will the ERCOT power grid hold up? via @clairehao.bsky.social www.houstonchronicle.com/business/ene...
How will the ERCOT grid hold up during this week's Texas heat wave?
Electricity demand is expected to set an all-time May record this week, according to forecasts from the Electric Reliability Council of Texas.
houstonchronicle.com
Another day, another big power generation deal. Houston's NRG Energy announced a $12 billion agreement to acquire 18 natural gas power plants today. Why? To supply electricity to data centers, of course: www.houstonchronicle.com/business/ene...
NRG Energy to acquire 18 natural gas power plants in $12 billion deal
NRG Energy plans to double its power generation capacity by acquiring 18 natural gas power plants from LS Power in a deal valued at $12 billion.
houstonchronicle.com
The Texas GOP is getting closer than ever to killing the state’s renewable energy boom, according to the industry. Much of the concern centers around a bill that passed the Senate yesterday requiring backup power for every solar & wind farm in Texas: www.houstonchronicle.com/business/ene...
Texas GOP moves closer to killing the state's renewable energy boom
The bills would require nearly every solar and wind farm in the state to back up their electricity output with natural gas power plants or a fleet of batteries.
houstonchronicle.com