Historically, apprentices played an important role in developing and supporting the early economy of the United States. In fact, George Washington was an apprentice surveyor and Benjamin Franklin was an apprentice printer. Today, apprentices continue to make critical contributions to our country’s economy, infrastructure, and industry. While apprenticeships thrive across a range of industries, the construction…
The Biden-Harris Administration, through the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) recently announced $13 billion in new financing opportunities for the expansion and modernization of the nation’s electric grid. Funded by the President’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the Grid Resilience Innovative Partnership (GRIP) program and the Transmission Facilitation Program together represent the largest single direct federal investment…
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) recently announced that contracts have been awarded for the purchase of crude oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) following a Notice of Sale announced on September 19, 2022. The contract awards are part of President Biden’s announcement on March 31, 2022, to release as much as 180 million…
The Biden-Harris Administration, through the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), recently issued a Request for Information (RFI) seeking public input on a new $1 billion program to improve energy generation in rural or remote communities across the country. Funded by President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the Energy Improvements in Rural or Remote Areas (ERA) program…
The secret is out. The Austin area is a great place to be. But Austin hasn’t grown to international status on its own. Austin Energy, the City’s publicly owned electric utility, has supported the area every step of the way. Since 1895, they have powered the community, delivering safe, affordable, reliable energy and excellent customer…
Public power utilities across the U.S. celebrate Public Power Week the first full week of October every year to help customers and stakeholders understand how they can better engage with their community-owned utility and benefit from all its offerings. Public power utilities are community-owned, not-for-profit electric utilities that safely provide reliable, low-cost electricity to more…
CPS Energy is committed to providing contracting opportunities to all businesses including local and small, minority, women, and veteran-owned businesses (SMWV). CPS Energy has a long history of awarding contracts to Certified SMWV Businesses and recommends that vendors register with the South Central Texas Regional Certification Agency (SCTRCA) at sctrca.org. Once registered, businesses are connected…
By Tracey Kohler, National Association of State Energy Officials The U.S. Department of Energy published the annual U.S. Energy and Employment Report (USEER). The report tracks employment data and analyzes trends across different areas of the energy sector to inform policymakers, employers, and job seekers. The report indicates that the energy sector grew 4% overall…
MidCentral Energy Partners, LLC, an asset performance management company serving the energy sector, is expanding its footprint with a 50,000-square-foot lease in Fort Worth. The expansion will bring MidCentral’s operating infrastructure to over 140,000 square feet and will support the company’s manufacturing/remanufacturing and site services product lines Oklahoma City-based MidCentral, has been expanding its client…
NRG has a passion for innovation, is deeply committed to its customers, and is setting the standard for energy providers across the nation. Living up to this commitment requires a diverse network of partners so that they can share in continued success. Potential suppliers are invited to register in NRG’s Supplier Portal, view their Supplier…
You don’t need to be an expert in energy to know that solar power is here to stay. A major signifier of that happens to be right here in San Antonio—a top solar city in the nation. OCI Solar Power, one of the largest solar energy developers in Texas, recently celebrated its 10th anniversary in…
Recurrent Energy, LLC (“Recurrent”), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Canadian Solar Inc. (“Canadian Solar”) (NASDAQ: CSIQ), recently announced the acquisition of two standalone energy storage projects from Black Mountain Energy Storage (BMES). The projects, which are in the South Load Zone of the Texas ERCOT market, are each anticipated to store up to 200 MWh of…
CPS Energy, by way of its electric and natural gas service contract with the General Service Administration (GSA) in Washington D.C., is a federal contractor. Consequently, they are required to report their contracting activity with large, small, minority, service-disabled, veteran, historically underutilized, HUBZone, and women-owned businesses. If your company is interested in becoming a registered…
American Petroleum Institute (API) President and CEO Mike Sommers recently addressed The Economic Club of Colorado and discussed the importance of American energy security during a critical moment in the nation’s history. Sommers discussed energy markets and offered recommendations to both federal and state policymakers to maintain and strengthen American energy leadership. “If our country…
The American Petroleum Institute (API) recently released the following statement from Senior Vice President of Policy, Economics, and Regulatory Affairs Frank Macchiarola in response to the Department of Interior’s (DOI) proposed 5-Year Program for federal offshore leasing on the Outer Continental Shelf: “Today’s announcement from the Department of the Interior confirms they are significantly behind…
As the 2021-2022 school year comes to an end for students across the greater Houston area, six student-athletes received the ultimate surprise from Reliant and the Houston Texans: $10,000 college scholarships. The annual Scholarships for Champions program is designed to encourage students to follow their dreams and further their education while never losing sight of…
CenterPoint Energy urges customers to call 811 before beginning projects that require digging to prevent damage to essential underground utilities and keep communities safe. With warmer weather, outdoor projects begin such as gardening, building a fence, installing a mailbox, or installing a pool. Before beginning the work, customers should request that the approximate location of…
By Dana C Sotoodeh, CPS Energy Contributing Writer San Antonio maintained its rank as first in Texas and fifth in the nation for total solar photovoltaic (PV) capacity in the eighth edition of the Environment Texas Research & Policy Center’s report Shining Cities: The Top U.S. Cities for Solar Energy. The city is home to…
The American Petroleum Institute (API) and the National Ocean Industries Association (NOIA) recently released a new analysis outlining the potential economic consequences of delaying the Department of the Interior’s (DOI) 5-year program for leasing in the Gulf of Mexico. The next 5-year offshore leasing program must be in place by July 1, 2022, but is…
CenterPoint Energy announced recently that its Texas electric transmission and distribution business, CenterPoint Energy Houston Electric, filed an application for a Distribution Cost Recovery Factor (DCRF) adjustment with the Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUCT) and the cities in its service area. DCRF is an interim rate adjustment that, if approved, permits an electric utility…
