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by Rafe
Thu Sep 07, 2023 4:44 pm
Forum: Off-Topic
Topic: Electricity Providers
Replies: 107
Views: 28775

Re: Electricity Providers

Temperature records started being kept in Houston in 1889. The official high yesterday was 103. Previous record was 99 in 1909. The high today hasn't been finalized yet, but the forecast is for 104. Previous all-time record for September 7 was in 1963 when it hit 98. Forecast for tomorrow is 105. Previous record was 100 in 1907.

This has officially beat 2011 as the hottest summer on record, and August 27 set the hottest temperature ever recorded in Houston with 109 (it got to 111 at my house).

We're not just setting records, we're smashing them. I haven't talked to any HVAC folks here, but I gotta think that their business is going absolutely nuts. With lows getting down only to around 80 on a good day, the radiant heat absorbed by the house hardly ever gets a chance to dissipate; our A/C has constantly been running full-bore. I have to believe that a lot of systems have crashed under this kind of stress-test. We've been pulling pretty consistently 355 to 370 kWh per week.

We've had little splash-and-dash showers here and there, but I checked the official county rain gauge less than a mile from my house and it shows precisely 0.00 inches of rain in the past 30 days. There's no option to view other increments larger than that; it goes from 30 days to one year. But I guarantee it's been at least 60 days since any moisture has fallen from the sky here.

It actually looks like a meaningful front is going to pull a widespread 0.5" to 1" of rain across much of the area over Friday night and into Saturday morning, and we sure need it.

And to add to the Bidenomics front, just got my auto insurance renewal today, and it's jumped $400 for 12 months with no claims, no tickets, no nothing.
by Rafe
Sat Mar 06, 2021 9:48 am
Forum: Off-Topic
Topic: Electricity Providers
Replies: 107
Views: 28775

Re: Electricity Providers

Read the first part of this page...but in light of the recent $16 billion ruling, don't have any coffee in your mouth or you'll need a new keyboard:

https://www.puc.texas.gov/agency/about/ ... mpact.aspx

And then you'll come this: "The Public Utility Commission is organized under the direction of three full-time appointed commissioners and the executive director, who is selected by the commissioners."

So there is zero public oversite or accountability of the commission, and no administrators are elected officials. Oversite is by the state bureaucracy only, and the commission's director is selected unilaterally by the three appointed commissioners.

With hindsight to February, does this seem like a great idea? I mean, the Texas Railroad Commissioner is an elected position (and, interestingly enough, the Texas Railroad Commission has no jurisdiction or authority over railroads in Texas) but the PUC director is not an elected position? After all, the PUC only controls electricity, telecommunications, and water. Nothing major...

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