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The chief of the Electric Reliability Council of Texas told state lawmakers recently that the state’s power demand could nearly double in just six years. The reasons: population growth, new requests for grid connections, and a rise in requests from data centers and other heavy users.
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Drought conditions across the state dropped a percentage point in May compared to the previous month, with 26% of the state in some stage of drought, primarily in West and South Texas and parts of the Panhandle.
Massive storms in late April and into May caused flooding and wind damage in East and North Texas but did pull those regions out of drought. Some parts of Central and East Texas received three times their average rainfall in May, according to Mark Wentzel, hydrologist with the Texas Water Development Board.
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Residents in a total of 35 Texas counties now qualify for individual disaster assistance following a series of severe storms and flooding that began in late April, The Dallas Morning News reported.
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House Speaker Dade Phelan, R-Beaumont, narrowly won reelection in a hotly contested runoff race and has vowed to seek his third term as speaker, drawing threats from Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton to oppose any of his supporters in the 2024 primary.
“ I’ve done it twice, Phelan told The Dallas Morning News. “I’ll do it a third time.” But Patrick was quick to threaten opposition to any representative supporting Phelan’s bid.
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Seven Texas counties have been approved by the Federal Emergency Management Agency for grants for emergency work and replacement of disaster- damaged public infrastructure, after severe weather and flooding struck much of Deep East Texas, Gov. Gregg Abbott’s office reported. Counties eligible for FEMA’s Public Assistance program include Harris, Liberty, Montgomery, Polk, San Jacinto, Trinity and Walker.
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Texas House Democrats are urging Gov. Greg Abbott to call a special session to increase public school funding, while Abbott is criticizing them for opposing legislation last year that tied increased funding to his pet project — school vouchers. The Austin American- Statesman reported the Democrats sent a letter, written by Rep. Jon Rosenthal, D- Houston, calling for a 30- day special session focused on both increasing per- student funding and investing more in school safety.
“Our public schools are the bedrock of our communities, and it’s imperative we provide them with the resources they need to thrive,” Rosenthal said.
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As East Texas residents return to clean up their homes and businesses after extensive flooding earlier this month, the Texas Department of State Health Services urged residents and business owners to exercise caution.
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April was a busy month for tornadoes across the United States with 373 recorded, bringing the total for the year to 549, the Austin American-Statesman reported.
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