Texas Business Coalition

Texas state Rep. Mayes Middleton (R-Wallisville) is only one out of a growing number of politicians who have taken a stance against taxpayer-funded lobbying. Read more..

Middleton pushes to end taxpayer-funded lobbying – 'It needs to be abolished' Texas state Rep. Mayes Middleton (R-Wallisville) is only one out of a growing number of politicians who have taken a stance against taxpayer-funded lobbying.

While a Texas lawmaker seeks public information on taxpayer dollars spent on lobbying, local governments are responding with words crafted by a lobbyist, saying they have nothing pertinent to disclose. Read more..

Middleton: Lobbyist 'clearly coaching counties not to respond' to lobby expenditure disclosure request While a Texas lawmaker seeks public information on taxpayer dollars spent on lobbying, local governments are responding with words crafted by a lobbyist, saying they have nothing pertinent to disclose.

It just doesn’t make sense to state Rep. Mayes Middleton. Read more..

Middleton: School districts, municipalities 'pay taxpayer money to associations that then hire registered lobbyists' It just doesn’t make sense to state Rep. Mayes Middleton.

Plano City Council Member Shelby Williams wants elected officials to sign a pledge to end taxpayer-funded lobbying in light of what he claims is a deception of some public leaders in raising property taxes by using lobbyists paid by tax dollars. Read more..

Plano council member wants lobbying funds out of property tax system, 'it's using the taxpayers' money against them' Plano City Council Member Shelby Williams wants elected officials to sign a pledge to end taxpayer-funded lobbying in light of what he claims is a deception of some public leaders in raising property taxes by using lobbyists paid by tax dollars.

In an Oct. 8 tweet, Plano City Councilman Shelby Williams urged voters to pressure candidates for public office to pledge their opposition to taxpayer-funded lobbying. Read more..

Plano councilman Williams urges pressure on candidates to oppose taxpayer-funded lobbying In an Oct. 8 tweet, Plano City Councilman Shelby Williams urged voters to pressure candidates for public office to pledge their opposition to taxpayer-funded lobbying.

A June 2020 study published in Ecology and Evolution suggests that bird mortality rates caused by collisions with wind turbines may have been underestimated. Read more..

Ecology and Evolution study suggests death rate of birds due to wind turbines is underestimated A June 2020 study published in Ecology and Evolution suggests that bird mortality rates caused by collisions with wind turbines may have been underestimated.

The Energy Alliance, an arm of the Texas Business Coalition, in a letter to Attorney General Ken Paxton, is demanding explanations why the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) of Texas refuses to release information on why it imposed an estimated $3.6 billion hike in electricity rates.“Last year PUC commissioners added $3.6 billion to the wholesale price of electricity,” Bill Peacock, policy director of the Energy Alliance, said on the organization’s webpage. “The same thing could be happening this year but the PUC will not release information in its possession that might inform the public how much electricity prices are being increased.”The question is are electricity rates in Texas increasing despite record low oil and gas prices in the state because of federal subsidies for “renewable energy” – natural energy sources that are constantly replenished such as solar power or wind? A report by the Energy Alliance also alleges that renewable energy producers in Texas are undercutting competitors trying to get rid of them and gain a monopoly by selling energy below cost to gain market share, called “predatory pricing.”The PUC rejected Peacock’s request for public information on the rate increases.To inform the public about the costs the Energy Alliance submitted a request under the Public Information Act (PIA) to the PUC, stating that the act allows public acquisition of information about the affairs of government and public officials.Officials of the PUC responded that they had relevant documentary information but refused to release it, telling the Energy Alliance that a “work privilege” clause under the PIA allowed the information to be withheld. It will be up to Paxton, a Republican based in Plano, to decide if the information requested can be released to the public.The PUC is the governing body that regulates rates and services from public utilities including electricity providers.The report said commissioners at the PUC of Texas reacted to subsidies for renewable energy sources by creating their own subsidy, an electricity tax for Texans, based on administrative pricing called an “Operating Reserve Demand Curve” (ORDC).The money collected from the ORDC helps fund energy generators, including renewable, fossil fuel or nuclear power.Peabody said he thought higher electricity rates in Texas were a matter of public record under the Freedom of Information Act laws and the state’s PIA.“I asked for the data so people could see how much the government is artificially increasing the price of electricity,” Peacock said in a Texas Business Coalition report. “The PUC denied the request for the information because they believe it is excepted from release under the PIA and they have asked the attorney general to issue an opinion on it. It’s up to the attorney general to determine whether or not this information is publicly available.”Peacock said Texans are looking at higher electricity bills and alleged that the PUC doesn’t want them to find out how much more they will pay for electricity because of the unwillingness of Texas lawmakers to challenge “renewable energy.”The price of electricity is being artificially increased, Peacock maintained, because regulators are afraid there are not enough reliable sources of electricity other than natural gas.“There's two ways to deal with it,” he said in the TBC report. “You can get rid of the cause which are the renewable subsidies, or you can pay generators new subsidies in the hopes that they'll build natural gas generation.”The report said wind, solar, nuclear and fossil fuel sources have received federal subsidies of between $13 billion and $37 billion since 2010, with wind and solar receiving up to 75 times greater than the more traditional forms of oil, gas, coal and nuclear, according to a report by the Texas Public Policy Foundation.Peacock said the PUC provided no easy-to-understand information to the public showing how the ORDC was increasing their rates. He did his own calculations based on what information was available and came up with a figure of $3.6 billion for last year.“The PUC never put that information out directly,” Peacock said. “They didn't do that until about October or November of last year. So it's after the fact because most of the costs for the ORDC came in August and September, and Texans couldn't find out in real-time how much the ORDC was costing them.”Peacock said new information could be obtained later this year.“The PUC is making it very difficult for Texans to find out how much the electricity tax imposed by the PUC is costing them,” he said.Peacock added that the rate increase is the public’s right to know.“What could be more aligned with the PIA’s purpose than information in the possession of the PUC and collected by a state contractor paid with public money that explains to the public the costs of decisions made and policies adopted by public officials of the state of Texas?” he asked.A report in the Lone Star Standard said the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) is the biggest electricity market in Texas operating a grid that covers roughly 75% of the state. The Energy Alliance has been studying the impact of renewable power generators in the alleged undercutting of competitors' rates. Read more..

Energy Alliance demands PUC explain higher Texas electricity rates The Energy Alliance, an arm of the Texas Business Coalition, in a letter to Attorney General Ken Paxton, is demanding explanations why the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) of Texas refuses to release information on why it imposed an estimated $3.6 billion hike in electricity rates.

Local decisions made by local folks based on their local knowledge of the area and how it is being impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Read more..

Teachers advocate: Let local districts decide on school openings Local decisions made by local folks based on their local knowledge of the area and how it is being impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Critics of the Mexican government's failure to gain control of the COVID-19 pandemic claim that federal officials including the president and health director are trying to blame the virus' high mortality high on sugary soft drinks, diabetes and obesity. Read more..

Mexico's blaming of soft drinks for COVID mortality rate borne out of Bloomberg ideologies, critics say Critics of the Mexican government's failure to gain control of the COVID-19 pandemic claim that federal officials including the president and health director are trying to blame the virus' high mortality high on sugary soft drinks, diabetes and obesity.

As board chair, Laura Bond orchestrates and facilitates all organizations that fall under the umbrella of the Montgomery County Coalition Against Human Trafficking (MCCAHT). Read more..

Montgomery County anti-trafficking group has new challenges in COVID era As board chair, Laura Bond orchestrates and facilitates all organizations that fall under the umbrella of the Montgomery County Coalition Against Human Trafficking (MCCAHT).

The majority of new energy projects in Texas have involved renewable sources, and the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) approved mostly solar and wind projects in July, S&P Global reported. Read more..

Analyst: Renewable subsidies driving 'anticompetitive' Texas energy market The majority of new energy projects in Texas have involved renewable sources, and the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) approved mostly solar and wind projects in July, S&P Global reported.

When energy analyst Bill Peacock wrote a letter to the Public Utility Commission (PUC) of Texas requesting electricity pricing data, he didn’t expect to receive a rejection letter in response. Read more..

Public Utility Commission wants to keep Texans in the dark about electricity pricing data, says analyst When energy analyst Bill Peacock wrote a letter to the Public Utility Commission (PUC) of Texas requesting electricity pricing data, he didn’t expect to receive a rejection letter in response.