Tag Archives: stimulus

ERCOT will connect to the US grid

Posted on October 5, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

How about that? The power grid better known as the Texas Interconnection, operated by the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT), is famous for being isolated from the other major U.S. grids. But that may soon finally change. The Department of Energy (DOE) announced … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on ERCOT will connect to the US grid

Amtrak gets federal grant for more high speed rail planning

Posted on September 8, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Good. Amtrak has received a nearly $64 million grant to continue planning the Texas High-Speed Rail project after several years of stagnation due to the COVID pandemic. The project — which proposes a less than 90-minute high-speed rail route between … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Amtrak gets federal grant for more high speed rail planning

Water, water, everywhere

Posted on September 2, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

All due to leaks. Texas’ most populous cities lost roughly 88 billion gallons of water last year because of aging water infrastructure and extreme heat, costing them millions of dollars and straining the state’s water supply, according to self-reported water … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

A high level overview of passenger rail in Texas

Posted on August 5, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

There’s stuff happening, mostly talk for now but maybe there will be more. A robust passenger rail system has long been seen as a pipe dream in car-dependent Texas. But a glut of federal dollars for rail projects and a … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on A high level overview of passenger rail in Texas

The DFW high speed rail line hits a bump

Posted on June 18, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Whoops. Dallas City Council members hit the brakes on a proposed elevated high-speed passenger rail line that would connect with Arlington and Fort Worth. The council, including Mayor Eric Johnson, approved a resolution 14-0, with council member Jaime Resendez absent. … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on The DFW high speed rail line hits a bump

Board of Managers passes Mike Miles’ budget

Posted on June 15, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

It was a close vote, but as we kids used to say, close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades. In their most divided vote taken to date, members of Houston ISD’s state-appointed school board on Thursday narrowly approved a … Continue reading →

Posted in School days | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Board of Managers passes Mike Miles’ budget

That other high speed rail line update

Posted on May 23, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Keep on moving. Transportation planners in North Texas continue their efforts to bring high-speed rail to the area, a system that would link Dallas and Fort Worth via Arlington and push south to Houston. The North Central Texas Council of … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on That other high speed rail line update

First look at the HISD budget

Posted on May 20, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

We’re up to $500 million in cuts. But we still don’t have any details. The multibillion-dollar question of how Houston ISD intends to balance its budget went largely unanswered Thursday night, with district administrators revealing few specifics about job or … Continue reading →

Posted in School days | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on First look at the HISD budget

Mayor Whitmire unveils his first budget

Posted on May 15, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Here ya go. Amid Houston’s strained financial outlook, Mayor John Whitmire unveiled a $6.7 billion budget proposal on Tuesday, announcing he does not intend to raise taxes or significantly cut city services during the fiscal year starting in July. The … Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Mayor Whitmire unveils his first budget

City of Houston also gets a federal solar grant

Posted on May 14, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Nice. Houston has received $2 million from the U.S. Department of Energy to advance its sustainable energy goals, which Mayor John Whitmire has yet to define for his new administration. The department announced Wednesday that it has selected the city … Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

More on the coming HISD cuts

Posted on May 11, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

I repeat, this is going to suck. An undisclosed number of Houston ISD teachers and principals received notices this week that they will be out of a job, state-appointed Superintendent Mike Miles said Thursday. Miles said principals have begun making … Continue reading →

Posted in School days | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 10 Comments

Amtrak is going hard for the high speed rail line

Posted on May 7, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

I love it. If Texas ends up getting a long-envisioned high-speed railway between Houston and Dallas, the Amtrak executive now leading the initiative says it would feature the fastest trains in the world. The plan for the 240-mile route between … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

HISD budget cuts coming

Posted on May 6, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

This is going to get ugly. Houston ISD’s state-appointed Superintendent Mike Miles said Friday afternoon that the school district is facing an estimated $450 million gap in funding that will largely be made up by staff reductions as federal pandemic … Continue reading →

Posted in School days | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

More on Amtrak and Texas Central

Posted on April 28, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Some good followup in the Chron on the question of Amtrak pushing the high speed rail line in Texas. With Amtrak taking the reins, for now, of a Texas bullet train project, here’s some of the issues that will determine … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Amtrak pushes for Texas Central

Posted on April 20, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

I like the sound of that. Booming demand, Texas’s rapidly expanding population and growing political will have converged to create the right environment to move high-speed rail ahead, Amtrak leadership said Tuesday. Andy Byford, Amtrak’s senior vice president of high-speed … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 11 Comments

Amtrak gets some federal high speed rail funds

Posted on December 13, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

It’s something. Amtrak has been awarded a $500,000 federal grant to further study and develop a proposed high-speed railway between Houston and Dallas, a long-envisioned plan that until earlier this year had appeared to have fizzled out. Amtrak, the national … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

We could get an Amtrak connection from Atlanta to Fort Worth

Posted on November 26, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Or it could all be killed by the Freedom Caucus nihilists. That’s just how these things go these days. A passenger rail line project touted as a major connectivity and economic boost to the Fort Worth region and beyond could … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Lots of people will not get that latest COVID shot

Posted on September 27, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Sadly not a big surprise. We could move this at the margins, but not as long as any part of government is in Republican control. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends new covid-19 booster vaccines for all — … Continue reading →

Posted in National news, Technology, science, and math | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

That other high speed rail line is moving along

Posted on September 11, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Hadn’t heard about this in awhile, but it’s now clearing some key regulatory obstacles. A high-speed rail line from Fort Worth to Dallas is moving “full steam ahead” and could be ready even before the proposed Dallas-Houston line that received … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

All candidates should support repealing the revenue cap

Posted on September 8, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Long overdue to get rid of the stupid thing. The Gulf Coast AFL-CIO released a platform for City Hall on Saturday that calls for eliminating Houston’s property tax revenue cap and avoiding worker layoffs. The union has endorsed state Sen. … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2023 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Amtrak seeks partnership with Texas Central

Posted on August 12, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Hey look, a sign of life! The largely stalled initiative to construct a high-speed railway between Houston and Dallas is up and running again. Amtrak and Texas Central, the Dallas-based company behind the long-planned project, announced Wednesday they are exploring … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Amtrak seeks partnership with Texas Central

The Lone Star Rail idea never truly dies

Posted on July 26, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

I mean, it is a good idea, even if the obstacles seem to be impossible. San Antonio and Austin, two of the fastest-growing U.S. cities, sit just 80 miles apart. That’s too close for regular flights and just far enough … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

How Harris County has spent COVID relief funds

Posted on July 8, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

A lot of good stuff here. Harris County has received around $1.8 billion in federal aid to navigate the COVID-19 pandemic, a staggering sum that provided struggling residents with immediate emergency relief, has kept county services running and is fueling … Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 15 Comments

Lots of broadband funding on the way

Posted on July 3, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Nice. Texas will receive more than $3.3 billion in federal money — the most of any state — to help expand broadband availability statewide, the Biden administration announced Monday. The money will be distributed from the $42.45 billion in the Broadband Equity, … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Lots of broadband funding on the way

Texas to invest in microchips

Posted on June 19, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Cool. Leaders in the semiconductor industry and their Texas allies were alarmed by supply chain disruptions to the sector during the pandemic. Now the state is seeking to turn the lessons learned in the past three years into an opportunity. … Continue reading →

Posted in National news, That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

City passes Mayor Turner’s final budget

Posted on June 12, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Get ready, whoever is up next. Houston city staff will see pay raises, money will go toward sidewalk repairs and residents won’t have to maintain their own drainage ditches anymore. All are part of the $6.2 billion budget that passed through Houston … Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 16 Comments

City settles dumping complaint with Justice Department

Posted on June 9, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Good. Houston will not face punishment after settling a Justice Department probe into whether the city’s system of responding to illegal dumping calls violated the Civil Rights Act by disregarding Black and Latino neighborhoods. Mayor Sylvester Turner’s administration reached a three-year voluntary resolution with … Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston, Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on City settles dumping complaint with Justice Department

There will be a broadband referendum on your fall ballot

Posted on May 23, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

One more reasonable accomplishment amid the wreckage. Texas lawmakers took another step Thursday toward expanding internet availability in the state by passing a bill that invests $5 billion for broadband development. House Bill 9, filed by Republican state Rep. Trent … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Mayor Turner’s final budget

Posted on May 18, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

This is what he’s handing off. Mayor Sylvester Turner will unveil a $6.2 billion budget proposal this week, the final spending plan of his tenure and one he predicts will have enough savings to cover his successor’s first budget gap. … Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Mayor Turner’s final budget

“One Clean Houston”

Posted on April 4, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Hope this works. Mayor Sylvester Turner on Wednesday unveiled a $17.8 million illegal dumping initiative aimed at expediting cleanups, increasing surveillance and enforcement, and prioritizing areas hardest hit by Houston’s roadside trash problem. Standing beside an illegal dumpsite strewn with … Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Harris County restores some public safety funding

Posted on February 6, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

A bit of post-quorum-busting cleanup. Harris County Commissioners Court on Tuesday approved nearly $10 million in additional funding for the sheriff and district attorney, three months after the Democratic majority said the unplanned adoption of a lower tax rate would … Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Harris County restores some public safety funding

More battery power coming

Posted on December 20, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Now here is something that might actually help the grid. A surge of new battery projects is expected to come online on Texas and California’s power grids, as developers seek to store the excess electricity produced by those state’s sprawling wind and solar … Continue reading →

Posted in Technology, science, and math, The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on More battery power coming

HISD to get funding for electric school buses

Posted on December 5, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Some good news. Houston Independent School District is hopping on the city’s net-zero carbon emissions bus, so to speak, thanks to more than $6.2 million in funding from the Environmental Protection Agency. The funds are part of the EPA’s Clean … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles, School days | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

If we can’t get high speed rail in Texas…

Posted on October 23, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

… At least we can maybe get some more Amtrak service. San Antonio residents finally may get new rail service connecting them to Dallas, Houston and Austin, according to a Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) filing. In an Oct. 5 … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment