Latest news with #SenateBill6
Yahoo
20 hours ago
- Yahoo
Judge gives 21-year-old defendant charged with violent crime a PR bond, even though it's prohibited by law
The Brief A judge gave a defendant with a violent crime a PR bond, even though it is now prohibited by law. 351st Criminal District Court Judge Nata Cornelio gave Jared Wilson a personal recognizance bond, or get out of jail free card. Wilson is on deferred probation after pleading guilty to aggravated robbery. According to court documents, he continuously violated the terms of probation. HARRIS COUNTY, Texas - 351st Criminal District Court Judge Nata Cornelio gave Jared Wilson a personal recognizance bond, or get out of jail free card, even though he's charged with aggravated robbery with a deadly weapon. What they're saying "That's a no, no. Because we enacted a law, better known as Senate Bill 6, that eliminated most violent crimes, including aggravated robbery with a deadly weapon, from being eligible for a PR bond," said Andy Kahan with Crime Stoppers. "You can't be doing this. It's a violation of the statute. You can't give a PR bond, bottom line, to anyone for a charge of aggravated robbery with a deadly weapon, but it happened." FOX 26 asked former Criminal District Court Judge Chuck Silverman what could happen to a judge who defied state law. He can't speak about a particular judge or case. "Hypothetically, in the event you feel a judge has abused his or her discretion or hasn't followed the law, you can file a complaint with the judicial commission and proceed that way." Wilson is on deferred probation after pleading guilty to aggravated robbery. According to court documents, he continuously violated the terms of probation. He picked up two new felony charges while free from jail on the PR bond: possession of a prohibited weapon a machine gun and tampering with evidence. Judge Cornelio made headlines last year after prosecutors say she secretly arranged for an MRI for death row convict Ronald Haskell behind the state's back. Haskell killed six of his relatives in 2014. The Source
Newsweek
01-08-2025
- Business
- Newsweek
Texas Data Centers Use 50 Billion Gallons of Water as State Faces Drought
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Two data centers in San Antonio have used 463 million gallons of water in the past two years. The Alamo City facilities, owned by Microsoft and the Army Corps, have drained water from the surrounding area despite difficult drought conditions throughout Texas. Newsweek contacted the San Antonio Water System for more information via email. Why It Matters In 2025, data centers across the state are projected to use 49 billion gallons of water, enough to supply millions of households, primarily for cooling massive banks of servers that power generative AI and cloud computing. As Texas attracts tech giants with business-friendly policies and an independent energy grid, water resources have had to keep pace with both population growth and high-technology infrastructure. The surge in the data centers' water use comes as Texas endures prolonged drought, with about a quarter of the state still experiencing dry conditions despite intermittent heavy rain and flooding. Stock Image: A Texas resident surveys land and water flow near a flow meter station in Quemado, Texas, on February 22, 2023. Stock Image: A Texas resident surveys land and water flow near a flow meter station in Quemado, Texas, on February 22, 2023. Getty Images What To Know In San Antonio, data centers operated by Microsoft and the Army Corps consumed 463 million gallons between 2023 and 2024, even as local residents were restricted to watering lawns once per week under Stage 3 drought rules. The Houston Advanced Research Center (HARC) estimated that Texas data centers would use 49 billion gallons of water in 2025, with consumption projected to soar to 399 billion gallons annually by 2030—representing almost 6.6 percent of the state's total water usage. While midsize data centers typically use 300,000 gallons daily, comparable to consumption by 1,000 households, large-scale facilities such as those recently built or planned in Texas can consume as much as 4.5 million gallons daily. Unlike electricity, where Senate Bill 6 granted the Electric Reliability Council of Texas authority to cut power to data centers and other heavy users during emergencies, no analogous state law exists to regulate their water use. Most data centers rely on evaporative cooling, which consumes large volumes of water and results in significant waste lost to evaporation. What People Are Saying Margaret Cook, a water policy analyst at the Houston Advanced Research Center, told Techie + Gamers: "These centers are showing up in places that are very water-stressed. There's no requirement for them to have conversations with communities about how much water they'll use. "So any of these communities that are allowing data centers in their community are gambling against being able to get new water from future state water plans, from future funding cycles. They're using up the water that was allocated to their population for the future." What Happens Next No state legislation limits water usage by Texas data centers, though lawmakers passed new provisions to suspend their power access during grid stress events. The Texas Water Development Board's next State Water Plan is not scheduled for completion until 2027.
Yahoo
18-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Raymond James Initiates Coverage of Vistra (VST)
Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST) is included among the Best Nuclear Energy Stocks to Buy Right Now. It was recently reported that Raymond James has initiated coverage of VST with a 'Strong Buy' rating and a $216 price target, indicating an upside potential of almost 25%. Solar panel workers installing a new farm for clean energy generation. The analyst highlighted that Vistra has historically benefited from elevated power prices, positioning it well for an up-cycle. Moreover, after the recent passage of Senate Bill 6, the regulatory environment in Texas is becoming more favorable and could unlock a data center PPA at Comanche Peak soon. The analyst has also commended Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST) for its shareholder returns, as the company has repurchased nearly one-third of its shares since 2021. Vistra expects to return at least $2 billion in total through share repurchases and dividends through the remainder of 2025 and 2026. Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST) is the largest competitive power generator in the US with a capacity of approximately 41,000 MW, powered by a diverse portfolio that includes natural gas, coal, nuclear, solar, and battery energy storage facilities. The company made headlines in March when it acquired Energy Harbor, adding 4 GW of nuclear generation capacity to its portfolio and making it the owner of the second-largest competitive nuclear fleet in the United States. While we acknowledge the potential of VST as an investment, we believe certain AI stocks offer greater upside potential and carry less downside risk. If you're looking for an extremely undervalued AI stock that also stands to benefit significantly from Trump-era tariffs and the onshoring trend, see our free report on the best short-term AI stock. READ NEXT: 10 Cheap Energy Stocks to Buy Now and Disclosure: None. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
10-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Kansas Senator believes ranked choice voting is good for Kansas, despite ban
TOPEKA (KSNT) — A Kansas lawmaker is pushing back on the state's ban of ranked choice voting. The system allows voters to rank the candidates on their ballot based on preference. In March, the legislature passed Senate Bill 6, which prohibited the use of ranked choice voting in all Kansas elections. 'The Kansas Democratic Party used ranked choice voting in the 2020 presidential primary, and even though they say it's complicated, it turns out people seemed to understand how to use their ballot,' Senator Marci Francisco, D-Lawrence, told Nexstar's Kansas Capitol Bureau on Monday. Marci was one of 10 senators, mostly democrats, who voted not to ban ranked choice voting in Kansas. Those in favor of a ban on ranked choice voting say that the system makes the voting process more complicated. Additionally, it can be difficult to implement due to high costs associated with updating voting machine software. Activists protest possible Medicaid cuts outside KS Rep. Derek Schmidt's Topeka office However, those against a ban believe ranked choice voting is the best way to find the most popular candidate in any given election. They believe it also helps third party candidates who are often not represented in a one choice voting system. 13 other states have banned ranked choice voting, and all bans have taken effect within the past 4 years. For more Capitol Bureau news, click here. Keep up with the latest breaking news in northeast Kansas by downloading our mobile app and by signing up for our news email alerts. Sign up for our Storm Track Weather app by clicking here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
09-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Lawmakers passed bills this session to boost the state power grid but failed to limit renewables
The Texas Legislature only partially got what it wanted from its plans to help the state meet its growing energy demands. Lawmakers passed bills that give the state more control over the electricity that flows through Texas, fund power generation projects and create an office to advance the state's nuclear energy interests. But experts said the 140-day session was also defined by the bills that didn't survive — namely, all legislation meant to hamstring renewable energy. 'I think (the legislative session) ended in a decent place, particularly considering how it might have gone,' said Doug Lewin, author of the Texas Power and Energy Newsletter. 'I think the proposals that would have been most damaging to the Texas economy, consumers, and reliability … did not make it through.' Texas faces a soaring demand for energy, driven predominantly by data centers and new petrochemical facilities. The expected spike in demand will require the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, the state's main grid manager, to deliver nearly double the amount of electricity in six years. Throughout the session, lawmakers stressed that their intent was to craft legislation that will help ERCOT keep the lights on for everyday ratepayers during emergencies or demand spikes. Senate Bill 6, by state Senator Phil King, R-Weatherford, gives ERCOT the authority to shut off power to facilities that use at least 75 megawatts of electricity, such as industrial factories and data centers, during an emergency, which the bill defines as extreme weather events that drive up demand. ERCOT must first deploy every emergency response at its disposal, issue a 24-hour warning and set the rules under which this would occur. The goal is to have as much electricity available to the grid as possible when demand spikes. 'I think that's a manageable risk for anybody who really wants to make sure their power is dependable and reliable,' said Pat Wood, chief executive officer of Hunt Energy Network and former chair of the Public Utility Commission. 'That's a pretty good balancing point, because nobody's rights are ever absolute in a system like this, where we're all interconnected with each other.' Under the bill, very large energy users hoping to connect to the state grid must disclose whether they have similar requests for other projects in Texas, and if the connection is approved, they must pay $100,000 for studies to determine the cost of the infrastructure necessary for the connection. The goal is to give ERCOT a clearer picture of future demand by knowing which projects companies are serious about building. Legislators also approved more money to encourage construction of power infrastructure including natural gas plants, backup generators and nuclear power. The Texas Energy Fund, a low-interest loan program aimed at encouraging companies to build more power infrastructure, will receive an additional $5 billion on top of the $5 billion lawmakers approved in 2023. Of that amount, $1.8 billion can be used for strengthening existing backup generators. Renewable energy companies don't qualify for the program. Lewin said this money 'might be the most impactful thing, honestly, because that puts us on the leading edge of all the states' in promoting smaller energy projects like small power plants and backup generation. Nuclear power will also get a boost. As part of the state's budget, a fund dedicated to nuclear power will receive $350 million. The Texas Advanced Nuclear Energy Office, also established by the Legislature, will administer the money. It will be up to Gov. Greg Abbott to determine the composition of the office. Solar, wind and battery storage account for most of the new energy generation in Texas, according to ERCOT, and Texas is a national leader in renewable energy — a trend lawmakers unsuccessfully tried to reverse. The most sweeping effort was Senate Bill 819 by Sen. Lois Kolkhorst, R-Brenham, which would have imposed new rules and fees on renewable projects — such as requiring county governments within 25 miles of a new renewable project to hold local hearings on each project before the state Public Utility Commission could consider a permit application. The bill also would have required renewable projects be located at least 100 feet from a property line and 200 feet from any habitable structure. Senate Bill 388 by King would have required that at least half of the state grid's supply come from so-called dispatchable power, or energy that can be turned on and off at will. That excludes wind and solar, which can only produce energy when the wind blows or the sun shines, and the bill would have imposed fees on renewable companies to help the state reach that goal. Another bill, sponsored by state Sen. Kevin Sparks, R-Midland, would have required renewable energy facilities to have backup natural gas generation, a proposal that was broadly opposed by natural gas trade and renewable energy groups. 'Cooler heads prevailed in blocking some of the most extreme anti-energy proposals, as most legislators recognize that Texas can't afford to forfeit any source of affordable, predictable power when every megawatt is needed to meet growing demand,' said Judd Messer, the Texas vice president of Advanced Power Alliance, a trade group. He added the bills posed a threat 'to the deeply held Texas principles of free markets, limited government, and private property rights.' Disclosure: Advanced Power Alliance has been a financial supporter of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribune's journalism. Find a complete list of them here.
