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Scorching temperatures in SPEER's territory continue with little end in sight until late fall. With these high temperatures comes increased A/C output and higher bills.
For some tips and tricks to help reduce some of these costs, consider reviewing SPEER’s Summer Efficiency Tips!
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This month's updates:
- 90th Texas Legislature Interim Hearings
- Fall Energy Efficiency Forum Date
- Upcoming Events and Webinars
- What We’re Reading/Hearing
| | 90th Texas Legislature Interim Hearings | | |
The 90th Texas Legislature begins in early 2027. Over the last few months Texas Legislative Committees have been convening interim hearings on a broad range of topics. Issues like data center regulation and impacts have been discussed in several committees this summer, as well as other energy related items like implementation of 765kV transmission buildout. This was the case on August 19th in the House State Affairs committee hearing that saw dozens of witnesses and invited testimony come to speak on these issues. State officials like PUCT Chairman Thomas Gleeson, data center representatives, members of affected communities, and even award-winning country music singer Tanya Tucker spoke on the various impacts to the Texas grid and Texans' lives from new large load and 765kV buildout in the state.
As the interim months pass and we get closer to session, more and more committees are also beginning their reviews of state agencies hearing invited testimony. House Energy Resources will be meeting on September 15th to review agency work from the State Energy Conservation Office, Railroad Commission, and others. On the same day, the House Environmental Regulation committee will also meet to hear from several state agencies.
SPEER will continue to monitor these committee hearings leading into the session and seek to keep you all apprised of new developments that may impact the Texas energy-sphere. We have released our legislative priorities for the upcoming session here.
| | Fall Energy Efficiency Forum Date | | |
The PUCT’s Energy Efficiency Division has announced the next energy efficiency forum date. This bi-annual meeting will be held on Tuesday, October 6th from 9:30 am - 4:00 pm CST at the William B. Travis Building in Austin, Texas.
These forums are an excellent opportunity to learn about the utility energy efficiency programs ran in Texas, what they have accomplished, and how they will change in the next fiscal year. For more information, please check in on the PUCT’s Energy Efficiency page.
| | Upcoming Events & Webinars | | |
Powering Texas Energy Strategies: Summer Workshop Series
Part 3: Community Input, Practical Impact: Balancing Data Center Growth with Community Needs
TODAY, August 25 @ 9:30 - 11:30 am
City of Round Rock, 3400 Sunrise Rd., Round Rock, TX 78665
Join us for the third installment of the Powering Texas Energy Strategies: Summer Workshop Series. This hybrid workshop will take a deeper look at one of the highest-interest topics identified through participant surveys: the growth of data centers and their implications for communities, with a focus on zoning, environmental impacts, and community engagement.
Presenters:
- Alexandria Nelson, Program Director, Digital Economy & Environment, Environmental Law Institute
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Luke Metzger, Executive Director, Environment Texas
- Ali Fares, Ph.D., Professor of Water Security, Prairie View Texas A&M
Moderator:
- Noah Oaks, Senior Manager of Policy Engagement, SPEER
These workshops are presented in partnership with the Capital Area Council of Governments, the State Energy Conservation Office (SECO), and SPEER.
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Energy Codes Webinar - Beyond the Data Center: Building the Community around Data Centers
September 22 at 10:30 am
Data centers are among the most efficient buildings ever constructed, yet they are frequently located in rural communities with limited resources for energy code enforcement, plan review, inspections, and workforce development. As these facilities attract rapid residential and commercial growth, hundreds of surrounding buildings, including homes, apartments, schools, hotels, restaurants, warehouses, and public facilities, may be constructed without the same focus on energy performance.
This session explores how expanding the sustainability conversation beyond the data center creates lasting environmental, economic, and community benefits. Participants will examine why investments in energy code implementation, commissioning, third-party verification, inspector training, and regional technical capacity can produce decades of reduced energy consumption, improved grid resilience, and lower infrastructure costs. The presentation also compares the marginal efficiency gains achieved inside highly optimized data centers with the much larger cumulative opportunity represented by surrounding community development.
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Powering the Transition: Building Texas' Clean Energy Workforce
September 30 from 11:30 am - 1:30 pm
CleanTX and SPEER are convening a joint luncheon and workshop in Dallas on the workforce behind the energy transition. As electrification, demand response, renewable energy development, and data center growth accelerate across Texas, the constraint increasingly isn’t technology or capital, it’s people.
This session brings together educators, contractors, and industry to talk candidly about how we’re building the talent pipeline: the training and credentialing programs preparing workers today, the apprenticeship and labor standards attached to federally supported projects, and the gaps that still need closing. We’re keeping the format conversational and the panel practical, with plenty of room for audience discussion.
Speakers:
Sponsored by: Bradley
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Save the Date: Texas Energy Summit 2026
October 26-28
SPEER is proud to be a promotional partner for this year's Texas Energy Summit for what's sure to be another fantastic event.
This year’s Summit will be held at the Texas Capitol building & REJ Building in Austin October 26-28, 2026. The event convenes thought leaders from across the state to explore Texas’ unique energy landscape with a deep focus on emissions reduction, energy efficiency, and clean energy technologies. The Texas Energy Summit is hosted by the Energy Systems Laboratory at the Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station.
The Summit, now in its 23rd year, has long emphasized the importance of energy management, with special attention on the public sector, and it focuses on developing real solutions to advance air quality, energy efficiency and environmental responsibility across the state. This year’s agenda will explore major trends in policy, technology and the grid, markets, and social implications of our changing energy system.
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