Texas

October 30, 2009 -- Washington, DC - Today, the Recovery Accountability and Transparency Board released the first data on job creation by the "projects and activities" portion of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (HR 1), also known as the stimulus bill. The new data, made public at www.Recovery.gov as required by Sec. 1512 of HR 1, reported 19,572 jobs directly created in Texasso far, including 398 in Texas's 20th Congressional District. Congressman Charlie Gonzalez (TX‑20) reacted to the news.    » read more »

Lauds Houston Utilities’ Smart Grid Leadership; Local Companies Awarded Over $250 Million in Smart Grid Grants

October 28, 2009 -- HOUSTON, Texas – Visiting the Energy Capital of the World, Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar today lauded the advanced power transmission and distribution technology adopted by CenterPoint Energy Houston, a regional utility that received a $200 million federal grant to spur its deployment of a Smart Grid that will improve efficiency and help area consumers manage and control their electricity usage.

Other Texas electric utilities shared about $58 million in Smart Grid grants, including Reliant Energy Retail Services, LLC (Houston); Golden Spread Electric Cooperative (Amarillo); Denton County Electric Cooperative; and El Pasco Electric.    » read more »

Local Event to Feature Carbon Footprint Calculations, Earth-conscious Marketplace

October 15, 2009 -- Beaumont, Texas – A footprint used to be what your kids left on the kitchen floor. Or maybe it was what police used to track a thief. Now, add the word “carbon” and your footprint figures into one of today’s biggest issues.    » read more »

$18.4 Million for 24 Agrilife Programs That Protect Food Supply, Family Farms & Economy

At the request of Congressman Edwards, Texas A&M Agrilife Research and Agrilife Extension received a total of $18.4 million for 24 research programs under the House bill.    » read more »

A fabric-covered, steel frame practice facility owned by the National Football League’s Dallas Cowboys collapsed under wind loads significantly less than those it should have resisted under applicable design standards, according to a report released today for public comment by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST).

Located in Irving, Texas, the facility collapsed on May 2, 2009, during a severe thunderstorm. Twelve people were injured, one seriously.    » read more »

ATLANTA, Oct. 9 -- Southern Power, a subsidiary of Southern Company that acquires, builds, manages and owns wholesale generation assets, today announced that it is acquiring Nacogdoches Power, LLC from American Renewables, LLC and will move ahead with construction of the planned biomass power plant in Sacul, Texas.

Groundbreaking is expected in the fall of 2009 and commercial operation is projected for the summer of 2012. When completed, the project will be one of the largest biomass-fueled electric generating facilities in the U.S., capable of generating approximately 100 megawatts.

The plant's output is committed through a 20-year power purchase agreement with Austin Energy, the municipal utility owned by and serving Austin, Texas.    » read more »

Washington, Oct 8 - Congressman Silvestre Reyes (D-TX) yesterday voted to pass legislation that will enhance food safety, boost rural economies, protect Americans against price fluctuations for necessities, and help feed struggling families. The Agriculture Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2010 passed the U.S. House of Representatives by a vote of 263 to 162. The bill provides funding for the Department of Agriculture (USDA), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) and the Farm Credit Administration (FCA).    » read more »

(WASHINGTON) - Congressman Chet Edwards announced that vital renewable energy research at Texas A&M University will be bolstered by federal funds he included in the final 2010 Energy and Water Appropriations bill, which passed the House today 308 to 114. Edwards is vice chair of the Energy and Water Appropriations Subcommittee, and was a member of the House-Senate conference committee that wrote the final bill.    » read more »

September 30, 2009 -- AUSTIN – Texas Governor Rick Perry today granted a pardon for innocence to James Lee Woodard after DNA testing proved he did not sexually assault or murder Beverly Ann Jones in 1980. DNA testing was not available at the time the crime was committed.

“James Lee Woodard was wrongfully convicted for a crime he did not commit,” Perry said. “My action today cannot give back the time he spent in prison, but it does end this miscarriage of justice.”    » read more »

House Bill 4102 provides relief to school districts affected by disasters

August 28, 2009 -- BEAUMONT – Texas Governor Rick Perry today announced the state has authorized more than $62.8 million to reimburse school districts for the cost of repairs incurred as a result of Hurricane Ike. The reimbursements are part of House Bill 4102, which provides relief for school districts impacted by disasters or other emergencies.    » read more »

All Ike Related Debris Removal Now Eligible for 100% Reimbursement, Public Assistance Federal Costshare Increased to 90%

June 17, 2009 -- WASHINGTON, DC - Today U.S. Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX), Texas’ senior senator, announced that the Fiscal Year 2009 Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Bill which passed the U.S. Senate included a provision she secured allowing the Texas counties impacted by Hurricane Ike to access millions in additional Debris Removal and Public Assistance reimbursements from the Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).    » read more »

June 19, 2009 -- GALVESTON – Texas Governor Rick Perry today signed House Bill (HB) 4586, the supplemental appropriations bill that includes $150 million in funding to help the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) in Galveston recover from Hurricane Ike. The governor also signed HB 4409, which reforms the Texas Windstorm Insurance Association (TWIA).    » read more »

Governor Eliminates $288.9 Million in Spending Through Line-Item Veto

June 19, 2009 -- AUSTIN – Texas Governor Rick Perry today signed Senate Bill 1 into law, providing a balanced budget that spends $1.6 billion less in general revenue than the previous biennium. The budget funds key priorities from higher education and job creation to border security. The governor also used his line-item veto power to reduce the two-year budget by $97.2 million in general revenue and $288.9 million from all funding sources.    » read more »

Gov. Perry Signs Legislation Protecting Texas Property Owners; HJR 14 allows Texans to vote on constitutional amendment

June 15, 2009 -- SAN ANTONIO – Texas Governor Rick Perry today joined lawmakers in highlighting the importance of House Joint Resolution (HJR) 14 that allows Texans to vote on a constitutional amendment to strengthen land owners’ rights. The amendment, which will be voted on in November 2009, would achieve unprecedented protection of private property by placing protections against abuse of eminent domain directly into the Texas Constitution.    » read more »

Sen. Hutchison: “Today is a sad day for 50 Texas small businesses and the communities they’ve served.”

June 9, 2009 -- WASHINGTON, DC - Today, U.S. Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX), Texas senior Senator and Ranking Member of the Senate Commerce Committee, released the following statement regarding the closure of 50 automotive dealerships in Texas:    » read more »