Reading and Podcast Picks is a collection of what I’ve been reading and listening to over the last week or so about energy topics.

In addition to these R&P Picks, paid subscribers receive access to the full archives, Grid Roundups, and select episodes of the Energy Capital Podcast, including this one on flexibility as a service with Octopus Energy US CEO Nick Chaset.

TribCast: Will the Texas renewable energy powerhouse survive? | The Texas Tribune

The Texas Tribune does a deep dive on the latest Texas energy policy and ERCOT market developments with one of the smartest, most experienced people involved in the Texas market: Eric Goff of Goff Policy.

Eric Goff: Even if AI drops off, or if it doesn’t, I don’t think it matters…. there’s a continual loop of new load from new industries coming because they see cheap electricity which was made possible by solar and storage—because that’s how it gets cheap. That new demand increases prices, which increases the incentive for new solar and storage, and it’s this virtuous cycle. I don’t know what the next thing after AI is going to be, but the access to enormous amounts of cheap electricity will enable all kinds of potential…

Matt: Right. And you know it’s been so funny to watch, you know, folks like the abundance people talk about how, you know, these sort of liberal thinkers saying California, you’re doing it wrong. Look at Texas, right? It’s so much easier to get the permitting. It’s so much easier to get these projects off the ground because they stay out of people’s way and let these things build up.

Whatever the industries of the future will be, they’ll go where there’s abundant, cheap, clean, and reliable power. And for now at least, pending future policy decisions, that’s Texas.

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Texas electricity demand didn’t set records this summer, but here’s why usage is up | The Dallas Morning News

Good summary of what I take to be a very healthy trend: lower annual peak demands each of the last two years while overall energy use has increased by historically very high levels.

[T]otal energy consumption is expected to grow more than 5% this year compared to last, which Vegas said is five times faster than the national average annual consumption growth rate between 2000 and 2020. Between 2010 and 2020, Texas had about double the national average growth rate ― but now that’s doubled again…

“We’re seeing higher system utilization, which is good for a lot of reasons,” Austin-based energy analyst Doug Lewin said. “It’s healthy for generators, it’s good for distributing costs across a wider base, and, of course, having those lower peaks and net peaks makes a big difference for grid reliability.”

Many energy industry leaders have called for an “all of the above” approach to generation. Consumption is being driven higher as Texas adds to its already rapid population growth, the boom of data centers extends its march and oil and gas operations rely more on electricity.

Household upgrades could offset all new projected data center energy demand | Rewiring America