June 14, 2024
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 | Yasmeen Khalifa, Audience Engagement Producer |
Best of the Bayou
Today we're talking about Texas lawmakers turning on the cryptocurrency industry...
If you read one thing: Around 60% of newly realized power demand could come from cryptocurrency mines and data centers, regulators told lawmakers in legislative hearings about the power grid this week.
How has this affected attitudes toward crypto?
Spooked by projections of how much electricity Texas could need by 2030, lawmakers have soured on the growth of cryptocurrency mining after years of welcoming the industry to the state.
The Electric Reliability Council of Texas, the state's grid operator, said in April that Texas could need 152 gigawatts of electricity by the end of the decade, compared with a record 85.5 gigawatts set by the grid last summer. This forecast is approximately 40 gigawatts greater than what ERCOT expected last year, with around 60% of that new demand coming from potential cryptocurrency mines and data centers.
Read Claire Hao's full story here.
Stay in the Loop
Photo by: Susan Barber
📰 Need to Know
- HISD board approves $2.1B budget in rare split vote under Mike Miles. The 130 schools in the New Education System, where the HISD leader is centering his most dramatic reforms, will receive over $684 million under the adopted budget for the 2024-2025 school year.
- Texas is busing far fewer migrants to Democratic-led cities. Despite Gov. Greg Abbott's insistence that he's going to keep busing migrants from the Texas border to cities with Democratic mayors, data from his office shows a dramatic drop in the program over the last six months as those cities have fought back in court.
- When and why Abbott began busing migrants to other U.S. cities. The governor has defended the program as a way to show the country the border struggle Texas cities and towns are dealing with.
- Houston Farmer's Market vendors say the fatal shooting of an employee is troubling. The fatal June 6 shooting, part of an upward trend of violent crimes by children, unsettled vendors at the bustling 2520 Airline Drive market.
- Texas ranks in the bottom half of states for working dads, a study says. With Father's Day around the corner, WalletHub has released the best and worst states for dads juggling the "dual role of parent and provider."
- Texas GOP infighting deepens as House caucus censures four members. Political experts say that conflict is making the Texas House more like Washington, D.C. — something GOP leaders have long been conscious of and proud to avoid.
💼 Business
- Lt. Gov. Patrick shouldn't be shocked by the electric grid's issues, but he's right to slam bitcoin. Republican leaders are waking up to the Texas electric grid's challenges and how bitcoin mining is a problem, writes business columnist Chris Tomlinson.
🚗 Outside the Loop
- The Houston area is now home to a new luxury gated RV resort. Stafford is now home to a new resort that offers its guests all the amenities that come with a hotel or apartment complex.
- Fish kills are a common Houston occurrence. Experts explain. Authorities investigating dead fish at Pasadena's Memorial Park say the cause of death was natural.
Point of View
Photo by: Yasmeen Khalifa
If Union Pacific cared about Houston kids, it'd act faster to keep them safe.
Union Pacific needs to stop its trains from blocking the intersection near McReynolds Middle School. Promises to look for solutions and keep communications open aren't the same as action, one reader writes.
- Vote for HISD's bond, no matter what you think of the state takeover. The state takeover is unpopular. But the bond isn't about that. It's about building and repairing schools that Houston students desperately need, writes Veronica Garcia, chief policy officer for Good Reason Houston.
Houston vs. All Y'all
Photo by: Paul Sancya, Associated Press
The Astros are back home to face the Tigers and their ace.
Tarik Skubal, who beat the Astros in Detroit on May 11, ranks second in the majors in WHIP and fourth in ERA.
- Gina Luhnow, wife of a fired Astros GM, called the team's struggles 'karma.': The Astros have had a rough 2024, and Gina Luhnow, wife of fired general manager Jeff Luhnow, doesn't mind sharing her thoughts on the situation.
- Where to play and watch cricket as the sport grows in Houston. Similar to the explosion of pickleball, the sport of cricket has blown up in the Houston area with leagues competing regularly and locals learning the sport. Here are several places that host matches.
Get Out
Photo by: Connie Anderson, Connie Anderson Photography
Swanky Mexican steakhouse Toca Madera sets a Houston opening date.
Toca Madera, the trendy Mexican steakhouse visited by Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce, is opening in Houston on June 18.
Events at the Chronicle
Photo by: Sharon Steinmann / Susan Barber
Fifth Ward students risk life and limb to get to school. What can be done?
The Editorial Board's recent video on Fifth Ward students stuck a chord with readers. Find out more and what can be done in a live virtual event with lawmakers and community leaders.
Juneteenth is just around the corner! If you don't know much about it, it's the newest national holiday that commemorates the freedom of enslaved African Americans in Texas. It started in Galveston and is celebrated across the world on June 19. Here's everything you need to know about the upcoming holiday. And if you're looking for events, here's where to celebrate in Houston and Galveston.
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