NEWS FROM TEPRI
DECEMBER 2022
A NOTE FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Margo Weisz
As the year comes to a close, I want to take the opportunity to say a colossal THANK YOU! After a year at the helm of TEPRI, I am increasingly energized by the passion, innovation, big hearts and great minds that surround me.
As a gift to you – our energy collaborators – I offer you our “TEPRI 2022 Wrapped” playlist. I hope you will dance a little, sing a little, and coo to these fabulous tunes – a panoply of genres that celebrate the power of our community (a bunch of brainiacs!) and our mighty pursuit to bring forth an energy future that allows us all to thrive!
TEPRI has our own cooing to share. Our Director of Research Programs, Bobuchi Ken-Opurum was named one of Forbes 30 Under 30: Energy for her groundbreaking work to address energy poverty. Lucky us to have such a great mind and committed soul on board! I have also officially accepted the permanent position as Executive Director of TEPRI (for those that didn’t know, I was technically “Interim”), so you are all stuck with me! It is a great privilege to work every day for a just and equitable energy transition. I truly thank the Board and staff for putting their trust in me.
We are at the apex of innovation at TEPRI and in the industry at large. Our projects to advance virtual power plant technologies, solar, and aggregated distributed generation resources clear a path forward to bring affordable, reliable, and clean energy to all people. We are small but mighty in our pursuit of an affordable and sustainable energy future. Thank you for joining us!
Warmly,
Margo
UPDATES FROM TEPRI
2022 Texas Energy Wrapped: Big Changes to Markets, Efficiency, and Prices
As 2022 winds to a close, we took a deep dive into some of the biggest energy-related events of the year and explored how low-income families have been impacted. TEPRI Research Analyst Andrew Robison explores the cost and reliability concerns surrounding the lingering impacts of Winter Storm Uri, inflation, summer energy price spikes, grid reliability, and the major ongoing market redesign efforts. This blog post explores how these major events and changes, some of which are still laden with uncertainty, are poised to put even more financial pressure on lower-income households across the state. As winter weather approaches, many Texans are left wondering how much more they’ll have to pay for energy and how the grid might fare in the face of another event like Winter Storm Uri.
Click here to read the full post.
Launching TEPRI’s 2023 Speaker Series
In the third year of our energy opportunities project, TEPRI is bringing in a slate of experts to present to our stakeholders on various methods of advancing affordable, reliable, and clean energy in underserved communities. This virtual and in-person series will provide a space for dynamic, timely, and relevant conversations with change-makers and thought leaders on energy poverty.
Jennifer Amann, co-author of the white paper “Energy Efficiency and Demand-Response: Tools to Address Texas’ Reliability Challenges” will be our first guest speaker providing a timely update on policy and technological barriers to deploying energy efficiency in residential buildings in Texas. She will provide insight on energy efficiency technologies, programs, initiatives, and policies that support or hinder implementation across Texas.
Join us for the first speaker in this series on January 25th at 11:30 AM Central via ZOOM.
TEPRI Director of Research featured in Forbes 30 Under 30 2023: Energy
Congratulations to TEPRI’s Bobuchi Ken-Opurum on being named one of Forbes 30 Under 30 2023: Energy. Click here to view the full list.
New Project Launching with JP Morgan Chase Foundation
The JP Morgan Chase Foundation has generously agreed to support TEPRI and CBCD’s (come dream, come build) MiCASiTA (Sustainable Volumetric Modular Grow Home Manufacturing System) project in Brownsville, Texas. The MiCASiTA project provides adaptable modular housing to low-moderate income (LMI) households in Brownsville. TEPRI is working to pilot a cost-effective and scalable option for rooftop solar on the modular housing units. Our involvement will help promote LMI households participation in the clean energy transition and to improve the building performance of the modular homes.
TEPRI Welcomes New Board Member
Alison Silverstein
“I admire and appreciate TEPRI’s good work on behalf of Texans for affordable, clean, reliable energy and healthy communities. I am honored by the opportunity to join the TEPRI Board and work more closely with TEPRI’s great team to advance these goals.”
Alison Silverstein is a strategist, researcher, writer and speaker on power system reliability, clean energy and technology adoption issues. Her specialty is analyzing complex issues to produce logical, clear explanations and sensible solutions.
Silverstein has testified before numerous entities on electric grid reliability and how to improve ERCOT reliability and affordability after the Winter Storm Uri outages. Her work on Uri includes the “Never Again” report, co-authored with several past Texas PUCT chairs and commissioners, and numerous sets of comments and filings on ERCOT reliability and market reform. She presently supports the Texas Consumer Association and the Environmental Defense Fund on Texas issues.
TEPRI Welcomes New Executive Committee
Our Chair Cheryl Mele (Vice President of Customer Care & Corporate Communications, El Paso Electric) and Vice Chair Ned Ross (Ned Ross Strategic Services) will be joined by Drew Higgins (Senior Director, Products & Services, CPS Energy) as TEPRI’s new Secretary & Treasurer. Learn more about our Board here.
TEPRI’s 2022 Spotify Wrapped
Tired of holiday music already? TEPRI’s 2022 Spotify Wrapped playlist is sure to get you in a good mood with a mix of energy-relevant fan favorites
