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Showing posts from January, 2023

A Few of My Favorite Smart Home Things: CES

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Which CES Smart Home Things Were Best? From smart gardens to giant wiresless TV tech, find out the smart home things we want here in Texas that caught our eye at CES 2023! Top manufacturers debut their best new products at the annual Consumer Electronics Show (CES), and the 2023 show did not disappoint. Artificial intelligence, blockchain, cybersecurity, energy, and robotics are just a few of the categories where companies showcase their doohickeys, doodads, and thingamabobs. So what are some of the best electricity and smart home things from 2023 CES?    Indoor Gardening Without The Hassle  If your green thumb is more shriveled and brown than vibrant and healthy, the LG Tiiun can help you grow your own herbs. It looks like a large wine fridge or a small gas station beverage cooler. Its automated lighting, watering, and climate control give you a fool-proof way to enjoy fresh produce. The only thing easier than growing your garden is switching power plans at Texas Electricity Ratin

Renewables To Top Natural Gas Generation in Texas 2023

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Does Texas Need More Natural Gas Generation?  Texas currently relies on natural gas turbines like this for electricity generation. But renewables are gaining. Find out why that's a problem for meeting peak demand and how it affects consumer electricity bills. There’s a brouhaha brewing for the upcoming Texas legislative session. The Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUCT) has pushed a plan to revamp the electric market. But state senators want PUCT to cool its jets to allow lawmakers to weigh in, and they appear to favor more natural gas generation.  One of the sticking points revolves around " dispatchable energy resources ." Texas needs more of them to be ready quickly for peak demand. However, not all natural gas generation is created equal.  While simple-cycle natural gas turbine ( SCGT ) power plants can fire up and generate power in less than ten minutes, SCGT plants burn a lot of natural gas to create power. On the flip side, combined-cycle natural gas turbine (C