Last Month’s Power Outage Scare Blamed on Coal, Gas Plants. Thermal energy sources didn’t generate enough power in June to sustain the state’s electricity demand, forcing the Electric Reliability Council of Texas to ask residents to conserve. This was the giant sigh heard ’round Texas: four months after outages left millions in the dark, we were again being asked to jack up our air conditioning before summer really got going. ERCOT, which manages the power grid, identified 1,200 plants that went offline over a six day period in June. The state had lost enough power to keep 2 million homes humming. Three-quarters of that energy came from coal and gas plants that went offline. Wind also underperformed, generating just 179 of the expected 25,121 megawatts it was expected to generate. Solar kept us online. If you’re wanting to hold someone accountable the voting box, know this: Gov. Greg Abbott has more than $55 million in campaign contributions to fight off competitors in his 2022 election campaign.
Irving Needs Help Finding Road Rage Shooter. You probably saw the video of the guy exiting his white BMW and unloading two guns at a vehicle that’s off screen. That happened at 7:25 a.m. at 2801 Market Street, just west of Valley View Lane. If you know anything, contact Irving PD.
If You’re Fully Vaccinated, Health Authorities Say You Won’t Need Booster. The more contagious Delta variant will soon be the dominant type of COVID-19 in Dallas. But the vaccines protect so well against it that the CDC says you won’t need a booster until “science demonstrates they are needed.” Pfizer and BioNTech are pursuing a booster anyway, but its research has not yet been peer reviewed.
‘Immersive Van Gogh’ Exhibit Pisses Off Crowds. The organizer, Lighthouse Immersive, sold 46,000 tickets to the exhibit beginning on June 17. The thing still isn’t open and won’t be until August 7. Immersive is sending emails and texts that allow ticket buyers to accept a new assigned date, but they must request refunds. The event’s problems are blamed on a post-COVID supply chain issue.
Dallas Won’t Hit 100 For Another 10 Days, At Least. Rain chances are now slim this weekend, but the clouds will remain. Temperatures are expected to stay around 80 or 90. So enjoy it for now.
