Today’s Cannon | Fix the Grid

Fix the Grid 

What to know: This week’s early season heatwave will put tremendous pressure on the Texas electrical grid.

The TPPF take: Our system doesn’t incentivize reliability.

“In response, state Sen. Kevin Sparks of Midland has introduced Senate Bill 715, which seeks to ensure that generation on the Texas grid is built to be reliable and is equipped to meet demand when Texans need it most,” says TPPF’s Aliyah Formont. “The bill marks a crucial first step toward a grid that truly values reliability. This addresses the often-overlooked issue at the heart of Texas’ heated energy debate: It’s not about which energy sources expand on the grid, but whether those sources can be relied upon when Texans need power the most.”

To get control of runaway local budgets, we need state lawmakers to create a local spending limit that puts guardrails up to protect taxpayers.

Protest Your Property Taxes

What to know: A new survey reveals that “53% of Texas homeowners don’t know they can protest their home’s property tax evaluation.” A successful protest can help lower a home’s appraised value and, in some cases, prompt reduced tax bills as a consequence.

The TPPF take: In general, the deadline for most Texans to file a protest with the Appraisal Review Board is May 15.

“Protesting the assigned value of your property is one way to get involved and work toward a lower property tax bill. Every Texas homeowner should know how to do it and be ready to beat the deadline,” says TPPF’s James Quintero. “Now is the time to act!”

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