Thursday, September 18, 2025

The Roundup

Article Icon 1CPS Energy Buys Four Power Plants for $1.4B

CPS Energy, San Antonio’s municipally owned electricity and natural gas provider, has agreed to purchase four natural gas-fired power plants from Missouri-based ProEnergy for $1.39 billion. This will add 1,632 megawatts of capacity to its portfolio—an increase of 30% and enough to power 408,000 homes daily.

Located in Harris, Brazoria, and Galveston counties, the four plants were built between 2020 and 2024 and contain 34 generators capable of running on natural gas or hydrogen. The purchase price of $850 per kilowatt is significantly less than the $2,000-$2,500 per kilowatt for new facilities.

The deal aligns with the utility’s goal of replacing older, less efficient plants with newer, more affordable energy generation sources. CPS Energy is set to retire two 50-year-old plants in Calaveras in 2027 and 2029, while the new plants could run for another 40 years.

We are getting the best of both worlds by securing new infrastructure without delay while also strengthening the power supply for our community,” CEO and President Rudy Garza said. “It’s just a home run for our community,” he added.

Article Icon 1EPA Approves Toxic Waste Removal Plan

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has approved a plan to remove 230,000 tons of toxic waste from the San Jacinto River in far east Harris County. The site has been contaminated with dioxins since the 1960s from the byproducts of pulp bleaching at a nearby paper mill.

The pollutants have been linked to elevated cancer rates in the area, and the EPA ordered International Paper Co. and a subsidiary of Houston-based Waste Management to clean up the site in 2017.

After the work is completed, the companies must provide samples from the river to demonstrate that all contamination has been removed. In a letter, the EPA characterized the requirement as “an essential step in the Superfund cleanup process.”

“This is a victory for all of the residents who have been pushing for the cleanup of this environmental hazard for so many years,” said Jackie Medcalf, founder of the Texas Health and Environment Alliance.

Article Icon 1DFW, Love Field Among Nation’s Best Airports

DFW International Airport and Dallas Love Field rank among the best North American airports, according to J.D. Power’s annual rankings released yesterday. The study ranked airports on a 1,000-point scale and was based on 30,439 surveys completed by passengers over the past year.

With a score of 620, DFW ranked fourth among “mega” airports—those with 33 million or more passengers per year—behind Minneapolis-Saint Paul, Detroit, and Phoenix. Michael Taylor, J.D. Power’s managing director of travel, highlighted the airport’s construction progress, retail and dining experience, and Skylink people-mover system.

Dallas Love Field’s score of 705 ranked third among large airports with 10 to 32.9 million passengers per year, trailing Orange County and Tampa. “I always describe it as a mall with airplanes parked outside of it,” said Taylor.

The study evaluated airports on factors like ease of travel, terminal facilities and amenities, and airport staff. Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport ranked 12th—just above average—among mega airports. Among large airports, San Antonio International Airport was No. 13, Austin-Bergstrom International Airport was No. 16, and William P. Hobby Airport was No. 17.

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Around Texas

➤ Amarillo: Sgt. Ray Johnson, a Korean War veteran who was reported missing in action in 1950, was buried with full military honors during a memorial service at Llano Cemetery on Monday. (More)

➤ Travis County commissioners unanimously approved a property tax rate increase of 8% on Tuesday, claiming the move is justified by a state law that allows rate increases over 3.5% after a natural disaster. Meanwhile, the city of Kyle raised water rates 77% for residents in its Extra-Territorial Jurisdiction zones. (More)

➤ Edinburg: Tejano singer Bobby Pulido, 54, announced he is running for Congress as a Democrat, aiming to unseat GOP incumbent Monica De La Cruz, who has $1.3 million in her campaign coffers. He says he is “fighting for the issues that really matter.” (More)

➤ Port Arthur: A man who climbed a 200-foot-tall radio tower at Lamar State College Port Arthur on Monday afternoon came down yesterday morning. Police say the man has climbed other tall structures. (More)

➤ Uvalde CISD classes have been canceled since Monday after the district was targeted by a ransomware attack. In Dallas, two men were arrested for allegedly firing shots at a school, shattering the windows in a classroom with 13 students and two teachers inside. (More)

➤ Plano is set to become the first city in Texas to implement a 1-day-on, 3-days-off schedule for its firefighters. The new contract includes a provision for hiring 110 more firefighters over the next five years, at which time the new schedule will go into effect. (More)

➤ Tarrant County: A federal judge denied a request to keep the old commissioners precinct map in place until a lawsuit challenging the recently approved map is resolved. Judge Reed O’Connor determined that those claiming the new plan disenfranchises minority voters are unlikely to prevail. (See Details)


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Texas Sports

Dallas Wings guard Paige Bueckers was named the 2025 WNBA Rookie of the Year on Tuesday, garnering 70 of 72 first-place votes. She averaged 19.2 points, 5.4 assists, and 3.9 rebounds per game this season. (More)

➤ The Cowboys will allow wide receiver CeeDee Lamb to play in a Saudi Arabian flag football tournament next year, joining former quarterback Tom Brady and a host of other NFL superstars. (More)

Texas Tech is inducting every member of its 1993 women’s basketball team into the Basketball Ring of Honor. That team was the first Texas Tech athletic program to win a national championship. (More)

Ted Ford, a member of the inaugural Texas Rangers team in 1972, passed away on Monday at the age of 78. He was recruited to play for the Rangers by the team’s first manager, Hall of Famer Ted Williams. (More)

Yesterday’s Results: MLB | Soccer | WNBA

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The Business Of Texas

Dallas-based private equity firm Crux Capital has raised $342 million from about 40 investors in nine months for its inaugural institutional fund. The firm plans to invest in seven to nine companies with earnings between $1 million and $15 million. (More)

Five top executives for Houston-based strip club operator RCI Hospitality Holdings have been indicted in New York on 79 counts of conspiracy, bribery, and criminal tax fraud, among other crimes. The executives allegedly offered an auditor trips to their clubs to avoid paying $8 million in taxes between 2010 and 2024. (More)

Tom Dundon, an SMU grad and the chairman of Dallas private equity firm Dundon Capital Partners, has agreed to purchase the Portland Trail Blazers from the estate of late Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen for $4 billion. Dundon also owns the NHL’s Carolina Hurricanes. (More)

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Et Cetera

➤ Luis Mendoza helped his wife, Angelica, deliver their daughter, Kamilah, at the entrance of Methodist Dallas earlier this month. Security cameras captured the exciting moment on video. (See Video)

Abilene residents Ellie Hamby and Dr. Sandy Hazelip signed copies of their newly published book at the Center for Contemporary Arts on Tuesday. Here We Go: Lessons for Living Fearlessly from Two Traveling Nanas recounts their adventures circumnavigating the globe in 80 days. (More)

The Belton Police Department escorted Ms. Ferrill to a surprise party for her 101st birthday this week. The department shared a video of her reaction on social media. (See Video)

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The Polling Station

What is the best airport in Texas?

  1. DFW
  2. Love Field
  3. George Bush
  4. William P. Hobby
  5. San Antonio
  6. Austin-Bergstrom
  7. El Paso
  8. Other
 

Yesterday’s Results:

Have you ever sung karaoke in a public place?

  1. You bet: 33%
  2. No way: 67%
Texas Trivia

Why is the annual football game between the SMU Mustangs and the TCU Horned Frogs called the “Battle for the Iron Skillet”?

Show me the answer

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