Julio Gonzalez Altamirano
@julio-ga.bsky.social
Friendly discussion of decarbonization, energy, housing, and transportation with an Austin, Texas focus.
Parked peacock.
May 16, 2025 at 5:24 PM
Parked peacock.
Here’s FDR signing the Reciprocal Trade Agreements Act back in 1934. It was an anti-tariff and pro-trade measure in response to the disastrous Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act.
April 9, 2025 at 3:59 PM
Here’s FDR signing the Reciprocal Trade Agreements Act back in 1934. It was an anti-tariff and pro-trade measure in response to the disastrous Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act.
Reposted by Julio Gonzalez Altamirano
NEW 🧵 Is human intelligence starting to decline?
Recent results from major international tests show that the average person’s capacity to process information, use reasoning and solve novel problems has been falling since around the mid 2010s
What should we make of this?
www.ft.com/content/a801...
Recent results from major international tests show that the average person’s capacity to process information, use reasoning and solve novel problems has been falling since around the mid 2010s
What should we make of this?
www.ft.com/content/a801...
March 14, 2025 at 1:18 PM
NEW 🧵 Is human intelligence starting to decline?
Recent results from major international tests show that the average person’s capacity to process information, use reasoning and solve novel problems has been falling since around the mid 2010s
What should we make of this?
www.ft.com/content/a801...
Recent results from major international tests show that the average person’s capacity to process information, use reasoning and solve novel problems has been falling since around the mid 2010s
What should we make of this?
www.ft.com/content/a801...
Has anyone else noticed a shift in kid party goodie bags from being filled with sweets to now being overwhelmingly tiny toys or creative supplies? It seems parent etiquette has shifted to not loading up other people’s kids with sugar, right?
March 11, 2025 at 2:11 PM
Has anyone else noticed a shift in kid party goodie bags from being filled with sweets to now being overwhelmingly tiny toys or creative supplies? It seems parent etiquette has shifted to not loading up other people’s kids with sugar, right?
Reposted by Julio Gonzalez Altamirano
#ERCOT has been running at 85% clean today: 75% wind and solar and 10% nuclear. You would have been laughed out of the room if you predicted this 10 years ago. But the smallest interconnection in North America is cranking away at 75% variable resources. Beautiful sight.
@gridstatus.io
#EnergySky
@gridstatus.io
#EnergySky
March 4, 2025 at 8:54 PM
#ERCOT has been running at 85% clean today: 75% wind and solar and 10% nuclear. You would have been laughed out of the room if you predicted this 10 years ago. But the smallest interconnection in North America is cranking away at 75% variable resources. Beautiful sight.
@gridstatus.io
#EnergySky
@gridstatus.io
#EnergySky
Reposted by Julio Gonzalez Altamirano
Yesterday, Rabbit Hill captured the dreams of those looking to strike it rich (and nightmares of folks managing risk) in ERCOT with LMPs well above what is normally considered extreme. In fact, Rabbit Hill can now claim the 90 highest single-interval settlement point prices since at least 2011.
February 20, 2025 at 4:26 PM
Yesterday, Rabbit Hill captured the dreams of those looking to strike it rich (and nightmares of folks managing risk) in ERCOT with LMPs well above what is normally considered extreme. In fact, Rabbit Hill can now claim the 90 highest single-interval settlement point prices since at least 2011.
Reposted by Julio Gonzalez Altamirano
ERCOT broke its record winter peak yesterday and today, culminating in a new record above 80 GW for the first time at 8AM CST this morning. But even more has been going on under the hood in the last few days. 🔌💡
🧵
🧵
February 20, 2025 at 4:26 PM
ERCOT broke its record winter peak yesterday and today, culminating in a new record above 80 GW for the first time at 8AM CST this morning. But even more has been going on under the hood in the last few days. 🔌💡
🧵
🧵
Reposted by Julio Gonzalez Altamirano
Hey Texas folk: I'm interviewing some people from Austin Energy (the city's utility) tomorrow.
What should I ask?
What should I ask?
January 27, 2025 at 8:28 PM
Hey Texas folk: I'm interviewing some people from Austin Energy (the city's utility) tomorrow.
What should I ask?
What should I ask?
Reposted by Julio Gonzalez Altamirano
⚡My latest article for @noemamag.com is a deep-drill into the extraordinary untapped potential of geothermal power - a subject that has obsessed and exhilirated me like few topics I've ever written about before. ⚡
www.noemamag.com/searching-fo...
www.noemamag.com/searching-fo...
Searching For Climate Salvation In Deep Hellfire | NOEMA
Advanced geothermal energy could provide universal, stable and equitable electricity access. So what stands in the way?
www.noemamag.com
January 23, 2025 at 3:18 PM
⚡My latest article for @noemamag.com is a deep-drill into the extraordinary untapped potential of geothermal power - a subject that has obsessed and exhilirated me like few topics I've ever written about before. ⚡
www.noemamag.com/searching-fo...
www.noemamag.com/searching-fo...
Reposted by Julio Gonzalez Altamirano
"It was Carter who first addressed the essential fact of our time, which is that modern life as we know it today has been both created by and is being destroyed by our entanglement with fossil fuels."
Jimmy Carter: America's Greatest Environmental President
President Carter had a visionary understanding of the climate change crisis ahead, which only grows more profound with each passing year.
www.rollingstone.com
December 30, 2024 at 12:06 AM
"It was Carter who first addressed the essential fact of our time, which is that modern life as we know it today has been both created by and is being destroyed by our entanglement with fossil fuels."
The Santa Cruz started to change my perception of Hyundai. A lot of folks love their Ioniq. And now this. Interesting!
www.theatlantic.com/technology/a...
www.theatlantic.com/technology/a...
Hyundai Is Becoming the New Tesla
Even in a Trump presidency, America’s EV future may not run through Elon Musk.
www.theatlantic.com
December 18, 2024 at 4:49 PM
The Santa Cruz started to change my perception of Hyundai. A lot of folks love their Ioniq. And now this. Interesting!
www.theatlantic.com/technology/a...
www.theatlantic.com/technology/a...
Climate change will increase the need for cool (😉) indoor spaces. I hope Austin becomes a city of family-friendly museums, partially subsidized by the public, the Lege, and UT. One of them should be a Museum of Neon, featuring great pieces from Austin and beyond:
www.curbed.com/article/rock...
www.curbed.com/article/rock...
The Slow Death of Neon
Rockefeller Center is proposing to rip out its glowing glass signage in favor of LEDs. It joins a heap of others.
www.curbed.com
December 17, 2024 at 3:41 PM
Climate change will increase the need for cool (😉) indoor spaces. I hope Austin becomes a city of family-friendly museums, partially subsidized by the public, the Lege, and UT. One of them should be a Museum of Neon, featuring great pieces from Austin and beyond:
www.curbed.com/article/rock...
www.curbed.com/article/rock...
Reposted by Julio Gonzalez Altamirano
Battery storage in ERCOT: 9,894 megawatts
Austin Energy's storage: 3 megawatts.
Austin Energy wants to build a gas peaker plant but the utility's share of Texas' grid scale batteries is ~0.03%. Austin City Council will vote on AE's plan tomorrow. #txenergy 🔋🔌💡
publicinput.com/Customer/Fil...
Austin Energy's storage: 3 megawatts.
Austin Energy wants to build a gas peaker plant but the utility's share of Texas' grid scale batteries is ~0.03%. Austin City Council will vote on AE's plan tomorrow. #txenergy 🔋🔌💡
publicinput.com/Customer/Fil...
December 11, 2024 at 10:36 PM
Battery storage in ERCOT: 9,894 megawatts
Austin Energy's storage: 3 megawatts.
Austin Energy wants to build a gas peaker plant but the utility's share of Texas' grid scale batteries is ~0.03%. Austin City Council will vote on AE's plan tomorrow. #txenergy 🔋🔌💡
publicinput.com/Customer/Fil...
Austin Energy's storage: 3 megawatts.
Austin Energy wants to build a gas peaker plant but the utility's share of Texas' grid scale batteries is ~0.03%. Austin City Council will vote on AE's plan tomorrow. #txenergy 🔋🔌💡
publicinput.com/Customer/Fil...
It’s a good thing I don’t live in lovely Chicago because I am not sure which way I’d go in the new Illinois State Flag contest:
www.ilsos.gov/special/IFC/...
www.ilsos.gov/special/IFC/...
www.ilsos.gov
December 10, 2024 at 9:22 PM
It’s a good thing I don’t live in lovely Chicago because I am not sure which way I’d go in the new Illinois State Flag contest:
www.ilsos.gov/special/IFC/...
www.ilsos.gov/special/IFC/...
Crypto??? Whatever. Elite asset allocators already know what works if you are looking for a highly volatile, mania-driven, yet intoxicating store of value. And this one is low carbon, too.
December 7, 2024 at 7:09 PM
Crypto??? Whatever. Elite asset allocators already know what works if you are looking for a highly volatile, mania-driven, yet intoxicating store of value. And this one is low carbon, too.
I voted for Fernando today for AISD and hope friends in D7 will vote for @mikesiegeltx.bsky.social for City Council.
But Y’ALL…these December runoffs are farcical. Microscopic turnout. Austin already passed RCV. Countless better ways to do this. Need TX Lege to let us. Not a partisan issue.
🫡🗳️✅
But Y’ALL…these December runoffs are farcical. Microscopic turnout. Austin already passed RCV. Countless better ways to do this. Need TX Lege to let us. Not a partisan issue.
🫡🗳️✅
December 6, 2024 at 10:22 PM
I voted for Fernando today for AISD and hope friends in D7 will vote for @mikesiegeltx.bsky.social for City Council.
But Y’ALL…these December runoffs are farcical. Microscopic turnout. Austin already passed RCV. Countless better ways to do this. Need TX Lege to let us. Not a partisan issue.
🫡🗳️✅
But Y’ALL…these December runoffs are farcical. Microscopic turnout. Austin already passed RCV. Countless better ways to do this. Need TX Lege to let us. Not a partisan issue.
🫡🗳️✅
Reposted by Julio Gonzalez Altamirano
Our @energyandpolicy.bsky.social team is growing!
We're adding a research and comms manager to lead our investigations in key states, with a specific focus on TX. If you have experience in journalism, politics, research or advocacy, please consider joining us!
energyandpolicy.org/research-and...
We're adding a research and comms manager to lead our investigations in key states, with a specific focus on TX. If you have experience in journalism, politics, research or advocacy, please consider joining us!
energyandpolicy.org/research-and...
Research and Communications Manager
The Energy and Policy Institute is a watchdog organization working to expose attacks on renewable energy and counter misinformation by fossil fuel and utility interests.
energyandpolicy.org
November 27, 2024 at 7:23 PM
Our @energyandpolicy.bsky.social team is growing!
We're adding a research and comms manager to lead our investigations in key states, with a specific focus on TX. If you have experience in journalism, politics, research or advocacy, please consider joining us!
energyandpolicy.org/research-and...
We're adding a research and comms manager to lead our investigations in key states, with a specific focus on TX. If you have experience in journalism, politics, research or advocacy, please consider joining us!
energyandpolicy.org/research-and...
Reposted by Julio Gonzalez Altamirano
I’ve been thinking a lot about how to make decarbonization and its many prongs unassailably “popular” in Texas over the next 10 years and one thing I know for sure is that the traditional daily newspaper with beats isn’t the medium for the job.
Chart via @conorsen.bsky.social
Chart via @conorsen.bsky.social
November 26, 2024 at 7:34 PM
I’ve been thinking a lot about how to make decarbonization and its many prongs unassailably “popular” in Texas over the next 10 years and one thing I know for sure is that the traditional daily newspaper with beats isn’t the medium for the job.
Chart via @conorsen.bsky.social
Chart via @conorsen.bsky.social
Reposted by Julio Gonzalez Altamirano
We also find that 68% of voters support having a publicly owned utility as their utility provider, including 71% of Democrats, 66% of Independents, and 67% of Republicans. www.dataforprogress.org/blog/2023/10...
November 19, 2024 at 7:27 PM
We also find that 68% of voters support having a publicly owned utility as their utility provider, including 71% of Democrats, 66% of Independents, and 67% of Republicans. www.dataforprogress.org/blog/2023/10...
Tamales for Thanksgiving.
Turkey is past its prime (and wasn’t the centerpiece until the 1850s). It can share or cede the stage and we will all be better off for it.
Turkey is past its prime (and wasn’t the centerpiece until the 1850s). It can share or cede the stage and we will all be better off for it.
November 23, 2024 at 2:05 PM
Tamales for Thanksgiving.
Turkey is past its prime (and wasn’t the centerpiece until the 1850s). It can share or cede the stage and we will all be better off for it.
Turkey is past its prime (and wasn’t the centerpiece until the 1850s). It can share or cede the stage and we will all be better off for it.
Hey #energysky! I am looking for examples of a low/zero-interest loan fund _within an enterprise_ used to fund energy efficiency or decarbonization projects. Is there a best-in-class org/enterprise for this approach? Can be public/private/gov/non-profit.
November 22, 2024 at 4:38 PM
Hey #energysky! I am looking for examples of a low/zero-interest loan fund _within an enterprise_ used to fund energy efficiency or decarbonization projects. Is there a best-in-class org/enterprise for this approach? Can be public/private/gov/non-profit.
Whenever I see a Subaru Baja, I just have to stop and admire it. It was ahead of its time! What a great mix for an urban utility vehicle. The Ford Maverick kinda is trying something similar but the Baja is so sleek.
Any other Baja-enjoyers out there?
Any other Baja-enjoyers out there?
November 19, 2024 at 10:10 PM
Whenever I see a Subaru Baja, I just have to stop and admire it. It was ahead of its time! What a great mix for an urban utility vehicle. The Ford Maverick kinda is trying something similar but the Baja is so sleek.
Any other Baja-enjoyers out there?
Any other Baja-enjoyers out there?