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College Station Mayor John Nichols on WTAW

College Station Mayor John Nichols visits with WTAW to discuss planning for future developments like Harvey District Point, tonight’s public engagement event, internal control allocations, and more during his appearance on The Infomaniacs on Wednesday, August 5, 2026. Listen to “College Station Mayor John Nichols on WTAW” on Spreaker.

Could Competition Be On The Way For BTU and College Station Utilities?

Texas Governor Greg Abbott has been touring Texas promoting his “Keep Texas Affordable” plan. Most stops have discussed affordable housing prices, but today he discussed electricity services. Specifically, municipalities that don’t allow for choice when it comes to electric providers. Abbott says more than five million Texans reside in areas with a single municipal power provider, eliminating the possibility of shopping for cheaper electricity rates. 60% of those 5-million are in Austin (Austin Energy) and San Antonio (City Public Service/CPS Energy). Those are the two largest municipally-owned utility districts in the state, but Governor Abbott is suggesting that all Texans should be able to choose their plan and open up city monopolies to retail electric competition. He says residential customers in Austin and San Antonio would save an average of 10% to 13% on their electric bill. Commercial customers could save on nearly 22% — or up to $3,000 per year. Governor Abbott would also ban city utilities from imposing charges upon customer unrelated to electric delivery. The Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUCT) “only has jurisdiction over the rates charged by transmission and distribution utilities and investor-owned utilities that operate in Texas’ competitive marketplace,” according to puc.texas.gov. For example, Retail Electric Providers (REPs) can charge a maximum late fee of 5% of an unpaid electric bill while city-owned providers can set their own rates. For comparison sake, CPS Energy in San Antonio charges a 2% late fee. Austin Energy assesses a 5% late fee. BTU charges a 5% late fee. College Station Utilities charges a whopping 10%.

Governor Abbott Activates State Wildfire Response Resources Ahead Of Fire Danger in Panhandle

PRESS RELEASE (AUSTIN, TX) – Governor Greg Abbott today announced that he directed the Texas Division of Emergency Management (TDEM) to activate additional state wildfire response resources in anticipation of increased fire weather conditions in areas of the Texas Panhandle beginning today. “I directed the Texas Division of Emergency Management to activate additional state wildfire response resources ahead of increased fire danger in the Panhandle,” said Governor Abbott. “Local responders will continue to have full access to state personnel, equipment, and aircraft to protect lives and property.” According to the Texas A&M Forest Service, August is typically the peak month for wildfires due to hot, dry conditions. Across large regions of Texas, wildfire potential is expected to increase due to dry vegetation, with a heightened concern over the next several days in the Panhandle and North Texas areas. At the direction of Governor Abbott, the following state wildfire response resources remain available to support local wildfire response operations: Texas A&M Forest Service (Texas Intrastate Fire Mutual Aid System): State, local, and out-of-state firefighters and support personnel; heavy equipment such as bulldozers and motor graders; and more than 10 federally contracted firefighting aircraft including single-engine air tankers for retardant drops, and an air attack platform for surveillance and spotting Texas Department of State Health Services (Texas Emergency Medical Task Force): Wildland Fire Support Packages consisting of medics, ambulances, and all-terrain vehicles Texas National Guard: Blackhawk and Chinook helicopters with firefighting capability Texas Department of Transportation: Personnel monitoring road conditions Texas Department of Public Safety: Texas Highway Patrol Troopers to patrol roadways and assist stranded motorists Texas Parks and Wildlife Department: Game Wardens, State Park Police Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service and Texas Animal Health Commission: Disaster Assessment and Recovery Agents as well as AgriLife Extension Agents to support agricultural and livestock needs Public Utility Commission of Texas: Power outage monitoring and coordination with utility providers Railroad Commission of Texas: Monitoring of the state’s natural gas supply and communication with the oil and gas industry Texas Commission on Environmental Quality: Air/water/wastewater monitoring These resources are mobilized in addition to state resources previously deployed by the Governor to support local wildfire response efforts. Last week, the Texas A&M Forest Service raised the Wildland Fire Preparedness Level to Level 2, indicating that elevated fire danger is observed in some regions of the state. Texans are urged to implement wildfire prevention measures, including avoiding activities that may cause sparks or flames, making an emergency plan, following instructions from local officials, and keeping emergency supplies easily available. Texans can access wildfire tips and safety information at tfsweb.tamu.edu and TexasReady.gov. All-hazards disaster preparedness information is located at tdem.texas.gov/prepare.