Articles by Kate Zerrenner

  1. Rounding Up The Water, Clean Energy, And Climate Bills In The 85th Texas Legislative Session 4/18/2017

    We’re entering the home stretch of the 85th Session of the Texas Legislature.

  2. Energy-Water Nexus Lessons Learned From The State Of Texas 3/27/2017

    By making strategic choices to maximize energy-water efficiencies, we can help protect our supplies in advance of our next drought. Here are three ways that work.

  3. Why Water Utilities Need An Energy Plan — And How Texas Is Making Progress 11/28/2016

    When you prepare the Thanksgiving meal, do you ask each person to make a dish of their choosing, with no coordination for an overall cohesive meal? Probably not. Most likely, you plan, because you want everything to fit together.

  4. Home Is Where The Smart Is: First-Of-Its-Kind Study Reveals Importance Of Smart Technology And Low-Water Clean Energy 11/1/2016

    Have you ever thought about how much water your dryer needs to dry your clothes? (And no, I don’t mean your washing machine.)

  5. Texas' Evolving Energy Reality: Clean Energy Uses Less Water 6/14/2016

    It’s been an interesting time for water in Texas. Beyond the incredibly wet and cool spring we’ve been having, Memorial Day saw the second year in a row of record-breaking floods.

  6. Forget Taco Wars — The Real Competition Is Over Who Is Using Water More Wisely 3/11/2016

    San Antonio and Austin just called a cease-fire on a taco war over which city invented the breakfast taco. Both make excellent tacos: from the traditional chorizo and egg taco in San Antonio to a free-range egg and organic spinach taco in Austin. But this debate was about more than just tacos — it was about the history and culture of these two neighboring cities.

  7. Saving Texas' Water Through Smart Energy Choices In 2016 1/19/2016

    2015 proved to be another weird weather year around the country, especially for Texas. 80 degrees and dry in Austin on Christmas Day, spring wildflowers in bloom, and kids playing outside in shorts — a surprise ending to a wild ride of drought followed by devastating floods followed by drought and then more floods.

  8. Texas Is Nearly Out Of This Drought — But We're Not In The Clear 7/23/2015

    Unfortunately, a good rain washes away more than the drought; it washes away much of man’s interest in providing for the next one, and it washes the supports from under those who know that another dry cycle is coming and who urge their fellows to make ready for it.

  9. The Long Journey Of An Energy-Water Bill In Texas 7/6/2015

    Being an environmental advocate in Texas may seem like an uphill battle, and I make no bones about the fact it most certainly is.

  10. A Promise To Our Children To Save Water In Texas 5/4/2015

    It’s no secret that Texas is currently in the midst of a multi-year drought – yet the vast majority of our electricity comes from sources that contribute to this prolonged drought, namely coal, nuclear, and natural gas. All of these energy sources require copious amounts of water to produce electricity.