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KUT News NowAustin gas rates are up and they’re set to go higher. Here’s why.
Texas Gas Service customers have noticed different fees and charges on their bills have jumped in cost since the beginning of the year. Some of them have asked “why?” KUT’s Mose Buchele went looking for answers, and he got them.
The post Austin gas rates are up and they’re set to go higher. Here’s why. appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.
2025-05-2809 min
The Disconnect: Power, Politics and the Texas BlackoutThe Disconnect in the Austin Chronicle’s Best of Austin Readers Poll!
The Disconnect has been nominated for Best Podcast in the Politics and Media section of the Austin Chronicle’s 35th Annual Best of Austin Readers Poll. You can vote for the podcast, and for your other favorite things in Austin at https://vote.austinchronicle.com/
The post The Disconnect in the Austin Chronicle’s Best of Austin Readers Poll! appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.
2025-05-1900 minThe Disconnect: Power, Politics and the Texas BlackoutIntroducing Fumed
Fumed is a new podcast from Public Health Watch that takes place in Channelview, an unincorporated community outside Houston in the heart of America’s petrochemical industry. It follows two stubborn Texans who, almost by accident, end up challenging the powerful companies that are taking over their once-peaceful neighborhood. What happens next tests their character, their community, and the very idea of what it means to be a true Texan.In the first episode, you’ll meet Carolyn Stone and Greg Moss. In the 1980’s they settled into quiet lives in Channelview — an unincorporated community outside Houston, in the h...2025-05-1449 minThe Disconnect: Power, Politics and the Texas BlackoutIntroducing the Energy Capital Podcast
The Energy Capital Podcast focuses on Texas energy and power grid issues, featuring interviews with energy professionals, academics, policymakers, and advocates.
In this episode host Doug Lewin sat down with Mose Buchele to discuss Season 3 of the Disconnect. They also talked about what needs to happen next to ensure reliability as Texas faces skyrocketing demand from AI data centers, industrial growth, extreme heat, and population increases. The grid is changing, but is it changing fast enough?Find out more about the Energy Capital Podcast.
The post Introducing the Energy Capital Podcast appeared first...2025-05-011h 00The Disconnect: Power, Politics and the Texas BlackoutIntroducing Sea Change
Sea Change, from WWNO and WRKF, is a podcast that dives deep into the environmental issues facing coastal communities on the Gulf Coast and beyond.
Right now, in the US, there is a GAS BOOM. A liquified natural gas boom — or LNG. The US produces the most LNG in the world. And the epicenter of this massive expansion? It’s here on the Gulf Coast.
For the last year, Sea Change traversed Louisiana trying to uncover what this growing LNG industry means for the state. But, after talking with everyone – from shrimpers to energy insiders – they rea...2025-04-1639 minThe Disconnect: Power, Politics and the Texas BlackoutThe Choice
Texas leaders would have you believe there are two options: a reliable grid or a sustainable grid. In our season finale, we explore how those two things aren’t mutually exclusive. And how — if left alone — the Texas electricity market might make the decision on its own.Written, reported, produced and co-hosted by Mose BucheleCo-hosted and produced by Audrey McGlinchyProduced and edited by Matt LargeyProduction help from Rene Chavez and Jake PerlmanThe Disconnect: Power, Politics and the Texas Blackout is a listener-supported production of KUT & KUTX Studios in Austin...2025-04-0235 min
Energy Capital PodcastDisconnected by Design with Mose BucheleEvery summer, we hear concerns about rolling blackouts. Every winter, we remember the failures of Winter Storm Uri. But how did we get here? What are the biggest risks, what has actually changed, and what still needs to happen?In this episode of the Energy Capital Podcast, I sat down with Mose Buchele, longtime energy and environment reporter at KUT and the host of The Disconnect, a podcast that has taken a deep dive into the history and politics behind the Texas grid.Mose’s reporting has helped shape how Texans understand energy, and in th...2025-03-1359 minThe Disconnect: Power, Politics and the Texas BlackoutThe Greater Force: A Spaghetti Bowl Story
When the 2021 blackout struck, the finger-pointing began. Electric utilities versus pipeline companies. But finding out exactly what happened is one of the most frustrating parts oil and gas regulation in Texas: getting a clear picture of who did what isn’t really possible. But there’s one man who says he can see exactly what happened. Now he just has to prove it in court.
Special thanks to Rachel Adams-Heard, an energy reporter for Bloomberg who appears in this episode.Her reporting on Texas pipelines was invaluable.
Written, reported, produced and co-hosted by Mose Buch...2025-03-1233 minThe Disconnect: Power, Politics and the Texas BlackoutThe Bull of the Brazos
As the Texas Railroad Commission falls from global oil dominance, the energy crisis of the 1970s strikes and one gas company cuts power to millions. What comes next brings plenty of political intrigue, and sets up a divided system of energy regulation in Texas unlike anywhere else in the country. We talk about what that means for everyday people and energy reliability right up to today.
Written, reported, produced and co-hosted by Mose BucheleCo-hosted and produced by Audrey McGlinchyProduced and edited by Matt LargeyProduction help from Rene Chavez and Jake Perlman2025-02-2635 min
City Cast AustinIs the Grid OK Now?We made it through the winter without any major power outages in Austin. So is it time you restore your faith in the Texas power grid? Frustratingly, it’s still complicated. The main culprit back in the 2021 blackout was natural gas-related power, and Texas is now making more renewable energy than any other state. So why are we investing more and more into natural gas? Host Nikki DaVaughn digs into it all with today’s guest, Mose Buchele, KUT’s senior correspondent covering energy and the environment, and the host of the latest season of The Disconnect, a podcast all ab...2025-02-2633 minThe Disconnect: Power, Politics and the Texas BlackoutThe Bar Fight That Changed the World
We tell the story of how the National Guard descended on the East Texas oilfield, the chaos that followed, and how a bar fight in Austin helped establish a new system of energy regulation. Then we talk about World War II, and how the deal struck between Texas regulators and oil companies positioned the US to run the world of energy in the post-war era.
Written, reported, produced and co-hosted by Mose BucheleCo-hosted and produced by Audrey McGlinchyProduced and edited by Matt LargeyProduction help from Rene Chavez and Jake Perlman2025-02-1935 min
Sea ChangeThe Disconnect: Power, Politics, and the Texas BlackoutIn February 2021, power went out for 4.5 million households across Texas. The blackout killed hundreds. And people wondered: “How could this happen in the energy capital of the U.S.?” Today, we bring you part of that fascinating backstory, and it starts with an East Texas con artist who inadvertently kicked off the biggest oil boom in US history. Reporters Mose Buchele and Audrey McGlinchy of KUT's podcast The Disconnect: Power, Politics, and the Texas Blackout take us on a Wild West story to understand the power of the fossil fuel industry in Texas and how that power led t...2025-02-1532 minThe Disconnect: Power, Politics and the Texas BlackoutThe Long Con
Hear the story of a con man and a group of hardscrabble East Texas farmers who uncovered the biggest oilfield in U.S. history — and how that discovery forced an obscure state agency to confront the destructive forces of unrestrained oil drilling.
Written, reported, produced and co-hosted by Mose BucheleCo-hosted and produced by Audrey McGlinchyProduced and edited by Matt LargeyProduction help from Rene Chavez and Jake PerlmanThe Disconnect: Power, Politics and the Texas Blackout is a listener-supported production of KUT & KUTX Studios in Austin, Texas. You can support our...2025-02-1231 minThe Disconnect: Power, Politics and the Texas BlackoutThe Disconnect Season 3: Coming Feb 12
One of the main causes of the 2021 blackout in Texas was the failure of natural gas infrastructure. Still, that industry has avoided increased oversight to protect against future failures.
In fact, natural gas remains one of the least regulated parts of our energy system. In this season of The Disconnect: Power, Politics and the Texas Blackout, we explore the history of Texas oil and gas regulation, how the industry — with the help of state officials— became largely self-regulating and what that means for energy reliability in Texas.
The post The Disconnect Season 3: Coming Feb...2025-01-3102 min
Texas StandardBig Bend seeks artists to capture park’s rugged beauty
Last night’s chill has many Texans asking how the state’s power grid is looking for the winter. How much has changed since the freeze and blackouts of February 2021? Mose Buchele of KUT News has been keeping tabs.The Texas legislative session hasn’t even started, yet more than one representative claims to be the de facto speaker-elect of the House. The Texas Newsroom’s Blaise Gainey joins us with the latest.Calling all creatives: Big Bend National Park is accepting applications for its artist-in-residence program.And: What’s in your mug? Mando Rayo, host of the Tac...2024-12-1150 minTexas StandardHow the Texas Lottery helped a big spending group become surefire winners
Texas Congressman Lloyd Doggett on Tuesday became the first Democrat on Capitol Hill to call for President Biden to abandon his re-election bid.In several high-profile cases, the U.S. Supreme Court reversed rulings from the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, where Texas cases go on appeal.Ever try your luck at the lottery? We’ll hear about an out-of-state scheme to win big by buying up the odds.And soda’s unintentional pop: KUT’s Mose Buchele takes the lid off the mystery of exploding cans in hot cars.
The post How th...2024-07-0350 minCity Cast AustinShould We Worry About the Texas Grid This Summer?As the temperatures warm up and the AC thermostat is nudged down, host Nikki DaVaughn is joined by Mose Buchele, KUT’s energy reporter, to talk about the vulnerability of the Texas power grid. We’ve all still got post-Winter Storm Uri grid anxiety, but how much should we actually be concerned about the power going out this summer? We’d like to thank Tecovas, who makes our favorite Western wear in town, for being our exclusive launch sponsor. Want some more Austin news? Then make sure to sign up for our Hey Austin newsletter. Follow u...2024-06-2626 minThe Disconnect: Power, Politics and the Texas BlackoutThe Texas Grid Under PressureIn this bonus episode, you’ll hear a panel of experts we brought together to mark two years since the 2021 blackout, where we discuss the future of the Texas grid in the face of climate change and the increasingly extreme weather linked to it.
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2023-03-101h 25The Disconnect: Power, Politics and the Texas BlackoutThe CampaignNearly two years after the big blackout in Texas, how big of an issue is the power grid in the 2022 race for governor?
We talk with Julian Aguilar, a reporter for the Texas Newsroom.
The Disconnect Season 2 is a project of The Texas Newsroom, the collaboration among NPR and the public radio stations in the state. It received support from FRONTLINE’s Local Journalism Initiative, which is funded by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
The post The Campaign appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios...2022-10-3118 min
The FRONTLINE DispatchThe Disconnect: Season 2, Episode 1: The TollIn the first episode of Season 2 of The Disconnect, a podcast all about the Texas blackout of February 2021 from FRONTLINE’s Local Journalism Initiative partner, the Texas Newsroom, and Austin public radio station KUT, host Mose Buchele and colleagues examine the blackout’s impact on one Texas family, and the accuracy of the state’s official death count.
The Disconnect Season 2 is a project of The Texas Newsroom, the collaboration among NPR and the public radio stations in the state. It received support from FRONTLINE’s Local Journalism Initiative, which is funded by the John S. and James L...2022-09-0836 min
The FRONTLINE DispatchInvestigating the Texas BlackoutIn February 2021, a powerful winter storm led to power outages — and an official tally of more than 200 deaths — across Texas. The Disconnect, a podcast from FRONTLINE’s Local Journalism Initiative partner, the Texas Newsroom, and Austin public radio station KUT, investigatess the aftermath of the storm and the state’s response.
KUT’s Mose Buchele, Senior Correspondent for Energy & Environment, joins The FRONTLINE Dispatch to talk about the state’s unique power grid, the deadly consequences when it failed and trying to hold officials accountable.
“At the end of the day,” Buchele said, “this is a system that seem...2022-09-0823 minThe Disconnect: Power, Politics and the Texas BlackoutThe Midnight ConnectionWe’ve already learned how Texas (or at least most of it) is an energy island — mostly cut off from grids in other states.
In this episode, we’ll hear about the time when one power company went rogue and threw a transmission line across the Oklahoma border.
This is the story of why they tried and how they failed to build a bridge off the island — and how it shaped the Texas grid today.
The Disconnect Season 2 is a project of The Texas Newsroom, the collaboration among NPR and the public radio stations...2022-09-0834 minThe Disconnect: Power, Politics and the Texas BlackoutBONUS: The Megawatt We Don't UseWe’ve talked about the supply-side fixes — but what about the demand side?
The Disconnect Season 2 is a project of The Texas Newsroom, the collaboration among NPR and the public radio stations in the state. It received support from FRONTLINE’s Local Journalism Initiative, which is funded by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
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2022-09-0118 minThe Disconnect: Power, Politics and the Texas BlackoutThe FixesA year and a half after the blackout, lots of Texans are still wondering if they can rely on the power grid. After conservation alerts and one pretty close call this summer, it can seem like the grid is still on a knife’s edge. We look at what’s changed, what hasn’t and how that lack of trust is playing out in one Texan’s life.
The Disconnect Season 2 is a project of The Texas Newsroom, the collaboration among NPR and the public radio stations in the state. It received support from FRONTLINE’s Local Journalism...2022-08-2546 minThe Disconnect: Power, Politics and the Texas BlackoutThe MoneyTexans have seen their electric bills rise dramatically since the blackouts last year. We’ll break down all the links in the electric supply chain that each need to get paid — and explain how we’ll still be paying the costs of the blackout for decades to come.
The Disconnect Season 2 is a project of The Texas Newsroom, the collaboration among NPR and the public radio stations in the state. It received support from FRONTLINE’s Local Journalism Initiative, which is funded by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
Th...2022-08-1145 minThe Disconnect: Power, Politics and the Texas BlackoutThe Toll
In the time since the blackout, state officials, ERCOT and power generators have tried to convince Texans that they’ve got things under control. But a lot of people aren’t convinced. And with good reason. In this episode, we’ll explore how the trauma of the blackout is still with us — and how we still haven’t dealt with the true toll of the disaster. We’ll hear from one family who lost an entire generation.
The Disconnect Season 2 is a project of The Texas Newsroom, the collaboration among NPR and the public radio stations in the state. I...2022-08-0436 min
16:1 - Education, Teaching, & LearningSchool SportsVolleyball! Softball! Baseball! Basketball! All of the balls! Join Katie and Chelsea as they discuss the history of modern sports programs in public schools in America. From the late 1800s on, high school rivalries and intercollegiate competitions have motivated students to get and stay fit, but they've also applied an increasing amount of pressure on student athletes. Funding sports programs is another big concern, particularly when athletics often compete with academic programs for limited dollars. Hear Katie's perspective as a former coach and Chelsea's view as a less-than-stellar athlete in this episode of 16:1. Thanks, listeners!Show Notes:2022-03-311h 22
99% InvisibleGrid LockedIn February 2021, it began to snow in Austin, Texas, which was unusual, and exciting for some, at least until the power dropped out for millions of people. To many, this came as a shock – how could a state known for its energy production have such widespread, prolonged power outages? To understand the situation, one has to look at the history of the grid, and how Texas came to be what we call an “energy island.” It's the only state in the lower 48 that operates its own independent electric grid.For more on the Texas grid by Mose Buchel...2022-03-2249 min
99% InvisibleGrid LockedIn February 2021, it began to snow in Austin, Texas, which was unusual, and exciting for some, at least until the power dropped out for millions of people. To many, this came as a shock – how could a state known for its energy production have such widespread, prolonged power outages? To understand the situation, one has to look at the history of the grid, and how Texas came to be what we call an “energy island.” It's the only state in the lower 48 that operates its own independent electric grid.For more on the Texas grid by Mose Buchele, be sure to che...2022-03-2249 minThe Disconnect: Power, Politics and the Texas BlackoutBonus: The WinterizingTexas lawmakers passed a law earlier this year requiring power plants to winterize — but what does that really mean?
And what about winterizing other things that are needed to make sure the lights don’t go out in a storm again?
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2021-11-1817 min
The Disconnect: Power, Politics and the Texas BlackoutThe FalloutSo what did state leaders do to make sure something like the February blackout never happens again?
And what role did deregulation play in the failure of the Texas power grid?
Find a full transcript of this episode here.
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2021-08-2645 minThe Disconnect: Power, Politics and the Texas BlackoutBonus: The Great Dam DisasterA huge catastrophe. Dozens dead. A city without power or water. It’s like a miniature version of the February blackouts.
Except this happened more than 100 years ago in Texas — and leaders faced some of the same questions then as they do now.
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2021-08-1216 minThe Disconnect: Power, Politics and the Texas BlackoutBonus: The Black StartIn this mini-episode, we tell what happens next if the Texas power grid were to suffer a catastrophic failure. It almost did in February — and if it had happened, there might have been an even bigger problem.
Find a full transcript of this episode here.
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2021-08-0510 minThe Disconnect: Power, Politics and the Texas BlackoutThe BlackoutThe story of how the worst blackout in Texas history unfolded — and left millions of people cold, hungry and with no faith in their state’s power grid.
A warning: Some of what you’ll hear in this episode may be disturbing, especially if you lived through this disaster.
Find a full transcript of this episode here.
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2021-07-291h 04The Disconnect: Power, Politics and the Texas BlackoutThe Electricity GameHow did we get the power grid we have today? Andrew Weber has the story — and it involves football, subterfuge and a whole lot of lobbyists.
You can find a full transcript of this episode here.
The post The Electricity Game appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.
2021-07-2253 minThe Disconnect: Power, Politics and the Texas BlackoutThe Energy IslandIt was only when the lights went out in Texas that many of us realized — electrically — we are all alone. Claire McInerny brings us that story. Plus, Jimmy Maas tells us how the electricity market in Texas used to work up until about 20 years ago.
Find a full transcript of this episode here.
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2021-07-2243 minThe Disconnect: Power, Politics and the Texas BlackoutTrailer: The Disconnect: Power, Politics and the Texas BlackoutJoin us as we explore the reasons and decisions that ultimately left millions of Texans in the dark during the crippling winter storm of February 2021. KUT’s Mose Buchele reports on what happened, how we got the electric grid we have today and what could be done to fix it in this limited series podcast.
The post Trailer: The Disconnect: Power, Politics and the Texas Blackout appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.
2021-06-0702 min
KUT NewsMose Buchele WritingMose Buchele Writing by KUT News2020-02-1314 min
ATXplainedWhy Is Austin’s Foliage So Amazing This Fall?Mose Buchele takes a walk with our question-asker to learn the science behind this fall’s colorful trees.
The post Why Is Austin’s Foliage So Amazing This Fall? appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.
2018-11-2905 min
KUT NewsTexas Town Looks At Life After CoalWhen energy company Luminant announced it would close three coal-fired power plants and a coal mine in Texas early next year, the town of Rockdale was knocked on its heels. Hundreds of residents there work at the Sandow Power Plant and the mine that feeds it. The big question now is: What jobs could replace the ones that are lost? KUT’s Mose Buchele has the story.2017-11-1504 min
Transom - Fostering the Art of Audio StorytellingWriting Out Of TapeWriting into tape is a necessity. Narration needs to lead to a quote. But, what about writing out of tape? Mose Buchele of KUT-FM in Austin has an uncommon approach.
The post Writing Out Of Tape appeared first on Transom.2015-10-2011 min
Sound School PodcastWriting Out Of TapeWriting into tape is a necessity. Narration needs to lead to a quote. But, what about writing out of tape? Mose Buchele of KUT-FM in Austin has an uncommon approach.2015-10-2011 min