Brad Swail

Is the Texas Data Center Queue a Bubble? Expert Explains the Numbers Dr. Joshua Rhodes breaks down the massive ERCOT large-load interconnection queue and why the biggest headline numbers (400+ GW) are unrealistic. He covers the jump from recent peak demand growth to speculative forecasts, how unsigned load requests flooded the system after AI took off, the old ad-hoc process that couldn’t handle the volume, and why only 20–30% of projects in the generation queue historically get built. A clear explanation of the gap between requested data center load and what the Texas grid can actually support. @bradswail @joshdr83 @TXTalksPodcast #ERCOT #DataCenters #AI #TexasGrid #EnergyPolicy

Can Texas produce enough electricity to power the artificial intelligence revolution, or are the state's massive data center projections creating an infrastructure bubble? Host is @bradswail talks with @joshdr83 , a research scientist at the University of Texas at Austin, nonresident fellow at Columbia University, founding partner of IdeaSmiths LLC, and host of the Energy Capital podcast, joins Brad Swail on Texas Talks to examine the future of Texas' electricity grid, the explosive growth of AI data centers, and the challenges facing ERCOT. Rhodes discusses the current state of the Texas power grid, including improvements made since Winter Storm Uri and remaining concerns about natural gas supply during extreme weather. He explains how new solar generation and battery storage helped Texas manage record electricity demand without the dramatic price spikes that have accompanied previous summer peaks. The conversation then turns to projections suggesting Texas could need approximately 400 gigawatts of electricity capacity to accommodate future demand. Rhodes argues that reaching those levels within the proposed timeframe would require an unprecedented expansion of power generation, transmission infrastructure, manufacturing capacity, and construction resources. Brad and Joshua explore whether the rapid expansion of AI infrastructure and data centers resembles an economic bubble, what happens if proposed projects never materialize, and whether excess power generation could ultimately benefit ordinary Texans through lower electricity prices. They also discuss the potential of small modular nuclear reactors and geothermal energy, the rising cost of natural gas turbines and transformers, and the question of who should pay for the infrastructure required by large technology companies. Beyond electricity demand, the discussion examines community concerns surrounding data center water consumption, cooling systems, noise pollution, local tax incentives, and the economic benefits these facilities can provide. Finally, Rhodes explains ERCOT's Batch Zero process, recent efforts to bring greater accountability to large-load connection requests, and what he hopes the 90th Texas Legislature will prioritize when developing future energy policies. From nuclear power and grid reliability to artificial intelligence, data centers, and electricity costs, this episode explores how Texas can balance economic growth, technological innovation, and affordable, reliable energy without placing unnecessary burdens on everyday Texans. @TXTalksPodcast

The Counties That Fund New Mexico Want Out | Rep. @CarlTepper @bradswail Four oil-producing counties on the Texas line generate about a third of New Mexico’s income. Their legislators asked to join Texas. Santa Fe has not agreed. Rep. Carl Tepper (R–Lubbock) explains who started it, why those counties already live off Lubbock, what the process requires in both capitals and in Congress, and why he puts the land at about $11 billion. He also gets into frontier counties, six-man football, and what those few people produce.

The Nurses Are Younger Now. The Patients Are Scared of the Bill. Allen Harrison says North Texas nursing supply has recovered, but the workforce is much younger than before COVID. The shortages now are technicians: CT, MRI, respiratory therapy. He makes the case for those jobs, pay, schedules, loan repayment, and sign-on bonuses, as something lawmakers should want in their communities. Asked what patients he will never meet would say about the system, he answers: they’re scared, they need someone to listen, and the billing is often as stressful as the care. The charge on the statement is not the amount they will owe, but nothing in the bill makes that obvious. Texas Talks, live at the Texas Hospital Association annual conference. @bradswail

Should Texas Build a Statewide Prosecutor for One County? | Rep. @CarlTepper Governor Abbott wants a statewide prosecutor. Rep. Carl Tepper is not sure Texas should build one because one county keeps reelecting its district attorney. On the day of the House Select Committee on Governmental Oversight hearing, Tepper (R–Lubbock) walks through the case against Travis County DA José Garza, missing indictment deadlines, a three-strikes idea for repeat misdemeanors, and why he would rather not fund a new statewide office for a problem in one county. @bradswail

Should repeat misdemeanors lead to a three-strikes policy? Host @BradSwail sits down with @CarlTepper to discuss repeat misdemeanor offenses, accountability and the potential impact of a three-strikes approach.

Hospitals Don’t Set Prices. Insurance Stopped Working Like Insurance. Allen Harrison breaks hospital costs into thirds (hospitals, drugs, physicians) and says hospital increases are mid-single digits, roughly in line with CPI. The harder point: hospitals post charges, they do not unilaterally set what they are paid. Medicare and Medicaid ignore charges. Commercial rates are negotiated. He also says the system guessed wrong on enhanced premium tax credits. Patients who lost exchange coverage mostly became uninsured, not commercially insured. Then the cost shift: employer coverage now works like prepaid care, while insurers push back toward catastrophic deductibles of $3,000 to $5,000. Texas hospitals collect about 40% of the patient portion. His system expects to write off more than $1 billion in charges this year. Texas Talks with Allen Harrison, Medical City Healthcare, recorded September 22, 2026, at the THA annual conference. @bradswail

What is the “homeless industrial complex,” and how does it operate? Host @BradSwail sits down with @CarlTepper to discuss homelessness, the organizations and systems involved, and how public resources are being used to address the issue.

Why is Texas spending $35 million a year, and why is it getting worse? Host @BradSwail sits down with @CarlTepper to discuss the growing cost, what is driving it and why the problem continues to worsen.

Hospitals Lose Money on 70% of Patients. Here’s the Math. Ahead of the 2027 Texas legislative session, Allen Harrison says affordability will dominate the debate, and hospitals have to tell their side louder. His case: Texas hospitals lose money on Medicare, Medicaid, and the uninsured, about 70% of patients. He cites a $9 billion Medicaid shortfall statewide. Commercial patients, roughly 30%, account for more than 100% of hospital earnings, which is why employers and hospitals end up in a tug of war. The near-term ask is not new money. It is protecting Medicaid funding already in hand, including $12 billion he says the governor and HHSC preserved in a fight with CMS. Texas Talks, recorded live at the THA annual conference, September 22, 2026. @bradswail

Why did everyone in the grocery store want to be in Texas? Host @BradSwail sits down with @CarlTepper to discuss Texas’ appeal, why people continue moving to the state and what makes Texas stand out. #Texas #TexasEconomy #Migration #Growth

He Never Played Catch With His Dad. That’s Why He Runs Hospitals. @bradswail talks with Allen Harrison, president of @Med_City_Health and incoming Texas Hospital Association board chair, on growing up with a father who had type 1 diabetes: eye surgery at age 4, three years of peritoneal dialysis, a kidney transplant his body could not support, and two months at the bedside as a college senior. No cinematic nurse moment. Just the slow realization that life-changing things happen in hospitals. Recorded live September 22, 2026, at the Texas Hospital Association annual conference in Fort Worth for the Texas Talks podcast.

Nathan Hanners, who runs the Austin Record Convention, joins @CaseyOnFOX7 on @TitansOfTexas to share the story of one of Austin's longest-running music traditions and the family business behind it. Founded in 1981 by Nathan's father, Doug Hanners, the Austin Record Convention has grown from a small gathering of record collectors into an internationally recognized event attracting vendors, collectors and music enthusiasts from around the world. Nathan discusses growing up around the convention, his father's passion for discovering rare records across Texas, and how the business survived the transition from vinyl to cassettes, CDs and digital streaming. He also explains how his own career in design and technology helped him modernize the convention while preserving the atmosphere that made it successful. The conversation explores the economics of running a major event in Austin, balancing affordable admission and vendor fees with rising costs, and the innovative text-to-search system that helps collectors find specific records. Finally, Nathan shares his plans for the convention's future, including expanding its connections with local musicians, introducing new partnerships and preparing the next generation of his family to carry on the tradition. From entrepreneurship and family legacy to Austin's evolving music culture and the resurgence of physical media, this episode explores what it takes to keep a Texas institution thriving for 45 years. youtube.com/watch?v=NBkmQYyh…

When was the last time a hospital actually had a sale? Host @BradSwail sits down with Allen Harrison to discuss hospital pricing, health care costs and why patients rarely see the kind of discounts common in other industries.

Should an eight-year-old really need a phone? Host @BradSwail sits down with Chris Bryan to discuss children, technology and the question of how much access kids should have to phones and other devices.

Does having health insurance really mean you have access to care? Host @BradSwail sits down with Chris Bryan to discuss the difference between health insurance coverage and actual access to health care, and the barriers patients can still face.

What happens when the problem is coming from inside the health care system? Host @BradSwail sits down with Allen Harrison to discuss the challenges within the health care system, how they affect patients and why the biggest problems may be closer than people think.