Construction on a new Toyota dealership is underway in Hutto after officials broke ground on the business Dec. 11.

The overview: The project, by Penske Automotive Group, will include the construction of a new Toyota dealership as well as a service center.

Hutto City Council approved a planned unit development, or PUD, in August 2024 for the 38.5 acres the dealership will sit on near Hwy. 79 and SH 130. The dealership will be located down the road from a new Sprouts Farmers Market that council approved incentives for earlier this year.

• 2160 Innovation Blvd., Hutto

The median price of homes sold in November in Pflugerville and Hutto declined, compared to November 2024 prices, according to data by Unlock MLS.

The overview: In Pflugerville, the median price of homes dropped from $384,495 in November 2024 to $358,250 last month. Meanwhile, Hutto’s median price dropped from $364,825 to $348,330.

A Round Rock location of ECHO Suites, an extended-stay hotel owned by Wyndham, will open in the new year.

What you need to know: The hotel brings extended-stay rooms geared towards affordability, according to a Wyndham spokesperson.

The hotel will offer suites with full kitchens, including refrigerators, dishwashers and storage; free wifi and 24/7 laundry facilities; an on-site fitness center; and pet-friendly accommodations.

• 1485 Meister Lane, Round Rock

The Texas power grid is expected to hold up this winter, officials with the Electric Reliability Council of Texas said Dec. 9. This is due in part to “tremendous supply growth on the ERCOT grid,” ERCOT CEO Pablo Vegas said, amid an influx of data centers coming to the state.

The overview: Since last winter, over 11,000 megawatts of generating capacity have been added to the ERCOT grid, Vegas said. That growth, which largely comes from battery storage and solar facilities, could be used to power about 2.8 million homes during periods of peak electric demand.

Zooming in: Under most weather conditions, there is a less than 2% chance of a grid emergency through February, ERCOT found.

However, Texas could be in trouble in the unlikely event that a repeat of Winter Storm Uri hits large parts of the state this winter, although ERCOT noted that the probability of such a severe storm happening again was "well under one percent." The February 2021 freeze devastated an unprepared power grid, resulting in nearly 250 deaths.