Unlike other Gulf states, Texas beaches did not get soaked with oil after the BP spill two years ago. Nonetheless, $100 million — and possibly far more, depending on the courts and Congress — is about to start flowing to Texas from BP for coastal restoration.

In Texas, the largest cattle state, branding cows with a symbol like the "Rocking R" is practically a cultural necessity. But state and federal regulators are keener on another form of identification — ear tags — that's easier to standardize.

The long-lasting Texas drought has sparked an unprecedented tug of war for surface water, between those whose rights date back centuries and those who only secured water rights in the 20th century. The system may sound weird, but it is slowly changing.

Starting Feb. 1, drillers will have to report many of the chemicals they use in hydraulic fracturing. But a less-publicized part of the regulation is what some water experts are most interested in: the mandatory disclosure of the amount of water needed to “frack” each well.

Texas' greenhouse gas battles are about to heat up again. Next month, a federal court hears oral arguments in lawsuits that Texas has filed against the EPA, which began regulating heat-trapping emissions a year ago. But the agency is hardly backing down.

At a committee hearing Tuesday about the impact of drought on power generation, state senators voiced concerns that a lack of adequate water could harm Texas' long-term growth.

The recent kerfuffle over the sand dunes lizard in the West Texas oilfields may be nothing compared to what's coming. Across Texas, dozens of species are under consideration for a possible endangered species listing.

A federal court ordered Friday that the Environmental Protection Agency's controversial cross-state air pollution rule be stayed — to the delight of Texas officials and the chagrin of environmentalists.

Will the lights stay on in 2012? Even Texas grid operators, who are coming off a tumultuous year, cannot say for certain. A lot will depend on the weather — namely, whether the state suffers through another piping-hot summer.

The Environmental Protection Agency announced a new rule on Wednesday aimed at reducing the amount of mercury and other toxic emissions from power plants. It is unlikely to improve Texas officials' low opinion of the federal agency.

A new study of tree rings indicates droughts are typically a once-a-decade phenomon in Texas and that the state has had several "mega-droughts" lasting 15 to 30 years over the centuries.

In January, Texas will adopt a statewide building code that should cut the energy consumption of new single-family homes by more than 15 percent — and big cities like Houston are jumping even further ahead.

Rules requiring the disclosure of chemicals used in the controversial hydraulic fracturing process will take effect in Texas in February, the Texas Railroad Commission decided on Tuesday.

Levels of lung-damaging ozone spiked this year across Texas, especially in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. Scientists are still trying to understand why, though the hot weather is likely part of the cause. Questions are also rising about the ozone impacts of oil and gas drilling.

The former general manager of the Lower Colorado River Authority talks about rebuilding the organization after the "Trailergate" sex scandal, the environmental failures of public power and why electricity deregulation is a "huge mistake."