Cryptocurrency miners line up to come to Texas, and rural counties are welcoming them
Eager to bring new jobs to their towns and boost their tax base, rural Texas counties are courting companies that produce cryptocurrencies. Full Story
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Mitchell Ferman
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Mitchell Ferman covered energy and the economy from 2020 to 2022, based in Houston. Before joining the Tribune he was a reporter for The Monitor in McAllen, where he covered cross-border trade, politics and the city of McAllen. He also regularly freelanced from the Rio Grande Valley and beyond for The New York Times, Texas Monthly and Reuters, writing about topics including the family separation crisis and unexpected consequences of the border wall. He graduated from the University of Missouri.
Past Contributions
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![Employees service a computer that they pulled out of one of the pods at Helios, near Afton, on Sept. 15, 2022.]()
Credit: Trace Thomas for The Texas Tribune -
Texas Democrats try to convince voters they aren’t bad for oil and gas
Candidates like Beto O’Rourke and Mike Collier say they want to work toward a cleaner energy future but aren’t looking to eliminate the energy jobs that boost Texas’ economy. Full Story
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![Oil pumpjacks in Andrews County, northeast of Kermit.]()
Credit: Jerod Foster for The Texas Tribune -
Key Texas industries could face bottlenecks over railroad labor dispute
If railroad companies and workers can’t resolve their dispute by Thursday night, the country could see its first railroad strike in 30 years. Full Story
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![The Union Pacific Englewood railyard in Houston on Sept. 9, 2022.]()
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Gov. Greg Abbott touts Texas power grid’s readiness heading into fall, election season
The governor shared the favorable forecast — which is normal for the fall months — ahead of a competitive race in which the grid’s performance during last year’s fatal winter storm may factor into Texans’ decisions at the polls. Full Story
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![Gov. Greg Abbott speaks about preparations and warnings ahead of a winter storm at a press conference on Feb. 1, 2022.]()
Credit: Lauren Witte/The Texas Tribune -
EPA reverses course, rejects permit for massive oil exporting project offshore from Corpus Christi
During the Trump administration, the Environmental Protection Agency exempted a proposed oil export terminal off the Texas coast from air pollution requirements. This week it rejected the permit because of pollution concerns. Full Story
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![The Corpus Christi Ship Channel.]()
Credit: Pu Ying Huang/The Texas Tribune -
Texas gas companies face fines up to $1 million for failing to prepare for extreme weather
Critics are skeptical about whether the new rules by the Railroad Commission will prevent another catastrophe like the power grid disaster in February 2021. Full Story
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Texas bans local, state government entities from doing business with firms that “boycott” fossil fuels
Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar singled out financial firms under a 2021 state law that prohibits most state entities from contracting with companies that have reduced or cut investments in the oil and gas industry. Full Story
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![Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts Glenn Hegar at The Texas Tribune Festival on Sept. 28, 2019.]()
Credit: Eddie Gaspar/The Texas Tribune -
Pablo Vegas, a utility executive in Ohio, named ERCOT’s new CEO
The state power grid operator has been run by an interim chief since the previous CEO was fired following the deadly 2021 winter storm that crashed much of the grid. Full Story
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![Pablo Vegas.]()
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“He has total veto power”: Greg Abbott takes control over who will lead Texas’ troubled power grid, sources say
Locked in a potentially tight reelection race and facing criticism over the grid’s 2021 collapse, the governor is exerting unprecedented influence over what the state grid operator shares with the public — and who will be its next CEO. Full Story
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![Gov. Greg Abbott speaks about preparations and warnings ahead of a winter storm at a press conference on Feb. 1, 2022.]()
Credit: Lauren Witte/The Texas Tribune -
Black and Latino residents’ complaints about illegal trash dumping in Houston lead to federal investigation
The U.S. Justice Department says it has launched a civil rights investigation to determine whether the city’s response to residents’ complaints about illegal dumping was discriminatory. Full Story
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![Houston City Hall on October 2, 2017. The Department of Justice announced Friday that it will investigate the City of Houston's policies in regards to illegal dumping and its impact on Black and Latino residents.]()
Credit: Pu Ying Huang for The Texas Tribune
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