Exxon delays planned plastics plant on Texas coast
The announcement comes six weeks after a judge struck down the local school district’s decision to give Exxon a tax break for the $10 billion plant in Calhoun County. Full Story
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![A view of Formosa Plastics’ Point Comfort complex, near the site of Exxon’s planned plant on the Gulf Coast of Texas.]()
Credit: Dylan Baddour/Inside Climate News -
Economic boom or environmental disaster? Rural Texas grapples with pros, cons of data centers
Local leaders see data centers, which help power the world’s shift to artificial intelligence, as a way to keep their towns open. Residents worry their way of life — and water — is at stake. Full Story
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![An attendee holds an anti data center protest sign at a town hall event in front of the Potter County Courthouse on Sept. 20. Sept. 20, 2025.]()
Credit: Phoebe Terry for The Texas Tribune -
TribCast: Will the Texas renewable energy powerhouse survive?
This week, Matthew and Eleanor speak with Eric Goff, founder of an energy policy advising firm, about the growth of wind and solar power in Texas and whether it will continue after recent federal efforts targeting the industry. Full Story
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![Wind turbines operate outside the West Texas town of Eden on Aug. 25, 2023 in.]()
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Central Texas floods reveal need to shore up disaster response in unincorporated areas
Almost one-third of Americans live in areas like Travis County’s Sandy Creek, where disaster aid can be spotty. Full Story
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![Big Sandy Creek, usually dry, flows nearly two weeks after the July 5 flood.]()
Credit: Laura Mallonee / Grist -
About $675 million earmarked for Texas projects is in limbo as Congress careens toward shutdown
Texas’ congressional delegation obtained tentative funding for infrastructure improvements, university research and other initiatives, but the nearly 350 earmarks are all in jeopardy. Full Story
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![Urban sprawl along I-35 in Austin on Oct. 2, 2024.]()
Credit: Jordan Vonderhaar for The Texas Tribune -
Data centers are thirsty for Texas’ water, but state planners don’t know how much they will need
A wave of massive data centers is expanding across Texas, prompting warnings from experts who say the new water demands could push the state’s already strained supply to the brink. Full Story
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![Data center buildings are under construction during a tour of the OpenAI data center in Abilene, Texas, U.S., September 23, 2025. A total of eight data center buildings are planned to exist on the campus.]()
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“Unthinkable”: Camp Mystic parents condemn reopening plans after devastating floods
Despite a plea by the family of a camper who is still missing to halt all discussions of reopening and memorials to those who died, Mystic officials say they’ll proceed with their plans. Full Story
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![Camp Mystic along the banks of the Guadalupe River in Hunt on July 5, 2025.]()
Credit: Brenda Bazán for The Texas Tribune -
Judge dismisses environmental lawsuit against FAA over failed SpaceX launch
The suit, filed in 2023 after the launch of SpaceX's Starship in Boca Chica ended in an explosion, accused the agency of not properly assessing environmental impacts. Full Story
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![The SpaceX Starship on the launchpad ahead of the tenth flight test, in Starbase, Texas, on August 24, 2025.]()
Credit: Brenda Bazán for The Texas Tribune -
“Our girls are still dead”: Camp Mystic parents pushed for laws to protect kids at camp. But their pain remains.
Two dads helped lead Camp Mystic parents to advocate for new camp rules in the Texas Legislature. What they wanted most was to have their daughters back. Full Story
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![Families of the Camp Mystic flood victims known as the “Heaven’s 27,” stand behind Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick as he speaks about the Fourth of July floods and the new bills at the Governor’s Mansion on Friday, Sept. 5, 2025. The bills, passed during the second special session of the 89th Texas Legislature, aim to enhance camp safety and protect Texans.]()
Credit: Manoo Sirivelu/The Texas Tribune -
Running Out: Texas’ water crisis — and the path forward
A growing population, leaking pipes and changing climate threaten the state’s water supply. Texas lawmakers hope a $20 billion investment will help. Full Story
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![Jay Ornelas, El Paso County Water Improvement District Manager (left) and Ramon Tirres (right) in Clint, Texas on march 5, 2025.]()
Credit: Justin Hamel for The Texas Tribune -
Texas solar program left in limbo after Trump administration pulls the plug on $250 million grant
Texas’ Solar for All program was intended to bring solar panels and batteries to low-income neighborhoods and create jobs by training workers to install the technology. Full Story
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![An Oberon solar project on Wednesday, April 16, 2025, in Notrees, Ector County. The farm, operated by 174 Power Global, produces 180 megawatts of power and according to Chariot Energy has an estimated lifespan of 25 to 30 years.]()
Credit: Eli Hartman for The Texas Tribune -
Bill overhauling disaster emergency response misses final approval in Texas Senate
Both legislative chambers adjourned without agreeing on changes to Senate Bill 2, which aimed to create new training and licensing requirements for local officials. Full Story
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![Camp Mystic along the banks of the Guadalupe River in Hunt on July 5, 2025.]()
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Texas kids’ camps must remove cabins from floodplains, operate warning systems under new laws
The parents of children who died at Camp Mystic advocated for the new legislation, which now heads to Gov. Greg Abbott for his signature. Full Story
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![Damaged cabins seen along the river in Ingram on Monday July7, 2025.]()
Credit: Brenda Bazán for The Texas Tribune -
Texas sued over its lab-grown meat ban
Two California-based companies accuse the state of government overreach for banning the sale of their products for the next two years. Full Story
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![Roy Mills checks on the cattle at J&R Mills Family Farms, on Wednesday February 26, 2025, in Nacogdoches County.]()
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Lawmakers fail to pass a bill to end massive water exports from East Texas
The House refused Senate changes allowing exports to continue while the state studies its underground water supply. Lawmakers left the Capitol without reaching a compromise. Full Story
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![The Houston County Lake in Houston Co. on Nov. 30, 2022.]()
Credit: Emil Lippe for The Texas Tribune -
Corpus Christi’s water supply is uncertain after City Council ends water treatment plans
Years of blundering and project delays have pushed the South Texas city to the brink of crisis as drought bears down and industrial water use grows. Full Story
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![Corpus Christi Ship Channel on April 17, 2022.]()
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Texas says it’s strict on oil field emissions. New data shows it’s not.
Texas’ rubber-stamp system allows drillers to release vast amounts of natural gas into the atmosphere. Full Story
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![A flare stack burning excess gas in Catarina, Texas on Mon, May 20, 2025.]()
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Settlement reached in Texas, New Mexico water dispute
In a statement, the El Paso Water Improvement District No. 1 said that the settlement will improve efficiency, conserve scarce water resources and ensure that water is available for the district’s farmers and the city. Full Story
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![An aerial view shows the Rio Grande along the border between Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua, and El Paso, Texas, on Nov. 27, 2024.]()
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A Texas congressman is quietly helping Elon Musk pitch building $760M tunnels under Houston to ease flooding
Experts in Houston have been studying the idea of building massive tunnels to divert floodwaters. Musk’s company wants a piece of the project. Full Story
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Texas power plants and chemical companies benefit as Trump eases pollution rules, experts say
A two-year delay on new mercury rules benefits coal-fired power plants, while chemical plants got an exemption from stricter air pollution standards. Full Story
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![Steam rises from the stacks at the Martin Lake Coal-Fired Power Plant in Tatum on March 30, 2011.]()
Credit: Tom Pennington for The Texas Tribune