The state’s biggest electricity generator is adding solar power to its mix. In the latest sign that solar energy is fast gaining a foothold in Texas, Dallas-based Luminant has announced plans to tap 116 megawatts of West Texas solar power.
West Texas
West Texas is home to the nation’s largest oil field, the Permian Basin. The region is defined by its energy production and wide-open spaces. It also includes Big Bend country and cities such as El Paso, Midland and Odessa.
Posted in
Energy
In Big Bend, Pipeline Opponents Claim Small Victory
A coalition of ranchers, environmentalists and other disgruntled landowners is claiming a small victory in its long-shot battle to block a hefty pipeline planned to carry natural gas beneath 143-miles of largely untouched Big Bend-area land into Mexico.
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Energy
In Pristine Big Bend Region, a Pipeline Could Run Through It
Companies run by two billionaires are teaming up to build a 143-mile pipeline to carry natural gas through the Big Bend region and into Mexico. An unlikely coalition of environmentalists, landowners and others is fighting to thwart the project.
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Energy
In Starry West Texas, Some Drillers Follow Pleas to Cut Lights
As the glow from Permian Basin work sites hinders research and amateur stargazing at the McDonald Observatory in far West Texas, some companies are calling on their colleagues to address the problem.
Posted in
Energy
Oil Price Tremors Not Rattling Texas. Yet.
A steep drop in crude oil prices threatens to slow drilling in some U.S. oilfields, but officials in Texas’ hottest shale plays say they’re not worried.
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Energy
Midland ISD Looks to Create Pipeline for Future Oil Industry Workers
Midland school officials and area businesses are excited about a planned high school program that will focus on preparing high schoolers to work in the region’s booming oil industry.
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Bypassed by the Miracle
In West Texas, Energy Bills Show Unexpected Costs of Drilling Boom
In West Texas, oil and gas development is surging, but it’s also fueling a huge demand for electricity that the current infrastructure struggles to meet. The result? A congested grid and higher electricity bills for consumers.
Posted inState Government
Texas Tech’s Hance Says He’s Not Interested in Senate
West Texas Republicans trying to recruit Kent Hance to run for the Texas Senate will have to keep looking. The Texas Tech University System Chancellor said Monday evening that he is not interested.
Posted in
Energy
Royalty Owners Get Some Tips on the Art of the Deal
For landowners and mineral owners in Texas’ hottest drilling plays, the state’s boom means long-lasting windfalls — if those lessors know what to look for in negotiating contracts. With new educational efforts, advocates for royalty owners hope to bolster their position.
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Energy
Deal Sets Plan for Texas’ Largest Single Solar Facility
Recurrent Energy has signed a 20-year deal with Austin Energy to build a 150-megawatt solar farm in West Texas that would help power Austin. Expected to be completed in 2016, the facility would be the largest single solar site in the state.
