Energy

Trump issues executive orders seeking to speed up oil and gas pipeline projects

by Steven Mufson and Toluse Olorunnipa, The Washington Post

Oil and gas companies have complained that protests and court cases have slowed construction of pipelines needed as U.S. fossil fuel production expands. Full Story 

Why has Texas suddenly decided to immediately sue industrial polluters?

by Kiah Collier

In recent weeks, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has swiftly sued two companies over major fires at their Houston-area plants. It's a dramatic departure from the state's usual approach to environmental enforcement. Full Story 

Beto O'Rourke signed this pledge on oil money. Did he break it?

by Jay Root

O'Rourke was criticized for signing the "No Fossil Fuel Money Pledge," only to take big bucks from individuals who work in the industry. Now critics say he talks a good game on climate change but needs to put his money where his mouth is. Full Story 

Deer Park terminal fire extinguished after three days of burning

by Kiah Collier

A fire that broke out Sunday morning at a petrochemical storage facility in the industrial Houston suburb stopped burning overnight. Full Story 

Explosions from unregulated pipelines can kill in Texas while energy companies go unpunished

by Mike Lee and Mike Soraghan, E&E News

People can die when small rural pipelines called "gathering lines" explode. But after decades of talk among industry representatives and regulators, the death of a little girl in Texas serves as a reminder that there are still no rules. Full Story 

GOP senator, oil industry clash over proposed eminent domain reforms

by Kiah Collier

At a public hearing on Monday, state Sen. Lois Kolkhorst — who has long tried to strengthen protections for landowners facing condemnation — challenged officials from fossil fuel groups who said her latest legislation would drag down energy production. Full Story 

Railroad commissioners voice doubts that Permian Basin flaring is more prevalent than reported

by Carlos Anchondo

The Environmental Defense Fund concluded that oil producers burned off more natural gas than they reported to the state. But Texas officials expressed skepticism of those findings during a state Senate hearing Wednesday. Full Story 

Report: Unauthorized air pollution in Texas up 27 percent in 2017

by Kiah Collier

An analysis by the research arm of Environment Texas found that 275 companies across the state reported emitting 63 million pounds of hazardous and climate-warming pollutants from their facilities in 2017. Full Story 

Report: Permian Basin oil producers flaring more natural gas than they told the state

by Kiah Collier

An analysis of government satellite data by the Environmental Defense Fund shows that the amount of natural gas that energy companies burned off in 2017 is twice as high as what they reported to state regulators. Full Story 

Report: Texas coal power plants leaching toxic pollutants into groundwater

by Kiah Collier

Analyzing groundwater monitoring data that power companies are now required to report to the federal government, the Environmental Integrity Project found that groundwater under 16 Texas coal plants had unsafe levels of contaminants including arsenic. The pollution is linked to disposal pits for spent coal. Full Story 

How a new oil boom is transforming West Texas and altering climate change math

by Kiah Collier, The Texas Tribune and Jamie Hopkins and Rachel Leven, Center for Public Integrity

Our series on the global implications of a new golden age for Permian Basin oil began with a very local story: How towns large and small are trying to deal with an explosion in drilling activity, population, traffic and other effects of the new boom. Full Story 

U.S. fossil fuel exports spur Asian building boom, climate worries

by Michael Biesecker and Kim Tong-Hyung, Associated Press

As American natural gas production soars, South Korea rushes to build tankers to move that energy to Asia’s top economies. Full Story 

Catch up on some of The Texas Tribune's top projects from 2018

by Texas Tribune Staff

The Texas Tribune produced several deep-dive investigations in 2018 that examined various issues that affect Texans across the state. Here's a look at some of those standout projects. Full Story 

Death in the oilfields: Fossil fuel boom brings mounting risk of death, injuries

by Jim Morris, Center for Public Integrity

From 2008 through 2017, 1,566 workers perished trying to extract oil and gas in America. About as many U.S. troops died fighting in Afghanistan during that period. Full Story 

The U.S. is helping the natural gas industry make a profit — at the expense of the environment

by Jie Jenny Zou, Center for Public Integrity

The U.S. government has become a pitchman for the natural gas industry. That could raise profits — and temperatures. Full Story 

Fearing outages, Texas regulators consider controversial plan to boost power generation

by Kiah Collier

The Public Utility Commission is considering measures to ensure Texans don't lose power in the hot summer months. A plan generators are pushing could cost $4 billion — and lead to higher electric bills. Full Story 

Surge of oil and gas flowing to Texas coastline triggers building boom, tensions

by Jamie Smith Hopkins, Center for Public Integrity and Kiah Collier, The Texas Tribune

For Texas ports, the rise in oil and gas exports is a windfall. For some communities, it’s not so simple. Full Story 

Amid industrial boom, Corpus Christi officials look to meet growing water demand

by Carlos Anchondo

As more oil and gas facilities come online in the Coastal Bend, the city and port of Corpus — and a handful of private companies — are planning to build a bevy of seawater desalination plants. Full Story 

Amazon picks Crystal City and New York for HQ2, snubbing Texas

by Emma Platoff

The long-awaited decision comes more than a year after Amazon announced the public bidding war in September 2017. Full Story 

Drilling overwhelms agency protecting America’s lands

by Rachel Leven, Center for Public Integrity

The Bureau of Land Management is making it easier to produce oil and gas on federal acreage. In southeastern New Mexico, it can’t even keep up with what’s already happening. Full Story