An analysis by the Washington, D.C.-based Environmental Integrity Project found that 30 states have cut funding to environmental agencies over the past decade. In Texas, lawmakers slashed spending by more than a third between 2008 and 2018. Full Story
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U.S. District Judge Kenneth M. Hoyt approved the settlement agreement between a scrappy environmental coalition and plastics giant Formosa. The settlement is the largest in U.S. history resulting from a citizen environmental suit. Full Story
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A subsidiary of Tulsa-based Williams Cos. is suing Texas' oil and gas regulatory agency after it approved a request from Dallas-based Exco Operating Co. to burn off natural gas from wells in South Texas while they were hooked up to Williams' pipeline system. Full Story
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Attorney General Ken Paxton applauded the new rules, saying they would make Texans safer. The Obama-era regulation was meant to improve chemical safety practices and prevent tragedies like the deadly 2013 fertilizer plant explosion in the tiny Central Texas town of West. Full Story
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The Associated Press reports that the oil and gas exploration contract was awarded after Perry recommended one of his backers as an energy adviser to Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky. Full Story
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Castañeda, a Democrat, is centering her 2020 campaign on the issue of flaring, or the burning of natural gas that companies do not move to market. Full Story
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The president said his energy secretary suggested he talk to the Ukrainian president. Perry, once Texas' governor, said his prodding was about energy and the economy — not the Bidens. Full Story
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The energy pioneer and philanthropist died of natural causes at his home in Dallas surrounded by friends and family, a spokesman said Wednesday Full Story
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The plan carries a $10 trillion price tag and calls on the country to achieve net-zero emissions by 2045. Full Story
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The unwinding of requirements that oil and gas companies tamp down on climate-warming methane leaks has big implications for Texas, the nation's petroleum king. Full Story
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The state's unemployment rate for May dropped to 3.5%, an all-time low. That breaks the record low of 3.7% reached in April. Full Story
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Sen. Lois Kolkhorst's office said Saturday that she "is still evaluating all options available to save SB 1804." Full Story
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For the past year, an influential conservative think tank has lobbied to make wind and solar projects ineligible for a popular local property tax abatement program. A measure to do that has stalled, but renewable advocates are watching for last-minute changes to other legislation. Full Story
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The Senate Committee on Water and Rural Affairs took public testimony on a bill that would strengthen state oversight of above-ground tanks that hold hazardous hydrocarbons. Full Story
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In the first major policy rollout of his presidential campaign, O'Rourke focuses on one of the most dominant issues in his party. Full Story
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Several bills meant to protect Texas landowners facing condemnation for oil pipeline construction and electric transmission projects generated heated debate on Thursday at a Capitol committee hearing. Full Story
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In the latest episode of our podcast about the 86th Legislature, Evan Smith talks to state Rep. Chris Paddie, who chairs the House Energy Resources Committee, about the impact of oil and gas activity on the Texas economy, the downside of the upside, and what the future holds. Full Story
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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
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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
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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