Abbott to Texans: Try to Use Less Power
Gov. Greg Abbott on Wednesday made this appeal to Texans: Curb your electricity use, if you can – for the grid’s sake. Full Story
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![Grid technicians monitor screens at the Electric Reliability Council of Texas' state-of-the-art backup control center in Bastrop.]()
Credit: Marjorie Kamys Cotera for The Texas Tribune -
Deregulated Electricity a Mixed Bag for Consumers
More than a decade after the power market was deregulated for 85 percent of the state, some Texans are finding better deals on electricity. But most have paid thousands more than customers still served by monopoly utilities, a new report says. Full Story
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New in Trib+Water: Assessing the Animas River Spill
In this week's edition of the Trib+Water newsletter: Experts are still assessing the damage from the spill of mining effluents into the Animas River, a new study attempts to measure groundwater use in the Eagle Ford Shale and an interview with Jason M. Evans of Stetson University. Full Story
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UT, Japan Partner to Cut Data Center Energy Use
The University of Texas at Austin and the Japanese government are joining forces to tackle a growing problem of the digital age: As data centers crop up across the U.S., they're sucking up a lot of electricity. Full Story
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![Texas Secretary of State Carlos Cascos speaks at a press conference at the University of Texas at Austin, where officials announced a new partnership with the Japanese government aimed at boosting energy efficiency at data centers.]()
Credit: Gabriel Perez -
Climate Pleas From Pope, Obama Fall Flat in Texas
Pope Francis has called on people of faith and science to come together and address the perils of climate change, and President Obama has finalized his ambitious carbon-cutting Clean Power Plan. But Texas Republicans aren't signing on, Catholic or not. Full Story
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General Land Office Touts Move Online
The Texas General Land Office says it held the first online oil and gas lease auction in the state’s history on Tuesday, netting some $20 million for public schools. Land Commissioner George P. Bush is taking credit for the move. Full Story
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![Land Commissioner George P. Bush shakes hands with Texas Alliance for Life Director Joseph Pojman at the Texas Capitol on Jan. 24, 2015]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich -
New Law Will Help More Texans Go Solar
A loophole in state law allowed some developers to block solar installations on homes in new neighborhoods. Now it's been plugged. This story is part of our 31 Days, 31 Ways series. Full Story
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![Nipendra Patel in front of his home in the Bastrop community of The Colony. Patel's roof is marked with studs meant to support solar panels, but the neighborhood's developer blocked their installation.]()
Credit: Gabriel Cristóver Pérez -
Obama Unveils Climate Rules, With Texas-Wide Implications
President Obama on Monday unveiled the final version of his state-by-state effort to combat climate change by reshaping the nation’s energy sector – a plan that has roiled Republican leaders in Texas. Full Story
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Credit: Thomas Bougher -
Grid Operator Asks Texans to Temporarily Curb Electricity Use
The operator of the electric grid that covers most of the state called for Texans to temporarily curb their electricity use for a few hours on Thursday afternoon as record-breaking demands strain the state’s energy resources. Full Story
![Grid technicians monitor screens at the Electric Reliability Council of Texas' state-of-the-art backup control center in Bastrop.]()
Credit: Marjorie Kamys Cotera for The Texas Tribune -
Jerry Patterson to George P. Bush: Focus Less on "Derriere"
Upset about the way a recent state audit painted the agency he lead for 12 years, former Land Commissioner Jerry Patterson is jabbing his successor, George P. Bush, for failing to push back against the audit’s findings. Full Story
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Groundwater Districts Seek Help Tracking Disposal Wells
As oilfield waste disposal wells proliferate in Texas, groundwater managers are keenly interested in where they're going and how carefully they construct them. And they're asking the industry and regulators for further help. Full Story
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![A 2011 image of the Mogford oil well well, which spewed hydrocarbons onto ranchland in Dimmit County. Some experts linked the "breakout" to nearby oilfield waste injections.]()
Credit: Wintergarden Groundwater Conservation District -
New in Trib+Water: First Round of Water Projects OK'd
In this week's edition of the Trib+Water newsletter: 21 applicants win financing in first round of SWIFT loans, new California desalination plant creates controversy and an interview with Sheila Olmstead of UT-Austin's LBJ School of Public Affairs. Full Story
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In Latest EPA Ruling, Glass Half Full For Paxton, Environmentalists
Texas’ Republican leaders and environmentalists are both claiming victory Tuesday following an appeals court ruling that requires the federal government to ease limits on certain emissions for Texas and a dozen other states. Full Story
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Credit: Illustration by Todd Wiseman -
State Audit Finds "Significant Weaknesses" in GLO Contracting
The General Land Office’s contracting process is riddled with “significant weaknesses” that threatened the agency’s ability to ensure it is wisely spending its dollars, State Auditor John Keel said in a report made public Tuesday. Full Story
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Texas Facing Major Climate Change Impacts, According to New Study
A sharp increase in heat-related deaths and storm-related losses. A decrease in worker productivity and crop yields. A new climate change study paints a bleak picture for Texas over the coming decades — if nothing is done to address the much-debated warming trend. Full Story
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![The Brazos River in Knox County during the summer of 2011.]()
Credit: Earl Nottingham/Texas Parks & Wildlife -
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. Full Story
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![A sign opposing the Trans-Pecos pipeline hangs in a neighborhood near where the pipeline could run near Alpine.]()
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Texas Water Development Board OKs $4 Billion in Projects
UPDATED: From transmission pipelines to desalination plants, the Texas Water Development Board approved funding on Thursday for dozens of water supply projects from Marfa to Houston, including a handful to promote conservation. Full Story
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The Drought is Over in Texas
For the first time in more than five years, Texas no longer is in a drought. While less than 3 percent of the state remains “abnormally dry,” according to the U.S. Drought Monitor, drought has disappeared from every other part of Texas. Full Story
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Credit: Graphic by Todd Wiseman / Pedro Moura Pinheiro -
New in Trib+Water: A New Look at Groundwater Depletion
In this week's edition of the Trib+Water newsletter: A new series dives into the problem of aquifer depletion, a new study shows water use for fracking is on the rise and an interview with Tom Pankratz of the Water Desalination Report. Full Story
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Scenes of a Debate Over Big Bend Pipeline
Two companies are teaming up to build a 143-mile pipeline to carry natural gas through the Big Bend region and into Mexico. An unlikely coalition is fighting to thwart the project. See these images related to the battle over the plan. Full Story
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![A sign opposing the Trans-Pecos pipeline is shown outside the home of Suzanne Bailey and Tom Short in Alpine in June 2015. Their house sits a few feet from one of the first visible signs that the pipeline is coming: a 23-acre lot that's set to be a staging area for segments of the pipeline. The couple complained of frequent loud noise and shaking of their home as heavy machinery works to smooth the land.]()
Credit: Cooper Neill for The Texas Tribune
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