The latest energy news from The Texas Tribune.
Across Texas, ranchers are voting this week whether to expand a program that promotes the beef industry. The election has sparked debate on the way beef business is done in the state and across the country. Full Story
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A new report by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management highlights North Texans' concerns about a disputed stretch of land along the Red River – including feral hogs, trash, meth labs and a general lack of management. Full Story
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Consumer advocates fear prepaid electricity plans could leave low-income Texans vulnerable to hidden fees and sudden electricity shutoffs. But companies that offer the plans say there is great consumer demand for them. Full Story
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In this week's edition of the Trib+Water newsletter: a tough canoe race, a planned northeast Texas reservoir spurs debate and an interview with Jordan Furnans of INTERA. Full Story
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Private aerospace company SpaceX has received a preliminary green light from the FAA for a launch site in the southern tip of Texas. Some in Brownsville are over the moon about the economic windfall it could bring. Full Story
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President Obama on Monday announced a plan for sweeping climate regulations that would dramatically slash carbon emissions from power plants. Here's a look at how the rules — which are sure to be challenged — would impact Texas. Full Story
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As some open-carry activists look to take their long-gun-brandishing demonstrations outside the state GOP convention in Fort Worth, the movement's efforts are catching criticism from a pair of unlikely sources — the nation's largest gun-rights group and a state legislator who has pushed open-carry legislation. Full Story
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The GOP state convention kicks off this week in Fort Worth with some folks urging attendees to take their guns to town. Full Story
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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. Full Story
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Attorney General Greg Abbott reversed himself Thursday on whether the Texas prison system can withhold information about companies that make drugs used by the state in executions. Full Story
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A new report from the state's Railroad Commission found that there isn't enough evidence to link rising amounts of methane in some North Texas water wells to nearby drilling activity. But scientists who study the issue aren't so sure. Full Story
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Confirmation came down from the White House on Thursday night that San Antonio Mayor Julián Castro will be announced on Friday as President Obama's choice to be the next secretary of housing and urban development. Full Story
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UPDATED: The Railroad Commission on Thursday sided with Marathon Oil Company’s bid to dismiss a groundwater conservation district’s protest of its application to inject waste into part of South Texas’ Carrizo-Wilcox aquifer. Full Story
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Farmers and ranchers in Texas are in trouble, according to recently-released data, but the candidates for Texas agriculture commissioner are talking more about conservative credentials and pot than farming woes. Full Story
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In this week's edition of the Trib+Water newsletter: dirty water, planning for drought and an interview with Sarah B. Faust of Kemp Smith LLP. Full Story
David Dewhurst and Dan Patrick, the Republican candidates for lieutenant governor, gave one last surprise in their final debate before the May 27 primary runoff election — a largely civil debate that avoided mention of the personal attacks that have come to dominate the last few weeks. Full Story
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Drought and urbanization in Texas have hit duck populations hard in recent years. But computers and satellites are now allowing scientists to pinpoint where to fund projects to restore or expand habitats. Full Story
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UPDATED: The Texas Water Development Board's executive director issued a final recommendation Monday that the controversial Marvin Nichols reservoir in northeast Texas remain in the state water plan for now. Full Story
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More bad news for Gulf Coast-area rice farmers: State regulators on Friday proposed a plan for managing the lower Colorado River basin that would likely deny them water deliveries for years to come. Full Story
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In a letter to President Obama, Gov. Rick Perry accuses the president of waging a war on coal and kicking the can down the road on the Keystone XL pipeline. Perry suggests that Washington should follow Texas’ lead in spurring energy production. Full Story
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