The latest energy news from The Texas Tribune.
As the ozone rating in San Antonio continues its slow upward march, area officials are beginning to investigate whether oil and gas drilling in the Eagle Ford Shale has anything to do with it. But their efforts are fraught with complications. Full Story
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The Edwards Aquifer is the subject of new pumping restrictions that are being announced Wednesday. San Antonio's water utility, which relies significantly on the aquifer, says that the city can avoid further restrictions of its own if it follows the authority's guidelines. Full Story
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A new study of water quality in the Barnett Shale region has found high levels of arsenic in wells that are closer to natural gas extraction sites. It's sure to fuel an already fierce debate over the impacts of hydraulic fracturing. Full Story
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Farmers who rely on the Brazos River say they are “out of water and out of luck” because the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality has curtailed their use of water from the river. Full Story
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State Rep. Sylvester Turner, D-Houston, on Thursday urged low-income Texans to participate in a program that provides rebates on their electric bills. The Legislature increased the discount to 82 percent this year, but the program is set to expire. Full Story
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A new report ranks Texas first out of 41 states for improvements in its electric grid. But that doesn't mean electricity prices are lower for most Texans — or that the grid doesn't face serious challenges. Full Story
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In Texas, scientists have found that small amounts of oil and gas seepage lead to subtle changes in soil and rock formations — a discovery that could prove fruitful for oil and gas companies looking for undiscovered oil fields. Full Story
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About 140 miles long, the San Saba River in Central Texas is not considered one of the state’s major waterways, but it illustrates — in a state still dealing with a serious drought — the sensitivities surrounding the use of a limited resource. Full Story
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Led by Attorney General Greg Abbott, Texas has fought the federal government for control over various issues, including environmental regulation and oversight of voting laws. Use this interactive to look at the current legal battles. Full Story
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Texas, the country's leading natural gas producer, could benefit from a federal bill that focuses on permits for pipelines. But critics of the measure say that there are environmental issues that should not be ignored. Full Story
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The Gulf Coast Water Authority, which serves most of Galveston County, could run out of water in less than 180 days, according to a state list of public water systems that have placed usage limits on municipal areas. Full Story
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In their new book, The Great Texas Wind Rush, reporters Kate Galbraith and Asher Price tell the story of how Texas became an unlikely leader in wind energy. Full Story
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In an opinion issued this week, Attorney General Greg Abbott says the state is under no legal obligation to help cover any potential shortfall faced by the Texas Windstorm Insurance Association. Full Story
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Deep in the Panhandle, a groundwater district is running a closely watched demonstration project aimed at showing farmers how to use less irrigation water on their crops. As the Ogallala Aquifer drops, saving water is an increasingly urgent task. Full Story
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This month, the sole public water well in Barnhart went dry for nearly three days. Residents in the Permian Basin community say that the area's thriving fracking industry is important but that a proper balance must be struck. Full Story
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State Rep. Charlie Geren and leaders in the North Texas town of Blue Mound are upset that Gov. Rick Perry vetoed a bill that would have made it easier for the town to gain control of its water system. Full Story
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Citing concerns about eminent domain abuse and the potential contamination of water resources, a coalition is asking state lawmakers to conduct interim studies and hold public meetings on the issue of oil pipeline expansion. Full Story
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A panel of House lawmakers on Monday agreed to join other state officials in calling on the federal government to send additional aid to the small town of West, which was rocked in April by a massive plant explosion. Full Story
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Barry Smitherman, the chairman of the Railroad Commission and former chairman of the Public Utility Commission, has earned praise as a smart and competent regulator. But he is also ambitious, and speculation is rife that he will make a bid for attorney general. Full Story
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Gov. Rick Perry issued more than two dozen vetoes Friday, including a line-item veto that wipes out funding for the Travis County prosecutors who investigate government fraud and public corruption. He also vetoed a bill that would have had Texas law mirror gender wage protections in the federal Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009. Full Story
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