A 2017 law lets the state block local governments, individuals and nonprofits from suing polluters and pursue the cases itself.
Energy
In-depth reporting on oil, gas, renewable power, and policies shaping the future of energy in Texas from The Texas Tribune.
Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick says Legislature will review Deloitte’s contracts after public loan project scandal
The examination of Deloitte’s existing contracts comes after it failed to catch red flags in a company’s application for a loan to build or upgrade power plants in the state.
How Texas’ environmental agency weakened a once-rigorous air pollution monitoring team
Former employees say the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality gutted the unit soon after the fracking boom swept the state oil industry. The operation never returned to what it was before.
West Texans split on proposed direct air capture project that could be largest in U.S.
Residents were worried about the impact on their drinking water while business leaders were excited for the new jobs.
The largest carbon capture project in the U.S. could be in West Texas. Do residents want it?
If approved, the Oxy carbon capture plant will be the largest in Texas. Critics worry the technology is not enough to beat back climate change.
Texas’ economy could take a hit if Houston dockworkers’ strike persists
Workers who load and unload shipping containers from cargo ships are at an impasse in labor contract negotiations.
Fourteen years after BP oil spill, Galveston scientists are striving to save the Gulf’s deep-sea coral
The massive 2010 oil spill damaged or killed coral in the Gulf of Mexico. Now some of the $20 billion settlement is helping researchers learn how to help the coral recover.
Ken Paxton sues Biden administration over listing Texas lizard as endangered
The lawsuit claims federal regulators have undermined the Texas oil and gas industry by misusing environmental law, negatively impacting drilling and production.
Study finds levels of a dangerous gas “off the scales” in Central Texas oilfield
The smell of oil wells has long permeated Caldwell County, near Austin and San Antonio. Now researchers have documented wells releasing dangerous amounts of hydrogen sulfide gas.
Responsive Economic Dispatch: Reaching a New Milestone in Power
Through this program, customers can lower costs, optimize spending, and receive a tailored solution helping them get more from their power.

