Texas again went head-to-head with the EPA before the U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday, this time challenging federal limits on the emission of pollutants like mercury, acid gases and other toxic metals from power plants.
Energy
In-depth reporting on oil, gas, renewable power, and policies shaping the future of energy in Texas from The Texas Tribune.
Posted inEnergy, Environment
New in Trib+Water: New Threats to Texas Coastal Bays
In this week’s edition of the Trib+Water newsletter: Shellfish face threat in acidification of Texas bays, a new report says sprinklers are used too much and an interview with Wenwei Xu, a professor and corn breeder based at the Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center at Lubbock.
Posted inEnergy, Environment
Blood Lessons: Refining Still a Deadly Industry
How many people die at oil refineries each year? Longstanding federal record-keeping practices make it incredibly tough to answer that simple question. Review the deaths at refineries in the 10 years before and after the infamous Texas City explosion.
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Energy
Senate Committee Advances “Denton Fracking Bill”
A Senate committee has advanced legislation to limit local control over oil and gas activities across Texas. The proposal is among nearly a dozen filed in response to a North Texas town’s vote to ban hydraulic fracturing.
Posted inEnergy, Environment
Blood Lessons: Survivors Recall a Disastrous Day
Ten years after the 2005 Texas City refinery explosion, hear from two workers who survived it — but lost many of their friends. These videos and vignettes are part of a collaboration between The Texas Tribune and the Houston Chronicle.
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Energy
Report: Smart Lawn Watering Could Save Big
Even Texans with the greenest of lawns are watering them too much, experts say. And if everyone would turn on the sprinklers only twice a week — still probably more than necessary — the water savings would be significant, according to a report released Tuesday.
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Energy
Confusion Swirls Over Bill to Clarify Drilling Rules
After Denton voters decided to ban fracking in their town, it seemed likely this Legislature will do something to rein in cities that try to regulate oil and gas production. But one likely approach by Rep. Drew Darby is stoking local fears.
Posted inEnergy, Environment
Blood Lessons: Unsafe Conditions Persist at Nation’s Refineries
Ten years after the 2005 Texas City explosion, there is little evidence that the 15 lives lost on that March day brought needed changes to the nation’s refining industry, a joint Texas Tribune/Houston Chronicle investigation shows.
Posted inEnergy, Environment
Blood Lessons: Could the Texas City Tragedy Happen Again?
The Texas Tribune and the Houston Chronicle spent months examining whether the nation’s oil refineries learned the lessons of the deadly explosion at BP’s Texas City refinery in 2005. Ten years later, their investigation shows, the death toll has barely slowed.
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Energy
Texas Town Goes All In on Renewable Energy
Georgetown’s municipal utility has unveiled plans to tap wind and solar energy to meet all of its customers’ power needs, making it the first Texas city-owned utility to abandon fossil fuels.