In a case with potentially vast implications for groundwater rules, the court has unanimously ruled in favor of two farmers in the San Antonio area who challenged a local aquifer authority’s restrictions on their well use.
Energy
In-depth reporting on oil, gas, renewable power, and policies shaping the future of energy in Texas from The Texas Tribune.
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Energy
TCEQ’s Executive Director Retiring
Mark Vickery, the executive director of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, will retire in May — and his successor has yet to be chosen.
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Energy
Updated: LCRA Passes Water Plan for Lakes
The Lower Colorado River Authority will soon decide whether rice farmers near the Gulf Coast will get water this year when the lakes near Austin are low because of the drought.
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Energy
In Texas, Repurposing Pollution to Pump for Oil
Texas leads the nation in making and using electricity, which also makes it the nation’s top polluter. But as Dave Fehling of StateImpact Texas and KUHF reports, the state’s biggest power plant has found a surprising use for some of that pollution: drilling for oil.
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Energy
River Authority to Consider Far-Reaching Water Plan
The Lower Colorado River Authority, the utility that controls water flowing from the Highland Lakes to the Gulf Coast, is set to approve a new plan for allocating water. But as Mose Buchele of StateImpact Texas reports, the authority will first hear from the various — and often feuding — communities relying on the affected water sources.
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Energy
In Texas Schools, Climate Change an Unsettled Science
A high-profile leak last week exposed an effort to undermine the teaching of climate change in schools. As Erika Aguilar of KUT News reports, the subject also faces skepticism in Texas classrooms, where instructors must teach climate change denial alongside mainstream global warming theories.
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Energy
Despite Report, Researchers Say Fracking Poses Risks
A recent report from the University of Texas found no direct link between hydraulic fracturing and water contamination. But as Mose Buchele of StateImpact Texas reports, researchers say that doesn’t mean the practice comes without significant environmental risks.
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Energy
In “Downton Abbey,” a Glimpse of Texas’ Energy Future
The British period series Downton Abbey made headlines this year for drawing American audiences into its world of costumes and drama, but as Terrence Henry of StateImpact Texas reports, the show’s affectionate portrayal at the past may offer Texans a look at their own energy future.
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Criminal Justice
TribWeek: In Case You Missed It
Aaronson interactively charts the legal wrangling between Texas and the feds, Aguilar on what Obama’s budget means for the border, Galbraith on congressional ambivalence about a wind tax credit, Grissom on cuts to crime victims services, Hamilton on UT-Austin’s plan to boost graduation rates, Ramsey on our woefully low voter turnout, Ramshaw on a new Super PAC targeting incumbents of both parties, Root on conservative opposition to the Keystone pipeline and M. Smith on cash-starved school districts in the advertising game: The best of our best content from February 13-17, 2012.
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Energy
A Rush for Water Wells as Texas Drought Drags On
As the drought drags on, many Texans are getting their own water wells drilled. But the growing demand has some worried that the groundwater could start drying up, too.