Sixteen years ago, CPS staffers accused Gary and Melissa Gates of abuse and removed their 13 children from their home. That case fizzled quickly, but the allegations and ensuing legal fight continue to provide fodder for Gates’ political opponents.
Energy
In-depth reporting on oil, gas, renewable power, and policies shaping the future of energy in Texas from The Texas Tribune.
Posted in
Economy
Dallas Business Leaders Back Hunt In Oncor Bid
A smorgasbord of big-name Dallasites — including a Hall-of-Fame Dallas Cowboy quarterback — is supporting a Ray L. Hunt-led investment group’s request that Texas regulators reopen proceedings in its bid to buy the state’s largest electric utility.
Posted in
Energy
Report: Texas Industrial Plants Spewing Pollutants Illegally
Hundreds of industrial facilities across Texas are illegally spewing millions of pounds of toxic pollutants into the air each year when they break down or perform maintenance, according to a new report.
Posted inEnergy, Environment
New in Trib+Water: Lawmakers Pledge Support for Hurricane Plan
In this week’s edition of the Trib+Water newsletter: State lawmakers vow to champion a hurricane protection system for the Texas coast, Vista Ridge pipeline opponents win a small victory and an interview with water rights expert Charles Porter.
Posted in
Economy
Hunt Group Asks For Re-hearing on Oncor Bid
Nearly one month after Texas regulators approved — with major stipulations — Ray L. Hunt’s plan to buy Oncor and reshape it into a real estate investment trust, the Dallas oilman and his investors want a do-over.
Posted in
Economy
Years Later, Benefits from State Subsidy to Chevron Hard to Find
Texas announced in 2013 it was giving Chevron millions of dollars toward building a new office tower and creating 1,752 jobs. More than two years later, the site of the building remains a grassy lot and Chevron has laid off hundreds of workers.
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Energy
Texans in Congress Largely Silent on Hurricane Protection
With a price tag sure to reach into the billions, building seawalls and floodgates to protect Houston and Galveston from a killer storm will almost certainly require a massive infusion of federal money, state officials agree.
Posted in
Rough Patch
In Texas Drilling Country, Oil Plunge Means Too Many Rooms at the Inn
Cotulla, population 4,000, built 20 hotels during a yearslong oil boom, calling itself the “Hotel Capital” of the Eagle Ford Shale. A plunge in oil prices has prompted questions about whether that was a good idea.
Posted inEconomy, Energy, Environment, Politics
Take In a View of the New Texas Space Race
SpaceX recently achieved a milestone when it successfully landed an unmanned rocket on a floating platform in the Atlantic Ocean. Revisit our interactive project on the plans for commercial space flight in Texas, including SpaceX’s controversial facility in the southernmost part of the state.
Posted in
Energy
Study: Oil Activity May Be Cause of East Texas Quakes
University of Texas at Austin researchers call it “plausible” that underground injections of oil and gas waste triggered a series of temblors that rattled Timpson residents in 2012.