Texas' Dry November Stirs Fears of Drought's Return
The scorching summer months have passed, but the state recorded barely any rainfall in November, sparking fears that Texas could be in store for a dry and potentially devastating winter. Full Story
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Lawmakers Hear Concerns Over Rural Water Rate Hikes
Some Texans in rural areas face double- or even triple-digit rate increases from private water providers. On Wednesday they urged the Senate Committee on Natural Resources to address the problem, and lawmakers seemed receptive. Full Story
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State's Crowded Electricity Market Often Masks Prices
State regulators say it all the time: Texas' competitive electricity market benefits customers by letting them shop for the best prices. But in many parts of the state, the complex market has left consumers paying more than they should be. Full Story
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Long After BP Spill, Texas Awaits Restoration Funds
Though Texas has been promised at least $100 million for coastal restoration after the BP oil spill, the process of disbursing funds for projects like protecting marshland is facing delays. Full Story
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Enthusiasm Declines Over "Smart" Meters Program
Millions of "smart" electricity meters have been installed in homes, but now some Texans say the program should be optional. And some lawmakers are listening. Full Story
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Spokesman: George P. Bush is Still Shopping
George P. Bush, who filed campaign papers last week, is considering a run for Texas land commissioner, but hasn't ruled out other options in the 2014 election cycle, his campaign said Wednesday. Full Story
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LCRA Approves Compromise Plan to Release Water for Rice Farmers
The board of the Lower Colorado River Authority voted Wednesday to release water to rice farmers next spring if Central Texas' Highland Lakes, already diminished by drought, do not drop below 38.5 percent full. Full Story
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Emergency Drought Plan May Cut Rice Farmers Off Again
In another sign the Texas drought is far from over, the Lower Colorado River Authority is contemplating whether to enact an emergency plan that could cut off water supplies to rice farmers for the second year. Full Story
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TribuneFest: Water and the Land
At our Oct. 29 symposium on the future of water at Texas State University, Terrence Henry of NPR's StateImpact Texas talked to Agriculture Commissioner Todd Staples, David Langford of the Texas Wildlife Association and Laura Huffman of The Nature Conservancy of Texas. Full Story
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Despite "Green" Label, Austin a Growing Oil Hub
Despite its “Keep Austin Weird” slogan and passion for clean energy, Austin is increasingly attracting oil and gas companies thanks to its entrepreneurial bent and reputation as a fun place to live. Full Story
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Lawmakers Keep Pressing for Urgent Water Action
Whether the Legislature will take action to shore up the state's water supplies, and what that action will be, are the questions that everyone in the water world is asking. The Speaker of the House appears ready to push. Full Story
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TribuneFest: Water and the Environment
At the Trib's Oct. 29 symposium on the future of water at Texas State University, Kate Galbraith talked to former state Sen. Kip Averitt, R-Waco, Myron Hess of the National Wildlife Federation and Bob Huston of the Environmental Flows Science Advisory Committee. Full Story
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TribuneFest: A Conversation with Ritter and Hegar
At the Trib's Oct. 29 symposium at Texas State University on the future of water, I talked with state Rep. Allan Ritter, R-Nederland, who chairs the House Natural Resources Committee, and state Sen. Glenn Hegar, R-Katy, a member of the Senate Natural Resources Committee. Full Story
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Amid Texas Power Market Changes, Little Talk of Impact on Ratepayers
Ongoing efforts to fix the strained Texas power market will almost certainly have an effect on the monthly power bills for ordinary Texans. But there has been little discussion, or study, of the impact on ratepayers. Full Story
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In Texas, Extreme Weather is the New Normal
Increasingly hot summers and new extreme weather patterns have helped activists raise awareness of climate change. But in Texas, weather that once would have been considered extreme has become commonplace. Full Story
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With Toolkits and Robots, Schools Teach Kids About Water Conservation
Texas schools have gotten creative about water education, sometimes even giving students low-flow shower heads and other water-saving devices to install at home. But funding is a perpetual challenge. Full Story
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State Water Plan Faces Critical Funding Test
The Legislature failed to fund a state water plan in the last session. And with a price tag pegged at $53 billion and lawmakers pledging not to raise taxes, finding the money is sure to prove tricky in 2013. Full Story
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Drilling Regulators Using Old Technology as Industry Booms
Oil and gas drilling continues to buoy the state's economy, but the Railroad Commission, the agency charged with regulating the industry in Texas, is struggling with what one commissioner called technology "stuck somewhere in the mid-'90s." Full Story
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Food Blogger's Tale Gets Scorn Heaped on State Agency
The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department has been receiving hate mail from around the country thanks to the gastronomic adventures of an Austin-area food blogger. It all started when the man’s unlikely dinner literally went bump in the night. Full Story
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Fracking Boom Still Rattling Some Small Communities
A fracking boom in rural counties south of San Antonio continues to produce an enormous amount of oil for the state. But some of those counties are just now beginning to grapple with the consequences — and downsides — of the boom. Full Story
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Credit: Helen Slottje
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