In Weighty Water Ruling, Texas' High Court Backs Landowner
The Texas Supreme Court has strengthened protections for landowners who don’t have rights to the water underneath their property. Full Story
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Credit: Illustration by Todd Wiseman -
New in TribTalk: Could Texas Face California-Sized Water Woes?
Texas is no stranger to drought and flooding, but at least it isn’t as bad off as California. Or is it, Ponderosa Advisors' Samantha Fox asks? Full Story
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Christian Defeats Gates in Railroad Commission's Republican Runoff
Former state Rep. Wayne Christian won the Republican nomination late Tuesday in the race for Texas railroad commissioner, edging out Houston-area real estate mogul Gary Gates in a race that turned heated in its final stages. Full Story
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![Republicans Wayne Christian (left), and Gary Gates (right) are facing off in a May 24 primary runoff for Texas railroad commissioner.]()
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At the Top of Texas, Town Offers Lessons In Oil Bust Survival
Nearly three decades ago, Perryton's town-wide celebration for $20-per-barrel oil made news across the country, delivering a hopeful message to those mired in an oil bust. The Panhandle town faces a modern day oil bust, but residents are sure they'll stay on the map. Full Story
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![Bruce Jones, president of Perryton-Ochiltree Chamber of Commerce, offered a sip of a non-alcoholic sparkling beverage to a man from Woodward, Okla., on June 16, 1987. The driver was passing by during a town celebration of rising oil prices.]()
Credit: Perryton Herald -
Report: Texas Must Increase Water Conservation Efforts
Most of the water utilities in Texas need to "substantially increase" efforts to conserve water, according to a recent review of more than 300 city utilities by the Texas Living Waters Project. Full Story
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San Antonio Utility Approves Vista Ridge Takeover
The San Antonio Water System board on Wednesday approved a takeover of the controversial Vista Ridge project — a move set in motion by the financial troubles of a firm the city had enlisted to build the 142-mile pipeline. Full Story
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![A map of the proposed pipeline that will deliver 16 billion gallons of water annually from underneath Burleson County to San Antonio, about 140 miles away.]()
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New in Trib+Water: Trouble the Water
In this week's edition of the Trib+Water newsletter: Iron may pose a greater threat to drinking water than previously thought, contaminated wastewater found in water near "unconventional" oil and gas production site and an interview with Kenneth Cook of WaterCentric. Full Story
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Christian Calls Gates "Slumlord" as Railroad Commission Runoff Nears
In an increasingly testy Republican runoff for railroad commissioner, state Rep. Wayne Christian is reaching into Gary Gates' legal history in an effort to paint his opponent as a “slumlord.” Full Story
![Republicans Wayne Christian (left), and Gary Gates (right) are facing off in a May 24 primary runoff for Texas railroad commissioner.]()
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In Texas, Market Forces Driving Shift From Coal, Study Says
Texans are on pace to rely more heavily on natural gas, wind and solar energy to power their lives in the coming decades, according to an analysis commissioned by the Texas Clean Energy Coalition. Full Story
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![Grid technicians monitor screens at the Electric Reliability Council of Texas' state-of-the-art backup control center in Bastrop.]()
Credit: Marjorie Kamys Cotera for The Texas Tribune -
U.S. Energy Chief: Texas Should Develop Clean Power Plan
U.S. Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz says Texas can play a major role in shrinking the country’s carbon dioxide footprint and addressing climate change — if it chooses to. Full Story
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![U.S. Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz]()
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Obama's Methane Crackdown Rankles Texas Oil and Gas Industry
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Thursday finalized a new set of rules aimed at battling climate change. This time, the agency is targeting the oil patch — with big implications for Texas, the nation’s petroleum king. Full Story
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![A natural gas compressor station located near La Grange, Texas, on Jan. 29, 2014.]()
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Officials: Fire That Caused West Plant Explosion Was Intentionally Set
Three years after a West, Texas, fertilizer plant explosion killed 15 people, including 12 firefighters and first responders, state and federal officials said Wednesday that someone set that fire, committing a criminal act. Full Story
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![A vehicle near the remains of a fertilizer plant burning after an explosion in West, Texas, near Waco.]()
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Big Bend-Area Pipeline Clears Last Hurdle
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission signed off on a stretch of the Trans-Pecos Pipeline that would cross below the Rio Grande, handing a setback to a coalition of ranchers, environmentalists and landowners that sought to thwart the project. Full Story
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![A sign opposing the Trans-Pecos pipeline hangs in a neighborhood near where the pipeline could run near Alpine.]()
Credit: Cooper Neill -
Survey: Texans Support a State "Clean Energy" Plan
A new poll shows most Texans believe state leaders should draw up a plan to shift from coal-fired power to natural gas and renewables — even if the state defeats the Obama administration in a high-profile court battle. Full Story
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New in Trib+Water: Climate Change and Water Supplies
In this week's edition of the Trib+Water newsletter: Threats to water supplies may be the most damaging effect of climate change, three compounds often found in wells in rural agricultural areas may be linked to birth defects and evidence is found of earlier human habitation at Spring Lake. Full Story
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Eagle Ford Town's Residents Disgusted by Waste Site's Approval
The Texas Railroad Commission approved a permit for a huge oil and gas waste facility outside of tiny Nordheim, ending one of the first organized protests against industry activity in South Texas’ Eagle Ford Shale. Full Story
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![A sign protesting a proposed drilling waste dump near the South Texas town of Nordheim is shown in 2014. The Texas Railroad Commission, charged with only evaluating groundwater effects, approved the waste site plan on May 3, 2016.]()
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Energy Future Holdings Pitches New Plan To End Epic Bankruptcy
Energy Future Holdings, Texas’ largest power company, is going back to the drawing board in its efforts to emerge from one of the largest corporate bankruptcies in American history. Full Story
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Texas Lawmaker Warns of Outer Space Death Pulse
A Texas state senator is redefining scorched-earth politics, trying to make sure Americans — and Texans — are prepared for electromagnetic pulses from space that could spell the end of civilization. Full Story
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![Sen. Bob Hall, R-Rockwall, hosts the Texas Grid Security Summit 2016 at the Texas Capitol in Austin on April 27, 2016. The session deals with how to make the power grid safer from electromagnetic radiation attacks nationwide.]()
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Sunset Review Suggests Changes, New Name at Railroad Commission
The Texas Railroad Commission should beef up its oversight of oil and gas drilling, pipeline safety and abandoned wells and change its name to reflect what it actually does, the latest sunset review recommends. Full Story
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Texas Congressman Working on Bill to Speed Hurricane Protection Plan
Two days after U.S. Sen. John Cornyn filed legislation seeking to expedite a hurricane protection plan for Texas, U.S. Rep. Randy Weber said he expects to introduce a companion bill in the U.S. House in the coming weeks. Full Story
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![The beginning of the seawall on the western edge of Galveston, Feb 14, 2016.]()
Credit: Michael Stravato for The Texas Tribune