The latest environment news from The Texas Tribune.
In this week's edition of the Trib+Water newsletter: Past the worst of the drought, water utilities are still feeling the impact, talk of a statewide water grid resurfaces and an interview with filmmaker Merri Lisa Trigilio. Full Story
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The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday granted a request from Texas and more than two dozen other states to block President Obama’s Clean Power Plan. Full Story
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Full video of my 2/8 conversation with seven Republican candidates for Texas Railroad Commissioner. Full Story
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Candidates Ron Hale, Weston Martinez and Lance Christian say they would support a proposal barring railroad commissioners from accepting political donations from parties doing business before the commission. Full Story
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As Texas regulators weigh the Ray L. Hunt family’s plan to buy Oncor, the state's largest electric utility, and reorganize its corporate structure to save on taxes, at least one other giant utility is considering a similar move. Full Story
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Oncor, the state’s largest utility, is warning state regulators that electric rates could increase for millions of Texas customers if they approve a complex reorganization plan offered by the Ray L. Hunt family. Full Story
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Citing an increasingly diversified Texas economy, former Gov. Rick Perry on Wednesday boasted about the “Texas Miracle” and said there’s no reason to be overly concerned about the plummeting price of oil. Full Story
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What is the definition of "tangible personal property?" The arcane question is at the center of a lawsuit that could reap energy companies a multibillion-dollar windfall and drain the state's budget surplus. Full Story
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Comptroller Glenn Hegar launched a torrent of criticism at Moody’s Investors Service on Thursday after the credit rating agency released a report suggesting a drilling slowdown could eat up a projected $4 billion budget surplus by December. Full Story
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The Texas Legislature’s efforts to beef up state oversight and avert deadly disasters like the 2013 West fertilizer plant explosion have been “not entirely adequate,” the federal Chemical Safety Board says in its final report. Full Story
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Despite a recent ad bashing Donald Trump for employing eminent domain for a parking lot, Ted Cruz has backed the Keystone XL and other pipeline projects that would use the same controversial tool to displace landowners. Full Story
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In this week's edition of the Trib+Water newsletter: A new study highlights four states' differing approaches to water strategies, rapid growth poses new dangers to the Hill Country and an interview with Zachary Sugg of the University of Arizona. Full Story
While Comptroller Glenn Hegar tried to assure lawmakers that plummeting oil prices do not mean the Texas economy is headed for a nosedive, some worried Hegar was being overly optimistic. Full Story
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"Politicians shouldn’t mess with churches or farmers, and this is a church full of farmers,” says Janey Burke of Roscoe's Champion Baptist Church, whose congregation can be counted among those outraged by Sharyland Utilities' bills. Full Story
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A federal appeals court on Thursday denied a request from Texas and other states to block President Obama’s Clean Power Plan, leaving the climate change rules in place as a legal challenge winds through the courts. Full Story
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Full video of my 1/21 conversation with Glenn Hegar, the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts. Topics discussed: oil prices, taxes, jobs and economic incentives. Full Story
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Because of crashing oil prices, Texas will send far less of its money in the coming years to transportation than it originally expected, Comptroller Glenn Hegar told state lawmakers on Wednesday. But the Republican’s overarching message? Don’t panic. Full Story
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In this week's edition of the Trib+Water newsletter: A look back at the changes wrought water-wise by LBJ on the Hill Country, the EPA is asked to take the lead in safeguarding the Texas environment and a call to consider easements in a high-profile transmission line case. Full Story
Alleging that Texas has dramatically eroded its safeguards against air and water pollution, two environmental groups are asking the federal government to step in. Full Story
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Top officials at Oncor, Texas’ largest electric utility, aired concerns on Monday with Dallas billionaire Ray L. Hunt’s $18 billion proposal to take over and reshape their company. Full Story