Gov. Rick Perry often emphasizes that he favors diversification of energy sources — and the record mostly bears him out. Wind farms and gas drilling have proliferated under his tenure, and he has tried to make building coal plants easier.
Environment
Coverage of climate, conservation, natural resources, and environmental policy shaping the state, from The Texas Tribune.
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Energy
Video: Austin Filmmaker Bradley Beesley on Newly Legalized Noodling
Throughout August, the Tribune will feature 31 ways Texans’ lives will change come Sept. 1, the date most bills passed by the Legislature take effect. DAY 18: The sport of catching catfish with bare hands, known as noodling, is now legal in Texas. Watch the Trib’s interview with filmmaker and avid noodler Bradley Beesley.
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Environment
In “Liberal Bastion,” Perry Receives an Unfriendly Welcome
Rick Perry came to press the flesh with voters in Portsmouth, N.H., Thursday — but he ran instead into a vociferous protest of his views on Social Security and Medicare outside a local cafe. It wasn’t much better inside.
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Energy
A Lizard Causes Oil and Gas Industry Drama
The sand dune lizard, located in parts of West Texas and New Mexico, could potentially be interfering with the drilling of oil and gas.
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Energy
ERCOT Urges Continued Energy Conservation
As the scorching summer days march on, so does the fear of blackouts.
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Criminal Justice
TribWeek: In Case You Missed It
Aguilar on the denial of asylum petitions by border judges, Galbraith on the history of wind, Grissom talks to the head of the Jail Standards Commission, Hamilton on plans for the state’s new online university, Murphy and Ramsey on political warchests at midyear, Philpott on Texas’ trucker shortage, Ramsey talks data privacy and abortion with Susan Combs, Ramshaw on the Rick Perry’s experimental adult stem cell procedure, Root on the response to The Response, M. Smith on the country’s could-be next first lady and Tan on a few of the ways Texas will change on Sept. 1: The best of our best content from Aug. 1 to 5, 2011.
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Energy
Drought Damages Texas Infrastructure
In West Texas, the main concern is water. In cities like Houston and Fort Worth, clay soil is drying up because of the blistering summer heat, bursting water pipelines and splitting asphalt roads. Across Texas, the cause of these spiraling problems is the same: a nine-month drought that shows no signs of relenting.
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Energy
Texas Comes Close to Rolling Blackouts
After more unabating triple-digit temperatures and continued skyrocketing power demand, the Texas electric grid operator warned of a “high probability” of rolling blackouts, although as of 5 p.m. the danger appeared to have abated.
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Energy
State Climatologist: Drought Officially Worst On Record
It’s official: Texas is now in the midst of the worst one-year drought on record, according to State Climatologist John Nielsen-Gammon.
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Energy
Power Grid Still Struggling to Keep Up With Demand
Texas set another all-time record for electricity use on Wednesday, forcing the state’s grid operator to declare a power emergency. Matt Largey of KUT News reports on the state power grid’s struggle to keep up with the heat.