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Jim Malewitz was a reporter at the Tribune from 2013 to 2017, covering energy and environment and then working on investigations. Previously, he covered those issues for Stateline, a nonprofit news service in Washington, D.C. The Michigan native majored in political science at Grinnell College in Iowa and holds a master’s from the University of Iowa. There, he helped launch the nonprofit Iowa Center for Public Affairs Journalism, where he currently serves on the board of directors. Jim also coaches the Texas Tribune Runoffs, which, sources say, is the scrappiest coed newsroom softball team west of the Mississippi.
A federal plan to slash emissions from coal-fired power plants remains a source of deep division. But a number of utilities say their investments in natural gas and renewable energy sources have left them well-positioned to meet their potential carbon targets. Full Story
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Operators of a 45-acre San Antonio solar farm have turned to sheep – not lawnmowers – as a low-cost, low-effort way to control overgrown shrubbery that might otherwise impede the company’s technicians. Full Story
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After a two-month lag, the U.S. Bureau of Land Management has responded to Greg Abbott’s questions about the bureau’s claim to a disputed strip of land along the Red River, and the Texas attorney general is not impressed. Full Story
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Spurred in part by its fast-growing renewable energy sector, Texas has become a major testing ground for storage technology that could revolutionize the power grid. Full Story
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UPDATED: The Texas Public Utility Commission on Friday unanimously rejected a petition to overturn its “small fish, swim free” rule, which gives small electricity generators an absolute defense against allegations of market power abuse. Full Story
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A North Texas rancher’s protest of a power line that splits his land — one he says was built in the wrong place — could prompt new rules addressing when a transmission company can tweak a line’s route after it is approved. Full Story
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Last month, the Railroad Commission of Texas rejected an argument that drilling activity was to blame for methane migrating into a North Texas neighborhood's water supply. But independent geoscientists remain divided on the issue. Full Story
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A key Republican lawmaker and a Democratic candidate for railroad commissioner are among those expressing concerns about the Railroad Commission of Texas' practice of preventing staffers from talking to members of the media. Full Story
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Gov. Rick Perry and other Texas leaders say a federal proposal to combat climate change is a direct assault on energy providers. This Tribune analysis examines what Texas would have to do to reach the goals set forth in the proposal — if that proposal stays as is. Full Story
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A new report by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management highlights North Texans' concerns about a disputed stretch of land along the Red River – including feral hogs, trash, meth labs and a general lack of management. Full Story
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