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The latest energy news from The Texas Tribune.

  • State Parks Facing Long-Term Budget Woes

    By Erika Aguilar, KUT News

    Texas Parks and Wildlife launched a public fundraising campaign last month to fill a significant budget shortfall. And as Erika Aguilar of KUT News reports, the next few years could prove even rougher for state parks if the drought and extreme heat persist. Full Story 

    McKinney Falls State Park
    Credit: Daniel Reese

  • TribWeek: In Case You Missed It

    By Evan Smith

    Root on the end of Rick Perry's presidential campaign, Murphy on what happens to his campaign cash, Ramsey on his next act, Ramshaw, Aaronson, Murphy, Chang and Seger interactively chart the rise and fall of his run, Aguilar talks Juárez violence with a documentary filmmaker, Galbraith on the tug-of-war over surface water, Grissom and Murphy on three decades of capital punishment in Texas, Hamilton and Aaronson on our workforce needs in 2018 and Tan on the state's much-reduced list of women's health clinics: The best of our best content from January 16-20, 2012. Full Story 

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    Credit: Graphic by Todd Wiseman

  • Guest Column: The Keystone XL Decision was Right

    By Luke Metzger

    The pipeline would have been a disaster for our climate, the quality of the air we breathe, and critical water resources across our country. It would have deepened our dependence on dirty oil from Canada’s tar sands, producing catastrophic levels of global warming pollution. Full Story 

    Map of TransCanada's Keystone and proposed Keystone XL oil pipeline.
    Credit: Graphic by TransCanada

  • Guest Column: The Keystone XL Decision was Wrong

    By Barry Smitherman

    Not only would Keystone XL have brought jobs to the United States, it would have bolstered our national security by bringing us almost one million barrels each day of secure, North American oil. Full Story 

    Pipe sections in Illinois await crews to weld and bury them during construction in 2009. This segment of the $12 billion Keystone pipeline project has already been built; a proposed pipeline through Texas still awaits government permits.
    Credit: Keystone Pipeline System

  • Government Hearings on Drilling Regulations Attract Few

    By Dave Fehling, Houston Public Media

    As more of the Gulf is opened to drilling after the lifting of a moratorium, the government has been holding hearings on industry regulations. But as Dave Fehling of StateImpact Texas reports, there’s been one thing missing from those hearings: the public. Full Story 

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  • Fracking Disclosures to Include Water Totals

    By Kate Galbraith

    Starting Feb. 1, drillers will have to report many of the chemicals they use in hydraulic fracturing. But a less-publicized part of the regulation is what some water experts are most interested in: the mandatory disclosure of the amount of water needed to “frack” each well. Full Story 

    Field distribution water tank used in the fracking process of natural gas well drilling in DeWitt County, Texas, complete with life buoy and "No Swimming" sign.
    Credit: Eric Schlegel

  • Greenhouse Gas Wars to Resume in Texas

    By Kate Galbraith

    Texas' greenhouse gas battles are about to heat up again. Next month, a federal court hears oral arguments in lawsuits that Texas has filed against the EPA, which began regulating heat-trapping emissions a year ago. But the agency is hardly backing down. Full Story 

    Steam rises from the stacks at the Martin Lake Coal-Fired Power Plant in Tatum, TX March 30, 2011.
    Credit: Tom Pennington

  • TribWeek: In Case You Missed It

    By Ross Ramsey

    The first week of 2012 started with the first presidential voting of the cycle, and our coverage included Dehn's videos of Rick Perry's "reassessment" and "next leg of the marathon" speeches, Ramshaw's reporting on the rationale behind his decision and Root's analysis of just what happened in the hours after the Iowa results came in, plus Galbraith on the Texas critters that might be added to the endangered list, Tan's look at new laws regulating payday lenders, Hamilton on an impending battle over tuition increases at UT, and Murphy with a new data map using the latest Census numbers for Texas: The best of our best content from January 2 to 6, 2012. Full Story 

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    Credit: Illustration by Ben Hasson

  • To Fix Gas Wells, States Looking to Texas Wranglers

    By Dave Fehling, Houston Public Media, and Scott Detrow, The Texas Tribune

    Natural gas drilling is booming across the country. But when a well blows out or catches fire, who gets called to fix it? Dave Fehling and Scott Detrow of StateImpact Texas report on the Texas wranglers busy capping wells in states like Pennsylvania. Full Story 

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    Credit: Joseph Bourk

  • At UT, a Possible Breakthrough in Solar Power

    By Mose Buchele, KUT News

    The solar-energy industry faced several setbacks in 2011. But as Mose Buchele of KUT News and StateImpact Texas reports, one UT professor thinks he's found a way to exponentially increase the amount of energy harvested from solar technology. Full Story 

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    Credit: Mike Baker

  • Court Stays Cross-State Rule for Texas

    By Kate Galbraith

    A federal court ordered Friday that the Environmental Protection Agency's controversial cross-state air pollution rule be stayed — to the delight of Texas officials and the chagrin of environmentalists. Full Story 

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    Credit: Illustration by Bob Daemmrich/Todd Wiseman

  • Year of Drought and Heat May Leave Long-Lasting Damage

    By Mose Buchele, KUT News

    The statewide drought, and the accompanying extreme heat and severe wildfires, made 2011 a historic year for Texas. But as Mose Buchele of KUT News and StateImpact Texas reports, some effects of this year's weather will likely be felt for years to come. Full Story 

    The Blanco River during the big drought of 2011. June 4th, 2011.
    Credit: Earl McGehee