Analysis: Texas is great — and ought to be better
Texas is a great state, but there’s a lot of work to do, and it starts with the public — and what Texans really want. The political class isn’t going to do this on its own. Full Story
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![An aerial view of the Capitol in Austin on Jan. 6, 2022.]()
Credit: Jordan Vonderhaar for The Texas Tribune -
T-Squared: The Texas Tribune and ProPublica share IRE Award for coverage of 2021 winter storm
“The team’s coverage of a large winter storm was not just hard-hitting accountability journalism, it was public service at its best,” judges for the Investigative Reporters and Editors award wrote. Full Story
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![An eastbound view of East Stassney Lane in south Austin on Feb. 15, 2021.]()
Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune -
Texas power grid, energy sectors facing elevated Russian cyber threats during war in Ukraine
Utility companies and key oil and gas transportation hubs are on high alert as Russian hackers have been probing energy infrastructure’s digital networks for weak points. Full Story
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![An employee of Vistra Corp.’s Midlothian Power Plant adjusts the wiring of power unit on October 15, 2021. Energy providers like Vistra are preparing their plants for extreme weather conditions following the February winter storm Uri, which disrupted the Texas electric grid and led to the deaths of more than 200 people.]()
Credit: Shelby Tauber for The Texas Tribune -
In Texas, calls to boost U.S. oil production after Russian invasion run into hard realities
Labor shortages, supply chain issues, hesitant financial backers and a frosty relationship with the Biden administration have limited how much Texas oil and gas companies are ramping up production. Full Story
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![A pumpjack operates near a crude oil reserve on March 14, 2022 outside Midland, as rising gas prices begin to affect the Permian Basin.]()
Credit: Eli Hartman for The Texas Tribune -
Texas warns firms they could lose state contracts for divesting from fossil fuels
A new law prohibits the state from contracting with or investing in companies that divest from oil, natural gas and coal companies. Full Story
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![The Texas Capitol in Austin on Aug. 12, 2021.]()
Credit: Sophie Park/The Texas Tribune -
Analysis: A power test for Texas voters
After last winter’s near-statewide electric blackouts, Texas lawmakers went after regulators they deemed responsible but tiptoed around the Texas Railroad Commission, which regulates oil and gas. Now voters have a chance, if they want it, to send the state a message. Full Story
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![A gas meter with icicles on it in South Austin on Feb. 18, 2021.]()
Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune -
Analysis: Whatever the campaigns say, the Texas electric grid isn’t fixed yet
After 2021’s winter storm electric blackouts, Texas lawmakers worked to shore up the state’s electric grid. But they’re not finished, despite what you might hear from campaigning politicians. Full Story
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![Food pantry manager Farrah Rivera maps out routes to resident rooms at the Rebekah Baines Johnson Center in Austin on Feb. 17, 2021.]()
Credit: Montinique Monroe for The Texas Tribune -
Wayne Christian, incumbent commissioner overseeing oil and gas industry, is headed to a runoff
The chair of the Texas Railroad Commission fell short of winning at least 50% of the vote and will face oil and gas attorney Sarah Stogner in May. Full Story
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![Incumbent Railroad Commissioner Wayne Christian will face Sarah Stogner in the Republican runoff.]()
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U.S. plans new safety rules to crack down on carbon monoxide poisoning from portable generators
The announcement comes two months after an investigation by ProPublica, The Texas Tribune and NBC News detailed the deadly cost of the government’s failure to regulate portable generators. Full Story
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Texas oil and gas producers to see short-term profits after Russia invades Ukraine
Energy markets responding to the war with higher oil and gas prices also means energy consumers will likely pay more on their utility bills and at the gas pump. Full Story
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Ted Cruz ends block on Biden appointments after sanctions issued for Russian gas pipeline
As the Ukraine crisis intensifies, President Joe Biden issued sanctions against a pipeline company. Cruz previously blocked State Department nominees because Biden wouldn’t oppose the project. Full Story
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![U.S. Senator Ted Cruz, R-TX, leaves a U.S. Senate classified briefing on the ongoing tensions between Russia and Ukraine, at Capitol Hill in Washington on Feb. 3, 2022.]()
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“It looked like the end of the world”: Listen to the stories of Texans who lived through 2021’s historic winter storm
One year later, dozens of Texans from around the state shared their memories about an unforgettable storm. Full Story
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![An eastbound view of East Stassney Lane in South Austin on Feb. 15, 2021.]()
Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune -
Texas could connect to national power grids without losing autonomy, former grid regulator says
Texas has long refused to connect its decentralized grid to two national power networks, but Hunt Energy Network CEO Pat Wood said the state could do so without additional oversight — and without state Legislature approval. Full Story
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![The main switchyard at Vistra Corp.’s Midlothian Power Plant on October 15, 2021. This is where the power produced at this plant is transformed into usable energy.]()
Credit: Shelby Tauber for The Texas Tribune -
How Texas’ power grid failed in 2021 — and who’s responsible for preventing a repeat
In the state’s power grid, electricity and natural gas are co-dependent. Here’s how the winter storm last year broke the system. Full Story
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![Diagram of how the Texas power grid works and the role of natural gas]()
Credit: Illustration by Emily Albracht -
A year after the electric grid failed, Texas focuses on reliability, not climate change
Transitioning sources of electricity to cleaner fuels is one of the best tools humanity has to fight climate change — which brings severe weather that taxes the grid. But a year after the winter storm, Texas leaders aren’t talking about decarbonizing. Full Story
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![Wind turbines spin in Central Texas on March 25, 2021.]()
Credit: Evan L'Roy/The Texas Tribune -
Analysis: Hey, Texans, get out there and vote!
On this first day of early voting in the Democratic and Republican primaries, take a moment to think through the issues — whether the candidates are talking about them or not — before you cast your ballot. Full Story
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![A voter leaves the early voting site at the Archer Courthouse Annex in Archer on Oct. 28, 2020.]()
Credit: Shelby Tauber for The Texas Tribune -
One of the hundreds of Texans who died in the 2021 winter storm was a Lubbock ex-hippie with a “brilliant, magical mind”
A year ago next week, a winter storm devastated Texas. The family members of one storm victim say her adventurous life shouldn’t have ended by freezing to death in an assisted living facility. Full Story
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![Beth Pierce keeps family photos, including one of her sister Cynthia Pierce, at her Austin home. Cynthia Pierce died of hypothermia during the February 2021 winter storm after the assisted living facility where she lived lost power.]()
Credit: Sergio Flores for The Texas Tribune -
“I’m still trying to recover”: Some Texans are still bearing the brunt of the 2021 winter storm
Last February’s winter storm left millions of Texans without power for days in subfreezing temperatures. Watch how one family whose home suffered extensive damage is preparing for the next round of cold weather. Full Story
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![Rhonda Boyce, 63, at her home in Cedar Creek on Dec. 8, 2021. Boyce, her daughter and her three grandchildren moved into a hotel room for nearly 10 weeks after the February 2021 winter storm damaged their home.]()
Credit: Jordan Vonderhaar for The Texas Tribune -
Texas’ power grid held up during last week’s winter weather. Experts say it wasn’t seriously tested.
Experts say it’s unclear whether changes mandated by Texas lawmakers to prevent widespread power outages like those last February made a significant difference during a weaker winter storm. Full Story
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![Power lines near a power substation in Northwest Austin during a winter storm on Feb. 3, 2022.]()
Credit: Eddie Gaspar/The Texas Tribune -
Earthquakes in Texas doubled in 2021. Scientists cite years of oil companies injecting sludgy water underground.
The surge in seismic activity from increased underground pressure is shaking the West Texas ground and rattling longtime residents. Full Story
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![An injection well site sits just outside of the town outskirts Monday, Jan. 31, 2022 in Odessa. The injection facility is located less than two miles from a new suburban development north of Odessa.]()
Credit: Eli Hartman for The Texas Tribune
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