The latest energy news from The Texas Tribune.
Ryan Sitton, the incoming Texas railroad commissioner, says he is following through on a campaign promise to step away from his oil and gas consulting firm and place its assets in a blind trust. Full Story
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When Gov. Rick Perry first took office, Texas’ wind energy sector hardly existed. But the state has since become the nation’s leader in wind energy generation, Jim Malewitz writes, and Perry — more commonly associated with oil and gas — helped steer that boom. Full Story
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According to recent data, average levels of ozone — more commonly known as smog — decreased by nearly 25 percent in Texas between 2000 and 2013. But does the credit for cleaning up Texas air belong to Gov. Rick Perry? Neena Satija writes that opinions vary. Full Story
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This week in the Roundup: The fate of Texas’ same-sex marriage ban is in question, as is the state’s budget as oil prices continue to tumble. Meanwhile, South Texas counties plan to lobby lawmakers to allow them to negotiate mineral rights leases. Full Story
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On June 19, Colin McDonald began exploring the incredibly important Rio Grande from its source in Colorado. Here are 10 posts that give a good representation, both in words and photos, of the journey. You can follow along here for the rest of his trip. Full Story
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A 54-year-old state attorney general’s opinion keeps counties from making money on mineral leases under their roads. But officials say they need the money to fix the damage caused by oil field traffic. Full Story
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Incoming Comptroller Glenn Hegar is on the hot seat as a nosedive in crude oil prices – and the increasingly gloomy forecasts that have followed – cast a pall over the next legislative session. Full Story
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Is Texas in danger of recession next year because of the current swoon in oil prices? An economist with J.P. Morgan Chase is raising an early warning flag about that possibility. Full Story
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The Railroad Commission wants to beef up oversight of oil and gas wells in cities, and ease tension between the industry and the growing number of urban Texans living next to well pads, compressor stations and disposal wells. Full Story
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The awarding of a no-bid Medicaid fraud detection contract to the 21CT company continues to draw scrutiny with three separate news reports published Wednesday evening. Full Story
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In this week's edition of the Trib+Water newsletter: water woes afflict El Paso, rural landowners are key to water conservation and an interview with James Griffin of Texas A&M’s Bush School of Government and Public Service. Full Story
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Within four years, North Texas could become home to the world’s most advanced indoor snow center. Inevitably, the megaproject, which would include seven ski slopes, has raised questions over its impact on the environment and the economy. Full Story
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No one disputes that high levels of methane have shown up in several Parker County water wells. But the source of the gas has stirred a heated debate involving homeowners, academics, the Railroad Commission and the EPA. Full Story
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The Tribune's Jim Malewitz tries to get at, in a piece also published in Politico Magazine, the root causes that spurred the town of Denton to approve a ban on fracking last month. Full Story
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State lawmakers, the oil and gas industry and national environmental groups are asking deep questions about Denton, home to two universities, 277 gas wells and, now, thanks to a group of local activists, Texas’ first ban on fracking. Full Story
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Battery storage could revolutionize the state’s electrical grid, making it more reliable and friendlier to renewable energy. The problem? It is likely to require a fundamental change in state law. Full Story
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The Houston Chronicle's Theodore Schleifer has the goods on next year's mayoral election in Houston. Full Story
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The price of West Texas Intermediate crude oil closed Thursday below $60, "a level of great psychological significance," according to the Washington Post, and a price not seen in five years. Full Story
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A couple of popular government programs for children — one helping with early education and the other providing health care — are facing funding questions. Full Story
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Environmentalists have long argued that the methane that escapes into the atmosphere during the fracking process negates the benefits of the gas. A new study suggests that tighter regulation of drilling wells may help reduce those emissions. Full Story
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