Leaders of the effort say they moved to rural Hood County for its quiet country charm, which was shattered by what locals call “that roar” from the facility.
Local leaders see data centers, which help power the world’s shift to artificial intelligence, as a way to keep their towns open. Residents worry their way of life — and water — is at stake.
This week, Matthew and Eleanor speak with Eric Goff, founder of an energy policy advising firm, about the growth of wind and solar power in Texas and whether it will continue after recent federal efforts targeting the industry.
The day after the four-term Houston lawmaker launched his statewide bid, his former chief of staff, Odus Evbagharu, announced he was running to succeed his former boss in the Texas House.
Texas’ congressional delegation obtained tentative funding for infrastructure improvements, university research and other initiatives, but the nearly 350 earmarks are all in jeopardy.
The low-interest loan to NRG Energy for a gas-fired power plant is the largest of three loans approved through the $7 billion fund since its creation in 2023.
The Texas Public Utility Commission (PUC) delayed a decision Tuesday on where Entergy will build a 150-mile high-voltage transmission line, a project meant to supply electricity to Houston’s fast-growing suburbs.
Texas’ Solar for All program was intended to bring solar panels and batteries to low-income neighborhoods and create jobs by training workers to install the technology.
A two-year delay on new mercury rules benefits coal-fired power plants, while chemical plants got an exemption from stricter air pollution standards.
Experts say the Texas Energy Fund is facing an energy market that makes new power plants more expensive and less profitable.
After reaching the end of their automotive lives, the batteries are being reused to provide lower-cost grid energy storage.
PJ Popovic, founder and CEO of Rhythm Energy, recently stopped by Houston Life to chat about what sets his company apart from others.
Tony Gardner, senior vice president and chief customer officer with CenterPoint Energy, recently stopped by Houston Life to chat about hurricane preparedness.
The package includes $13.5 billion to reimburse states for border spending. It is expected to meet resistance in the House from some Texas Republicans.
Not long ago, developers of the massive server farms talked about powering them with wind and solar energy. Now they’re bypassing the grid and building their own gas-fired power plants on site.
At least four companies say they are prepared to treat the water well enough to be released into rivers in West Texas. Environmental groups say the state is moving too fast.
The deal allocates $1 billion a year to water projects for 20 years, which some groups estimate is a fraction of what Texas needs to save its water supply.
Senate Bill 6, which now heads to the governor’s desk, gives the state’s electricity managers the ability to shut power to large consumers during emergencies.
Federal action would be needed to make the change legal. Lawmakers at both the state and federal levels have debated the question for decades.
With the summer heatwave coming in hot (no pun intended), ERCOT is expecting peak demand for residents looking to cool off. Its dashboard forecasts to shatter last year's records and potentially threaten the all-time demand record.
Across Texas, abandoned wells are erupting with chemical-infused liquid and some have created massive lakes of contaminated water. Regulators say they need more money to address the problem.
The Texas Legislature has also invested millions in research to clean the fracking wastewater. Critics say it’s not a viable solution to the state’s water crisis.
For those in an apartment wondering what they can do to prepare for an inevitable power outage during the upcoming hurricane season, there are options for you so you aren’t left in the dark.
The legislation would put new requirements on wind and solar companies that oil and gas companies in Texas do not face.
The lawmakers behind the bill promised there would not be an increase in the number of days the beach is closed.
Reps. Tom Craddick and Brooks Landgraf want to divert 10% of taxes collected on oil and gas production to help budget-strapped counties keep up with growth.
The state’s water supply faces numerous threats. And by one estimate, the state’s municipal supply will not meet demand by 2030 if there’s a severe drought and no water solutions are implemented.
The bill would have set deadlines for the oil and gas industry to plug inactive wells, which can pose a danger to the environment.
Industry leaders from Microsoft, Amazon Web Services (AWS), Google, and a host of energy technology firms will converge in Houston for CERAWeek by S&P Global, the world’s premier energy conference.
The Legislature has tried to clamp down on renewable energy resources in the past, but many lawmakers are recognizing the need to support all types of generation to meet record demand growth.
All Texans connected to the state grid will now pay for the generators rather than just CenterPoint customers.
A naturalized citizen, along with other business leaders, are working to create new resources for undocumented people living in the Permian Basin.
The terminal continues an oil export infrastructure buildout that pushes growth in U.S. oil production as momentum fades on a phase-out of fossil fuels.
Some Texans who install residential batteries, solar panels and smart thermostats can now send power back to the grid and get a credit on their bill.
The 5.0 magnitude earthquake is tied for the sixth strongest in state history. Scientists have warned for years that increased fracking in West Texas is causing higher earthquake activity.
Some experts are skeptical the grid would see as much demand growth as ERCOT predicts, and other ERCOT models showed things getting tight but not tipping into a deficit.
According to a report by CNBC, Chevron announced plans to reduce its workforce by 15% to 20% as part of a cost-cutting strategy.
Scott Mason IV, a former deputy energy secretary for Oklahoma and member of the Cherokee nation, is the new administrator for the region that covers Texas and four neighboring states.
Four leading nuclear reactor companies—Kairos Power, Natura Resources, Terrestrial Energy, and Aalo Atomics—are setting up at Texas A&M's Rellis Campus to develop cutting-edge small modular reactor technology.
Two years after lawmakers created a $10 million program to address leaking wells in rural counties, none of the money has been distributed.
Gov. Greg Abbott said cutting taxes is a top priority, however, state lawmakers don’t have as much money to plug into tax cuts as they did two years ago.
Most countries in fast-growing Southeast Asia are looking to develop nuclear energy in their quest for cleaner and more reliable energy.
Houston’s main electrical company backed off plans to raise rates after facing sharp criticism for its response to massive power outages after Hurricane Beryl.
Some residents see the charging stations as an economic boom to the town, while others find it an assault on the oil and gas industry in Texas.
Methane is a greenhouse gas that traps heat in the atmosphere and is 80 times the potency of carbon dioxide.
The new rule modernizes some aspects of commercial oilfield waste disposal and recycling. But rules for burying oilfield waste on private property remain limited.
From debating school vouchers and improving the state’s water supply to reining in property taxes, the GOP-led body will look to pass its conservative priorities amid fighting within the party.
“These kinds of temperatures don’t lead to levels of demand that are particularly difficult to meet,” energy expert Doug Lewin explained
As the winter chill sets in, Texans are questioning whether the state's power grid is prepared to handle the cold months ahead.
San Miguel Electric Cooperative's plan to turn into a solar and battery plant will leave only 14 coal-fired power plants in the state.
The Public Utility Commission found that the performance credit mechanism, a financial tool the Legislature capped at $1 billion, would only marginally improve reliability of the state power grid.
Texas regulators are taking public comment about how they should implement an EPA rule to reduce methane leaks from the oil and gas industry.
Oilfield wastewater injected underground is causing earthquakes and blowouts. Now, pilot projects are exploring whether this water could be treated and used to grow crops.
An Enron spokesperson confirmed CEO Connor Gaydos’ affiliation with "Birds Aren’t Real," and that the website is a parody, but stressed the company is not a “joke” and is serious about working to help solve the global energy crisis.
ERCOT says conditions this winter could spark extreme cold, but additional power supply and continued weatherization efforts will lower the risk of power outages.
There's a lot of chatter about Enron, the once-failed and Houston-based commodity company, and its apparent re-launch. How accurate is it exactly?
The Public Utility Commission of Texas adopted the rule amid surging demand for power across the state and a growing crypto mining industry in Texas.
The proposal comes after the state’s oil and gas regulatory agency said it needs more money to plug wells that are in some instances erupting.
The three-member board oversees Texas’ oil and gas industry. The agency has faced criticism over safety concerns linked to fracking, well blowouts and groundwater protection.
Abandoned wells in the Permian Basin are increasingly erupting with briney, polluted water. The Texas Railroad Commission says it needs emergency money to respond.
Incumbent Christi Craddick is touting the health of the Texas energy industry and its impact on the economy. Her top opponent says regulation on the commission is too lax.
Experts warn that more blowouts should be expected unless oil and gas companies change their methods.
Are you in the market for a new energy provider? Now might be the best time to switch. Here's what you need to know that could help you save on your monthly electricity bill.
The examination of Deloitte’s existing contracts comes after it failed to catch red flags in a company’s application for a loan to build or upgrade power plants in the state.
Former employees say the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality gutted the unit soon after the fracking boom swept the state oil industry. The operation never returned to what it was before.
Residents were worried about the impact on their drinking water while business leaders were excited for the new jobs.
The lawsuit claims federal regulators have undermined the Texas oil and gas industry by misusing environmental law, negatively impacting drilling and production.
The smell of oil wells has long permeated Caldwell County, near Austin and San Antonio. Now researchers have documented wells releasing dangerous amounts of hydrogen sulfide gas.
Lawmakers tasked the Public Utility Commission with overseeing the Texas Energy Fund, though the agency has no experience running a loan program.
From electric rates to power outages, it seems like we have heard a lot lately about CenterPoint Energy. In this week’s “Ask Amy” segment, investigative reporter Amy Davis answers a question from viewer Don Conger: ”Why are we stuck with CenterPoint? Why don’t they have any competition? Can they be fired?”
Texas isn’t expected to take a direct hit when the storm makes landfall as a hurricane. But storm surge and dangerous winds are possible.
While environmentalists say the new rules don’t do enough to protect groundwater, oil and gas operators are contesting stricter requirements for waste pits near wells.
To hide the scheme, Javier Aguilar and his co-conspirators used alias email accounts to discuss the scheme with code words for the bribes like “shoes,” “medicine,” “invitations,” and “coffee.”
Before the pandemic, Ben Bilbrey worked with some of the largest oil companies. Now he’s waiting for the phone to ring.
Saving on electricity means turning off devices and lights and bumping up your thermostat to a temperature some of you may think is uncomfortable. Many of you don’t do it because you don’t know how much you can save. There is an easy way to track your usage and see how small changes to your routine can save you money on your electric bill.
This week’s ruling was the latest twist since cities and groups in Texas’ Rio Grande Valley sued to block the projects.
Naturally, with the growing power demand, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that ERCOT will reach another peak. According to ERCOT’s records, its grid has reached peak demand hours consecutively each year. In August 2023, the record peaked at 85,508 MW, surpassing its peak demand from July 2022, which was at 80,148 MW.
