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The latest energy news from The Texas Tribune.

Texas’ unemployment rate is among the nation’s worst — but experts say it signals a growing economy

By Maia Pandey Oct. 3, 2023

The state has yet to return to its pre-pandemic unemployment rate of about 3.5%, even as it leads the country in new jobs created. However, state economic experts say the unemployment rate is an indicator of Texas’s rapidly growing population and labor force. Full Story

Credit: Eddie Gaspar/The Texas Tribune
The 2023 Texas Tribune Festival in photos

By Pu Ying Huang and Texas Tribune Photo Team Sept. 27, 2023

Here’s a look back at the 2023 Texas Tribune Festival through the eyes of Tribune photographers. Full Story

Credit: Eli Hartman/The Texas Tribune
Texas leads the nation in oil production. What about industry-related deaths?

By Carlos Nogueras Ramos Sept. 25, 2023

An industry leader in the Permian Basin said the new report proves safety regulations are helping. Other observers say more data is needed to understand risks of extraction. Full Story

Credit: Eli Hartman for The Texas Tribune
As federal money flows to carbon capture and storage, Texas bets on an undersea bonanza

By Amal Ahmed, Inside Climate News Sept. 20, 2023

The state is awarding offshore leases to oil and gas companies that hope to bury heat-trapping carbon dioxide deep beneath the seafloor. But critics worry about leakage and the lackluster record of carbon capture facilities onshore. Full Story

Credit: REUTERS/Lee Celano
As brutal heat tests Texas’ power grid, batteries play a small but growing role in keeping the lights on

By Keaton Peters and Emily Foxhall Sept. 12, 2023

This summer, industrial scale batteries have helped boost the energy supply during critical evening hours. Battery storage represents a small fraction of Texas’ energy mix now, but it’s expected to rise sharply in coming years. Full Story

Credit: REUTERS/Adrees Latif
U.S. Rep. Randy Weber concerned Texas projects hurt amid Freedom Caucus budget fight

By Matthew Choi Sept. 11, 2023

The far-right congressman from Friendswood still backs the conservative push to lower spending, but worries bipartisan Texas projects have been impacted. Full Story

Credit: Michael Brochstein/Sipa USA via REUTERS
EPA’s inspector general says agency isn’t enforcing benzene pollution rules at refineries in Texas, nationally

By Alejandra Martinez Sept. 7, 2023

A report by the federal environmental agency’s internal watchdog found that EPA is failing to enforce its own pollution limits for the known carcinogen at many refineries — including some in Texas. Full Story

Credit: Mark Felix for The Texas Tribune/Public Health Watch
Texas avoids rolling blackouts during evening grid emergency

By Emily Foxhall Updated: Sept. 6, 2023

ERCOT has called on generators to push all available electricity to the grid as rising demand threatens to surpass the state’s power supply. If that fails, rolling blackouts are likely to begin. Full Story

Credit: REUTERS/Julia Robinson
Texans again asked to conserve power Thursday, the 11th time this summer

By Emily Foxhall Updated: Sept. 7, 2023

A day after declaring emergency conditions for the first time this summer, ERCOT is asking residents to reduce how much power they use between 5 and 9 p.m. Thursday as continued high temperatures push the power grid into tight conditions. Full Story

Credit: Sophie Park/The Texas Tribune
How ERCOT is narrowly getting through an extreme summer — and how experts say it could do better

By Emily Foxhall Sept. 1, 2023

Record-high power demand and faltering electricity sources have tested the grid in the past month, forcing the Electric Reliability Council of Texas to dig deep into its toolbox to keep power flowing. Full Story

Credit: Jerod Foster for The Texas Tribune
ERCOT’s pleas for power conservation raise concerns: Are Texans tuning them out?

By Alejandra Martinez, Caroline Wilburn and Ali Juell Aug. 31, 2023

Repetitive power conservation appeals by the state’s grid operator face a challenge: Texans becoming less responsive to calls. Past conservation requests have helped reduce 100,000 homes worth of power demand on the grid. Full Story

Credit: REUTERS/Julia Robinson
The U.S. government hoped companies would want to build wind farms off the Texas coast. No one did.

By Emily Foxhall Aug. 29, 2023

Offshore wind advocates blame Texas’ antagonistic political climate for the lack of offers. A lease off the coast of Louisiana received two bids. Full Story

Credit: Michael Stravato for The Texas Tribune
Texans asked to conserve power Wednesday for the eighth time this month

By Emily Foxhall Updated: Aug. 30, 2023

The grid operator asked Texans to reduce power use from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. to avoid a power-supply emergency. Full Story

Credit: Axel Gerdau for The Texas Tribune
Texans asked to reduce energy use again as ongoing heat wave strains power grid

By Emily Foxhall Updated: Aug. 24, 2023

The latest conservation request from ERCOT — the third in the past week — sought to reduce power demand from 3 to 10 p.m. Thursday. Full Story

Credit: Eli Hartman/The Texas Tribune
Under new state law, Texas will bill electric vehicle drivers an extra $200 a year

By Emily Foxhall Aug. 21, 2023

The new registration fee is meant to make up for the state’s lost revenue from gasoline taxes that are used to pay for road construction and maintenance. Full Story

Credit: Photo by Steven Clevenger/Sipa USA
State power grid operator calls on Texans to conserve energy late Sunday

By Sneha Dey Aug. 20, 2023

ERCOT asked energy customers to reduce their electricity use from 7 to 10 p.m. Sunday, the third conservation request this year and the second in three days as punishing summer heat continues. Full Story

Credit: REUTERS/Joshua Lott
State grid operator asks Texans to reduce energy use Thursday afternoon as demand spikes

By Emily Foxhall Aug. 17, 2023

This is the second voluntary conservation notice issued this summer by ERCOT, which hopes to lower electricity use and avoid tight grid conditions amid an ongoing heat wave. Full Story

Credit: Sophie Park/The Texas Tribune
Texas’ environmental agency enables companies to increase oilfield wastewater disposal in rivers

By Martha Pskowski, Inside Climate News Aug. 17, 2023

Researchers are still studying the chemical makeup of “produced water” from Permian Basin oil fields. But regulators say they’re ready to issue permits to discharge the water into rivers and creeks. Full Story

Credit: Tamir Kalifa for The Texas Tribune
Texas counties don’t have the power to ban solar farms, attorney general finds

By Emily Foxhall Aug. 16, 2023

The opinion comes as communities across the country fight solar and wind development, which play an important role in slowing climate change but use a lot of land. Full Story

Credit: Evan L'Roy/The Texas Tribune
For Texans, fighting state-regulated oilfield waste dumps can be a costly, do-it-yourself effort

By Jason Buch, Public Health Watch Aug. 15, 2023

Some Texans who challenge oil and gas waste sites must spend significant sums and time on investigating what they say the Texas Railroad Commission should examine. Will new regulations for handling waste increase oversight or just maintain the status quo? Full Story

Credit: Jason Buch/Public Health Watch