Big Oil's Trouble, Drilling Rules were Top Energy Stories of 2015
Texans could hardly avoid the doom-and-gloom headlines about plummeting oil prices in 2015. But that was far from the only major storyline in energy this year. Full Story
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Study: Barnett Shale Is Richer Than Previously Thought
North Texas’ Barnett Shale — one of the country’s largest natural gas fields and the birthplace of modern fracking — holds twice as much reachable gas as previously thought, the federal government says. Full Story
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Congress Poised to Lift 40-Year Oil Export Ban
The U.S. Congress is on the verge of lifting a 40-year ban on crude oil exports onto the international market, an issue that pitted Texans who work in oil production — and their House representatives — against those who work in refineries. Full Story
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New in Trib+Water: A Dam Near the Breaking Point
In this week's edition of the Trib+Water newsletter: Concerns grow about the condition of a dam upstream of Dallas, a call to rethink land and water in the Hill Country and an interview with Lucas Gregory of Texas A&M University. Full Story
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Railroad Commission Names New Executive Director
The Texas Railroad Commission has named Kimberly Corley as its new executive director. Full Story
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![Newly-named Texas Railroad Commission Executive Director Kimberly Corley speaks at STEM Education Day on Friday, May 10, 2013.]()
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Flood Experts Call for Better Warning Systems
As the Blanco River rose rapidly in the early hours of May 24th, phones around Wimberley — most of which had 512 area codes — received urgent text alerts: danger, flooding, seek shelter. Laura McComb, who had a 361 area code, did not receive any such text. Full Story
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![Flooding along the Blanco River in Wimberley in May 2015.]()
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Patterson, Declining to Run for Railroad Commission, Knocks Trump
Former Texas Land Commissioner Jerry Patterson is not running for state railroad commissioner, and he says that Donald Trump has something to do with that. Full Story
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![Former Land Commissioner Jerry Patterson and Railroad Commission Chairman David Porter, who announced he won't seek reelection.]()
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Burnam Joins Race for Open Railroad Commission Seat
Former state Rep. Lon Burnam, a Fort Worth Democrat, said Sunday that he has filed to run for a seat on the Texas Railroad Commission, the state agency that regulates oil and gas development. Full Story
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In Paris, Negotiators Strike Historic Climate Accord
Negotiators from nearly 200 nations, including the United States, struck an unprecedented climate agreement on Saturday that could have big implications for Texas — and also face big pushback from state leaders. Full Story
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Porter Drops Re-election Bid; Others Consider Jumping In
Railroad Commissioner David Porter announced Thursday that he will exit his primary battle against Republican activist John Greytok. Former Land Commissioner Jerry Patterson is exploring a run for the seat. Full Story
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Texas Scientist Aims to Revolutionize Electricity Grid
Paul Chu, founding director and chief scientist at the University of Houston’s Texas Center for Superconductivity, discusses how energy storage could revolutionize the grid, and how Texas plays a role in advancing the technology. Full Story
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![Physicist Paul Chu, head of the University of Houston's Center for Superconductivity, speaks at a research summit organized by the Academy of Medicine, Engineering and Science of Texas on Nov. 13, 2015.]()
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Staffers Say Texas Regulator Should Nix Oncor Deal
Experts at the Public Utility Commission of Texas are urging its three commissioners to reject plans by a Dallas oilman and real estate tycoon to take over the state’s largest electric transmission company. Full Story
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House Clears Bill Aimed At Red River Confusion
Legislation aimed at resolving a dispute over who owns land along the Texas side of the Red River has cleared the U.S. House. But the White House has threatened to veto it. Full Story
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![Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst accepted the microphone from Texas landowner Tommy Henderson on April 28, 2014, during a gathering of politicians, landowners, law enforcement officials and news outlets on Red River land northeast of Byers, Texas. Dewhurst expressed support for ranchers in their fight with the BLM over land they say they own.]()
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Lawmakers Grill Miller on Ag Fee Hikes
Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller faced pointed questions from lawmakers Tuesday over his plan to dramatically hike fees on a host of licenses, registrations and services that his agency provides. Full Story
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![Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller testifies during a hearing of the state Senate Committee on Agriculture, Water & Rural Affairs on Dec. 8, 2015. He defended a proposal to hike fees on services and licenses his agency provides.]()
Credit: Marjorie Kamys Cotera -
Lamar Smith's Climate Views Win Flat Earth Award
Christmas elves, pirates and scientists gathered Monday to present climate change skeptic U.S. Rep. Lamar Smith, R-San Antonio, with a fake award from the “Flat Earth Foundation of Texas.” Full Story
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![Climate change activists crowd Representative Lamar Smith's office to present him with the "Flat Earth Foundation of Texas" Award for "Semi Skeptic" of Distinction on Dec. 7th, 2015. Photo by: Shelby Knowles]()
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LCRA Fights Release of Data on New Reservoir
The Lower Colorado River Authority has concluded that its new southeast Texas reservoir won't hurt aquatic life downstream in Matagorda Bay, but the organization is refusing to release the data behind that contention. Full Story
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Judge Approves Energy Future Holdings' Bankruptcy Plan
A federal bankruptcy judge has signed off on a plan break up key pieces of Energy Future Holdings — a major step in the conglomerate’s effort to shed tens of billions of dollars in debt. Full Story
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Firm May Pay $2 Million for Cleanup of Site Feds Say Costs $23 Million
Energy Future Holdings, mired in bankruptcy, has agreed to pay up to $2 million to help clean up long-abandoned uranium mines in New Mexico — a sum far lower than the federal government originally sought. Full Story
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New in Trib+Water: A Tribute to Texas Rivers in Song
In this week's edition of the Trib+Water newsletter: A celebration of Texas rivers in song, eager beavers might help control algae growth and an interview with Meredith Miller of the Meadows Center for Water and the Environment at Texas State University. Full Story
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George P. Bush Wades into Red River Fight with Feds
The Texas land commissioner on Tuesday asked to joined seven North Texas families in a federal lawsuit that accuses the U.S. Bureau of Land Management of perpetuating an “arbitrary seizure” of land along the Red River. Full Story
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![Paul McGuire, with the federal Bureau of Land Management, speaks with landowners in Clay County on April 28, 2014.]()
Credit: Robert W. Hart