The latest environment news from The Texas Tribune.
A tainted water well in North Texas has already stirred national debate about the impacts of oil and gas production. Now it stars in a free speech dispute that has landed in the Texas Supreme Court. Full Story
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A U.S. district judge in New Orleans found BP to be "grossly negligent" in the 2010 Gulf oil spill, opening the door to potentially $18 billion in fines that could raise doubts about the oil company's future. Full Story
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Less than eight months after breaking ground, the company constructing one of the state’s largest solar plants says it has begun harnessing West Texas’ intense rays. Full Story
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After a drawn-out competition, Texas has lost out on Tesla Motors' $5 billion lithium-ion battery plant, according to a news report. CNBC reports that the upscale electric carmaker had chosen the Silver State to be home to its “gigafactory.” Full Story
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Check out Bypassed by the Miracle, our seven-part series on the people and communities that have missed out on Texas' economic success or are finding that it comes at a price. Full Story
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In Central Texas, two groundwater districts have vastly different strategies on how to allow prospective water marketers to pump from the Carrizo-Wilcox aquifer. Full Story
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Attorney General and Republican gubernatorial candidate Greg Abbott on Tuesday reaffirmed the watchdog role of the Public Integrity Unit while also defending his agency's investigation of a Houston voter registration group in 2010. Full Story
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Texas should have more than enough electricity to keep its lights on this fall and winter, the operator of the grid covering most of the state says. Full Story
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Greg Abbott, the Republican nominee for governor, will spend his first day on the campaign trail after Labor Day unveiling a proposal to make it easier for students to get college credit for taking certain types of online courses. Full Story
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In his first in-depth interview on environmental policy, land commissioner hopeful George P. Bush's views on global warming and renewable energy set him apart from the Tea Party conservatives he has aligned himself with. Full Story
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Here's a transcript — edited for length and clarity — of The Texas Tribune's in-depth interview with land commissioner candidate George P. Bush, in which he lays out his positions on environmental policy. Full Story
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Plastic bag bans in Texas cities such as Austin and Laredo may be legally sound, according to an opinion issued by Attorney General Greg Abbott's office handed down on Friday afternoon — that is, as long as they didn't ban bags for the purposes of "solid waste management." Full Story
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In this week's edition of the Trib+Water newsletter: lots of talk about proposed water pipeline deal in San Antonio, extra monitoring of Comal Springs and an interview with Amy Hardberger, a water law professor at St. Mary's School of Law. Full Story
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Democratic gubernatorial candidate Wendy Davis released her full 2013 tax return on Tuesday, changing course after previously not allowing the document to be shared or published in full. Full Story
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A major uptick in earthquakes in Texas over the last several years has been linked to the state’s oil and gas boom. A Texas House subcommittee on seismic activity met on Monday to hear what state regulators are doing about it. Full Story
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In West Texas, oil and gas development is surging, but it's also fueling a huge demand for electricity that the current infrastructure struggles to meet. The result? A congested grid and higher electricity bills for consumers. Full Story
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As Houston considers a radical new plan for boosting its dismally low recycling rate, some critics worry that it will continue the legacy of putting waste facilities in predominantly minority neighborhoods. Full Story
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Mindy Montford, a former candidate for Travis County DA and daughter of former state Sen. John Montford, confirmed on Sunday that Gov. Rick Perry called to see if she was interested in replacing District Attorney Rosemary Lehmberg, the Austin American-Statesman and KVUE-TV reported. Full Story
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Texas' top energy officials say the state has a competitive edge because of its low electricity prices. But lower prices don't always mean lower bills for customers, and what Texans pay for electricity largely depends on where they live. Full Story
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Amid frustration that Texas has lagged behind in taking advantage of money that became available in the wake of the Deepwater Horizon disaster in 2010, state officials announced the largest conservation land purchase in Texas history. Full Story
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