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.

While residents smelled rotten eggs, the state’s environmental agency said it has not detected any air pollution.

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.

The Electric Reliability Council of Texas, Inc. (ERCOT) has released a new and enhanced version of their mobile app.

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.

A company has long pursued the plan to move “high-level” nuclear waste from power plants across the nation to a storage facility in Andrews County.

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.

A Senate committee discussed the potential pitfalls of artificial intelligence — and overregulating it.

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.

We’re well into the busy hurricane season, which means a brutal storm could present itself at any moment.

Texas is producing so much natural gas right now companies are losing money.

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.

An SMU study is the first scientific proof of a phenomenon local landowners have long warned was occurring.

No state agency is taking responsibility for making sure the privately built lines that power many oil and gas sites are safe. Such lines have been blamed for sparking two recent Panhandle fires.

Jason Wells told regulators the company will launch a new outage tracker by Aug. 1. It will also trim more tree limbs near power lines and hire an executive to focus on emergency response.

The company’s power outages in July have drawn the ire of state leaders. Here’s what you need to know.

The program helps low-income people with heating and cooling bills, but advocates say it disadvantages Texas and other warm-weather states, even though extreme heat is a key cause of weather-related deaths.

In Harris County, more federal money is available to help low- and moderate-income residents install rooftop solar.

Repairing electricity infrastructure after storms usually costs customers. So could strengthening it before the next weather event.

More than 200,000 CenterPoint Energy customers without power struggle with the heat one week after Hurricane Beryl swept through southeast Texas.

Abbott demanded that the utility company produce a plan by the end of July outlining how it will improve power reliability ahead of future storms.

Beryl exposed how vulnerable the electric infrastructure is to failure, leaving residents angry and at risk.

According to state filings, the utility is restoring power at a relatively quicker pace than after prior storms. Texans are still fed up.

More than 1 million Texans still don’t have electricity. For those hardest hit by Beryl, the wait will stretch into next week.

Power companies and Texas officials say restoration efforts could take days. Experts say Texans without electricity are facing a dangerous situation.

Federal tax incentives are available to weatherize your house and switch to more energy efficient appliances. Rebates are coming.

Truckers say they can wait up to 18 hours without pay to load or unload fracking sand. The drilling sites often lack restrooms.

The announcement came soon after a new prediction by the state’s main grid operator that power demands will nearly double by 2030

Despite everyone and their mom cranking up the A/C during the brutal summer heat, WalletHub says Texas has the 4th lowest energy costs in the country.

The Gulf Coast is poised to be a major hub for underground disposal of greenhouse gas to mitigate climate change, but questions remain over who will fund it long-term.

Why are electricity rates so high? When will they go down? What’s the best way to save money on electricity rates? Electric broker Mike Harrington with American Enerpower joins Amy to discuss electricity rates and your power bill.

The prediction by ERCOT reflects a new way of counting future demand and a spike in requests to connect to the grid from large power users.

The announcement was made Tuesday in a brief social media post describing Foster's work as "integral to ERCOT and to the electric power industry in Texas."

A Cloverleaf woman is one step closer to having the power restored at her home.

Short of an immediate statewide response, Texans who lost homes and livestock are taking matters into their own hands to better prepare their property for a wildfire.

A new state energy fund will offer low-interest loans to companies that build new power plants.

The dunes sagebrush lizard lives in the same West Texas land that supports the state’s biggest oil and gas fields, and industry leaders say the new designation will hurt drilling and production.

Electric vehicles are known to reduce tailpipe emissions. However, these cars are still using electricity to charge their batteries.

The biggest recipient of campaign donations from the industry isn’t Donald Trump or President Joe Biden, it’s a Texas House member who represents part of the Permian Basin.

Dozens of evacuees, including the elderly and barefoot children, crowded in an old school building Friday, praying for clear skies on Monday.

Since Sunday, multiple rounds of rainfall have soaked the region, causing rivers and creeks to swell and rise out of their banks.

A lack of air support and ineffective coordination hurt efforts to contain this year's Panhandle fires, the committee said.

Texas regulators are issuing permits to discharge large volumes of treated “produced water” into some waterways. Questions remain about the toxic pollutants found in the wastewater.

The rules will require coal-fueled plants, including Texas plants that produced about 12% of power on the state’s grid this year, to reduce carbon emissions and mercury pollution and handle disposed coal ash more safely.

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A high-tech chemical company has purchased the last available water in the Nueces River to make hydrogen and ammonia for export.

In testimony to state lawmakers, Dale Jenkins and his Panhandle peers shared the “hidden cost” of the wildfires.

Thursday’s hearing marked the end of the Legislature’s three-day marathon of public hearings.

The wind industry promises attractive salaries. But a lack of training programs and waning political support make it difficult to find new recruits.

The Texas A&M Forest Service concluded that a fallen decayed utility pole caused the Smokehouse Creek fire.

With spring upon us, now is a time when so many are beginning to work in the yard, considering a new pool or other outside projects they can do to spruce it up after winter.

A nuclear power plant hasn’t been built in Texas in decades because of cost and public fears of a major accident. Now the governor wants to find out if smaller reactors could meet the state’s growing need for on-demand power.

Texas has become an early hot spot for geothermal energy exploration as scores of former oil industry workers and executives are taking their knowledge to a new energy source.

Supporters say developing hydrogen as a fuel is critical to slowing climate change. Critics are concerned that producing it with fossil fuels will prop up the oil and gas industry.

A series of deadly wildfires have burned for nearly three weeks, destroying farms and ranches in several counties.

A new report by the Environmental Integrity Project compiled data on every U.S. plastics plant built, expanded or proposed since 2012, revealing massive growth in Texas.

Los datos públicos de una red de monitores de la calidad del aire alrededor del Canal de Navegación de Houston son difíciles de interpretar y a menudo son insuficientes, dejando a vecindarios de mayoría latina, como Cloverleaf, sin saber si el aire que respiran es seguro.

Public data from a network of state air monitors around the Houston Ship Channel is hard to interpret and is often inadequate, leaving Latino-majority neighborhoods like Cloverleaf unaware of whether the air they breathe is safe.

The full scope of damage still isn’t known, but some Panhandle residents have returned home. Firefighters continue battling the infernos.

As officials try to determine a cause for the wildfires, a Canadian homeowner filed a lawsuit blaming an energy company for the destruction. And more are expected.

The Texas Railroad Commission is tasked with plugging wells. But the state regulators say their scope is limited.

Martin Water is building an oil and gas waste recycling facility next to the Circle 6 Baptist Camp in the Permian Basin despite concerns about water and air pollution.

Don't you ever wonder what happens behind the scenes to keep on our lights and heat when the worst of weather hits?

A nonprofit commissioned the report that found severe and fatal vehicle crashes in the Permian Basin far outpaced the state.

Years in the making, the transition from a municipal electric company to an open market has left some residents unsure.

Electric vehicles are known to reduce tailpipe emissions. However, these cars are still using electricity to charge their batteries.

Crude oil and natural gas extraction in Texas reached record levels in 2023, according to the industry’s annual report.

The Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission is scheduled to vote in March on a deal that environmental advocates, the Esto'k Gna Tribal Nation of Texas and local officials oppose.

Look at that face!

Injecting saltwater back into the ground “is likely contributing to recent seismic activity,” the Railroad Commission of Texas has said.

Industrial developers describe large facilities as “minor” polluters to avoid federal permitting requirements, and environmental lawyers say the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality lets it happen.

Like local leaders in many other towns in West Texas, the Kermit City Council spent years saving its tax revenue fearing the energy economy would crash. Now it is struggling to keep up with essential services like trash and road repair.

Bitcoin miner Riot Platforms made headlines over the summer for making millions by selling pre-purchased power back to the grid. The news highlighted how the grid can benefit businesses more than consumers.

After nearly a year’s worth of legislative sessions, several issues are poised to dominate Texas politics this year. Here’s a look at how things ended on several fronts last year — and where they’re headed next.

Across the state, people are looking for ways to make Texas a better place to live as they tackle hunger, rural “brain drain,” health care obstacles and other impediments.

Critics are calling on federal regulators to increase their scrutiny and oversight of the proposed pipeline, which would send gas from Texas to the Mexican coast for export to other countries.

Kelcy Warren, a Dallas pipeline billionaire, sued O’Rourke in early 2022, saying the Democrat defamed him with critical comments about his company’s windfall profits after the Texas energy-grid collapse in February 2021.

Rudolph the Red-Nose Pumping Unit has long been a holiday tradition in Lufkin. The machinery, now used worldwide to extract oil from the ground, was invented by a local businessman.

The Biden Administration announced a crackdown on methane emissions, a major driver of climate change. Major oil and gas companies also signed on to a voluntary net-zero commitment.

Industry experts continue to argue over whether the electricity market in Texas needs to change to make the grid more reliable in winter and summer.

The expansion, which will start with a smaller pilot in four high schools between Texas and New Mexico, is being paid for by the Permian Strategic Partnership, a group funded by major energy producers.

Judges overturned a state air pollution permit that was issued last year, arguing that the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality illegally enabled Port Arthur LNG to avoid emissions control requirements.

Livingston and Jasper residents hope a lawsuit will force their municipality-operated utility company to offer lower rates and create more transparency in setting rates. They’re among the 5 million Texans living outside the state’s deregulated market and cannot choose their energy provider.

As oil and gas companies struggle to dispose of their wastewater in the Permian Basin, the city of Midland is challenging applications for disposal wells near one of its drinking water sources.

The 5.2 magnitude earthquake is tied for the fourth strongest in Texas history. It occurred in an area where oilfield companies have long been injecting wastewater from fracking underground.

Fabian Maldonado has supported his Odessa family for years on his welding salary. Wanting more, he’s gambling that a mobile coffee trailer can withstand the booms and busts of the industry.

The Electric Reliability Council of Texas announced Tuesday an update to the emergency operations reserve levels ahead of the winter months.