Draft Water Plan Says Texas "Will Not Have Enough"
Every five years, the Texas Water Development Board publishes a water plan for the state. The 295-page draft of the 2012 plan, published last week in the midst of the worst-ever single-year drought...
View ArticleBusiness Groups Back Texas Water Ballot Measure
To meet the needs of its growing population, drought-stricken Texas urgently needs more water infrastructure totaling $231 billion to augment water supplies and treatment, wastewater processing and...
View ArticleTexas Officials Unmollified by Pollution Rule Changes
The federal Environmental Protection Agency on Thursday proposed scaling back some requirements of its cross-state rule for reducing air pollution — a rule that has incited the fury of Texas officials...
View ArticleNew Federal Forecast Says Drought to Worsen Over Winter
While already-sodden northern regions of the United States can expect above-average rains this winter, the worst one-year drought in Texas history looks set to persist in the coming months, federal...
View ArticleDrought's Economic Impact Spreading Across Texas
A year into the driest stretch in recorded state history, most Texans are still far from running out of water. But the devastating economic impact is beginning to extend beyond rural agriculture and...
View ArticleAustin Congressman McCaul a Top Water User Despite Drought
In Texas House and Senate hearings this week, state lawmakers heard repeatedly about the crisis created by the record-breaking drought — and the need for Texans to conserve water. One elected official...
View ArticleTexas Oil Regulators Scrap Concealed Firearms Ban
Texas Railroad Commission employees will now be able to carry concealed firearms as they go about their work, following a unanimous vote on Tuesday by the three commissioners."[Railroad Commission]...
View ArticleElectric Grid Operator Warns Summer Blackout Threat Could Recur
In a report released Thursday, the state's electric grid operator indicated that next summer could see a repeat of the rolling blackout threats that plagued Texas past summer. The reason: rising demand...
View ArticleTexas Greens Cheer New EPA Mercury Rules
The Environmental Protection Agency announced a new rule on Wednesday aimed at reducing the amount of mercury and other toxic emissions from power plants. It is unlikely to improve Texas officials' low...
View ArticleTexas Electric Grid Faces Uncertainty in 2012
Will the lights stay on in 2012? Texas electricity experts cannot say for certain.The state’s electric grid operators are coming off of a tumultuous year, one they are not eager to repeat. In February,...
View ArticleTexas Comptroller's Report Assesses Drought's Impact
A 12-page report released Wednesday by the Texas comptroller's office offers a wide-ranging look at the effects of the record drought that is still gripping Texas.The report, "The Impact of the 2011...
View ArticleWhy Longhorns Owe Their Survival in Part to Oklahoma
It might not be the safest week to mention this, but here goes:The Texas longhorns owe their survival in large part to Oklahoma.Oklahoma and the federal government, that is.We’re talking cattle, of...
View ArticleTexas Parks, Towns Embrace Dark Sky Movement
In recent years, Texas’ state parks havestruggled with falling visitor numbers and budget cuts.
View ArticleDespite ‘Green’ Label, Austin a Growing Oil and Gas Hub
Subjects like solar panels and smart-grid technologies become a topic of discussion at plenty of Austin happy hours. But when dozens of people gathered at a lakeside bar earlier this month, the talk...
View ArticleTexas Renewable Energy Faces Hurdles in Legislature
During his State of the Union address on Tuesday, President Obama doubled down on his vision for renewable energy, calling for more wind and solar power.In Texas, the Legislature is less enthusiastic.
View ArticleTexplainer: How Will High Gas Prices Affect the Budget?
Hey, Texplainer: What do high gasoline prices mean for the state budget?
View ArticleTexas Water and Electric Supplier LCRA Names New Boss
The board of the Lower Colorado River Authority wasted no time in naming a long-time staffer to take over as the organization's general manager, following the resignation of Tom Mason (pictured) a week...
View ArticleMajor Texas Utility, Losing Customers, Reorganizes
A reorganization is underway at the Lower Colorado River Authority, a major wholesale supplier of water and electricity in Central Texas.
View Article"Risks of Outages" Under EPA Rule, Texas Report Warns
In a report released this morning, the Texas electric grid operator warned of "risks of outages for Texas power users" if a federal pollution rule takes effect as scheduled in January.
View ArticleTexas Water Utility Plans for Drought Worse Than 1950s
Fearing that this drought could reduce lake levels lower than ever before, the board of the Lower Colorado River Authority, the wholesale supplier of water to Austin and other Central Texas cities,
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