Texas oil and gas boom despite industry complaints of federal rules

OIL & GAS: Texas oil and gas production surges to record levels despite federal regulations the industry claims were designed to hamper its growth. (Texas Tribune)

ALSO:

• Federal regulators approve a 32-mile natural gas pipeline for the Tennessee Valley Authority, part of the utility’s plans to build 166 miles of new pipeline to three projects where it wants to build gas units to replace coal. (WPLN)
• Oil companies will pay $4.7 million to settle claims over a 2022 pipeline spill on Oklahoma land owned by members of the Sac and Fox Nation. (E&E News, subscription)

GRID: The Texas grid has teetered but held up through two major winter storms since widespread outages in 2021, but questions remain about the relative reliability of natural gas and renewables that are carrying the load. (E&E News)

SOLAR:

• The Tennessee Valley Authority awards contracts to purchase 600 MW of solar power and 20 MW of battery storage over the next four years. (Chattanooga Times Free Press)
• An energy company installs its third solar microgrid at a renewable natural gas terminal in Texas. (Dallas Innovates)

WIND:

• An energy company announces plans to build a 147.5 MW wind farm in Oklahoma. (Renewables Now)
• Dominion Energy says it’s still on track to begin construction of its offshore wind farm near Virginia in 2026, even though other wind projects along the East Coast have been delayed or canceled. (S&P Global)

WORKFORCE: A charitable organization launches a cleantech workforce program in Georgia to train under-employed and unemployed people for jobs working with electric vehicle chargers. (WABE)

ELECTRIC VEHICLES:

• Texas officials celebrate federal funding to build 100 new electric vehicle charging stations as General Motors invests $500 million into a state automotive plant as it moves toward electrification. (KXAS)
• A former automotive economist discusses what could encourage motorists to buy electric vehicles in West Virginia and Ohio, where EVs account for only 5% of vehicle sales. (Parkersburg News and Sentinel)

UTILITIES: Environmentalists and Austin, Texas’ municipal utility discuss whether to build a new natural gas plant that can transition to hydrogen. (Austin Monitor)

OVERSIGHT: Louisiana sues the U.S. EPA to obtain its communication with journalists and environmental justice activists as it tries to end a federal investigation into whether the state violated the Civil Rights Act by granting permits in ​“Cancer Alley.” (Verite News)

CLIMATE:

• A new study suggests Florida could lose up to 3.5 million acres of wetlands and undeveloped land from population growth and rising seas, further weakening the state’s resilience against climate change. (WLRN)
• Data showing more than 300 people died from excessive heat in Texas last year is leading to more research into heat and how it affects the human body, especially the elderly and people of color. (Inside Climate News)

COMMENTARY:

• A bill from U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz would endanger the environment by letting states use federal money to clean up abandoned oil and gas wells without showing they’re reducing methane levels or plugging wells properly, writes an energy lawyer and political candidate. (Fort Worth Star-Telegram)
• Renewable energy in Texas is growing without the need for government rules to require or restrict it, writes an editorial board. (My RGV)