Texas is often called the energy capital of America, so it might come as a surprise that the oil and gas boom has substantially driven electric prices up in some parts of the state. And in those same areas, prices are expected to spike again this summer. To understand why, it’s best to start with the small [...]
Right now, there’s a lot excitement over different shale formations across Texas and across the country. But along with excitement, there sometimes comes hype. First there was the Barnett near Fort Worth and Pennsylvania’s Marcellus. In South Texas you’ve got the Eagle Ford. North Dakota taps the Bakken. It seems like everywhere you look, drillers [...]
This article is part of an occasional series on water and hydraulic fracturing by StateImpact Texas and the Texas Tribune. GONZALES, Tex. — In a dusty lot off the main highway in this South Texas town, Vern Sartin pointed to a collection of hose hookups and large storage tanks used for collecting wastewater from hydraulic fracturing jobs. [...]
From the Texas Tribune: In Karnes County, at the heart of the Eagle Ford Shale, oil and gas drillers seeking to use water for hydraulic fracturing must get a permit from the local groundwater authority. They can pump only a certain amount of water, and they must report how much they use. In Dimmit County, [...]
If you drive west from Houston out Interstate 10, about the time you’ve gone 100 miles and reached the edge of the Eagle Ford Shale, you’ll begin noticing them: Big rigs and other assorted trucks. They’re heading to the oil and gas fields of South and West Texas. Some are loaded with tons of steel [...]
With the good can also come the bad, and that’s certainly been the case with the drilling boom going on in various parts of Texas these days. As drillers use thousands of trucks — hauling millions of gallons of water and other supplies to rigs — roads inevitably suffer. Naturally, people are questioning who is [...]
One UT professor is finding new connections between drilling activity and quakes. Should Texans be concerned?
As drilling for oil and gas has surged in Texas, so have injuries and deaths. But there are promising efforts to reduce accidents.
Lots of rigs, not enough homes, and luxury cars flying off the lot. Just don’t call it an oil “boom.”
StateImpact seeks to inform and engage local communities with broadcast and online news focused on how state government decisions affect your lives.
Learn More »