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Tracking the players in the ever-growing energy and environmental world.

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January 27, 2014

Industry and Activists Battle Over Welds and Words As Crude Moves in Keystone XL

Before the oil started flowing in earnest through the southern part of the Keystone XL pipeline last week, land owner and property rights activist Julia Trigg Crawford noticed work crews unearthing parts of of the pipeline. When StateImpact called Crawford for a quote about the pipeline’s activation, she mentioned that activity. “Track hoes, skids, water […]

January 16, 2014

After Latest Texas Earthquake Swarm, State Lawmakers Vow to Investigate

After dozens of quakes have rattled a small community outside of Fort Worth over the last few months, the Texas Legislature is creating a committee to look into the issue and allegations that the quakes are linked to oil and gas drilling activity. State Representative Jim Keffer, R-Eastland, chairman of the House Energy Resources Committee, announced today […]

5 Predictions for the Year Ahead in Energy and the Environment

There’s an old saying that it’s difficult to make predictions, especially about the future. But for the near future, University of Texas at Austin professor Michael Webber recently put together what he thinks will be the big stories in the year ahead for energy and the environment. At the annual Webber Energy Group research symposium […]

January 8, 2014
January 7, 2014

Earthquake “Swarms” Shaking Oklahoma As Well

Last week we reported from the Texas town of Azle, where a swarm of low-intensity earthquakes has frightened townspeople, damaged property, and put state regulators on the defensive. Azle had never experienced earthquakes like this before the arrival of waste water disposal wells, related to oil and gas drilling. Science has shown how those wells […]

January 6, 2014

ERCOT: Rolling Blackout Threat Averted In Cold Snap

As chilly weather grips much of Texas, the state’s electricial grid operator is asking consumers to reduce their energy use, though it says a brief threat of rolling blackouts has been averted. In an alert sent at 8 a.m., the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, which operates the grid covering 85 percent of the state, issued […]

January 2, 2014

Town Hall Held on North Texas Quakes

View North Texas Earthquakes in a larger map A map of recent earthquakes (in red) and oil and gas wastewater disposal wells outside of Fort Worth. Active disposal wells are in green; inactive wells are in yellow. Map by Michael Marks/Terrence Henry UPDATE: Check back on StateImpact Texas later this morning for full coverage of […]

December 30, 2013

Our Top 5 Stories of 2013

As we ring in a new year, we’re taking a look back at some of the top stories for StateImpact Texas in 2013. From cattle rustlers to electric cars, these were the five most popular stories of the year: Cattle Theft on The Rise in Texas, Despite Tougher Penalties: “Ranchers saw a sharp jump in […]

December 26, 2013

Report: EPA Followed Rules in North Texas Drilling Case

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency was legally justified in issuing — and later withdrawing — an emergency order against a Fort Worth-based driller following a 2010 complaint of groundwater contamination in North Texas, the agency’s internal watchdog said in a report released Tuesday. But questions linger the about the source of the contamination, it added. The […]

December 18, 2013

New Study Shows How Gas Production From “Fracked” Wells Slows Over Time

America’s oil and gas boom was brought on by hydraulic fracturing, commonly called “fracking” and horizontal drilling. These methods of drilling, developed in Texas, unleashed historic amounts of fossil fuels in previously inaccessible shale formations across the country. But recent research from the University of Texas suggests that many wells using these techniques will see a […]

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