Category Archives: Uncategorized

Can the existing federal and state environmental regulatory structure provide adequate certainty for energy production given our US climate-change goals? According to conclusions from a recent Texas electric grid-forecasting study, ‘Over the next 20 years, due to the free market alone, ERCOT can expect to see a cleaner grid that relies on Texas-produced natural gas, [...]

Last week the US Supreme Court (SCOTUS) ruled the EPA can limit greenhouse gas emission’s from large producers but took issue with the EPA regarding how it does so. The justices said in a 5-4 vote that the EPA cannot “tailor” the federal Clean Air Act to regulate greenhouse gases from power plants, refineries and factories. [...]

Drought and population increases force the reaction of water conservation since current supplies are not replenishing fast enough. Cities are scrambling to secure water rights, and have to charge customers enough to cover the costs associated with operating water and wastewater systems. But costs to the average Texan will drastically increase even more as new [...]

It may seem like irrelevant due process driving the Texas lawsuit currently before the US Supreme Court but if EPA followed the standard for implementing new rules, like the “cross- state air” effort, then implementation of a transport rule may be underway by now. “Notice” would have been given to all states and parties prior to the [...]

Since 1983, federal law has required utilities to pay fees into a fund to finance permanent federal nuclear waste storage. Due to a variety of factors, the fee collection has continued while the federal government has produced no strategy for implementing this law to completion. Yesterday, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia said [...]

Environmental advocates and fishermen from along the Texas Gulf Coast met in Bay City Wednesday to discuss the future of Matagorda Bay, a major destination for tourism, recreation and commercial fishing that has suffered greatly in recent years due to a lack of freshwater inflows from the Colorado River. According to an article by Neena [...]

Many are probably right to sense the direct impact from Prop 6 passage has yet to be determined, and that the Texas Water Development Board (TWDB) will have a tough job of ranking “apples and oranges” water infrastructure projects statewide once it passes. A couple of clarifications to add to the naysayers; a percentage of [...]