Texas Energy Report NewsClips
Friday April 17, 2026
Asterisk (*) denotes news stories that may be inaccessible because portions are behind a paywall
Good morning! Here are today’s Texas Energy Report NewsClips
Oil prices fell on Friday after U.S. President Donald Trump said that the war in Iran “should be ending pretty soon,” while a ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon raised hopes of easing supply disruptions.
US crude oil futures for May delivery fell by 5 am on Friday EST by 1.44% to $93.33 per barrel.
International benchmark Brent for June delivery declined 1.29% to $98.1 per barrel.
Trump on Thursday said that “the war in Iran is going along swimmingly,” reiterating rosy predictions about the end of the war that began on Feb. 28.
Hours earlier, Trump said in a Truth Social post that a 10-day ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon is set to begin at 5 p.m. ET.
He added that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Lebanese President Joseph Aoun would be invited to the White House for what he described as the first meaningful talks between the two countries since 1983.
Top Stories
Middle Eastern Eye – April 16, 2026
Sri Lankan buyer paid $286 for barrel of oil, as actual prices diverge from markets
The price paid for a barrel of oil in Asia has reached as high as $286 in at least one case, as a result of the US-Israeli war on Iran, Georges Elhedery, the CEO of HSBC Bank, said at an investment forum in Hong Kong on Tuesday. Elhedery made the remarks to underscore how the benchmark price of oil in the West does not reflect the actual price buyers in certain parts of the world are paying.
“What worries me is not the headlines. I mean, oil headline is above $100, $110,” he said, according to a transcript of his conversation recorded by Bloomberg and obtained by Sherwood News. “Realistically, if you are now trying to get oil from the Middle East, you may be paying $140, $150,” he said.
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Politico – April 16, 2026
Former DOE official jumps to lithium, geothermal developer*
Robert Edwards, a former Energy Department official, has joined T5 Smackover Partners, a Texas-based company developing geothermal energy and critical minerals at a reclaimed coal mining site in the sprawling Smackover formation in Texas. Edwards was tapped to serve on the company’s strategic advisory board, according to a news release. Cole Fisher, who served as the global director of GE Vernova’s decarbonization business development, has been named president.
The project is located in the Smackover formation, which spans from northeastern Texas into southwestern Arkansas. The formation has large deposits of ancient salt water — or brine — that contain high concentrations of lithium. The region in recent years has drawn significant attention from oil and gas companies like Chevron and Exxon Mobil that are pivoting to critical minerals like lithium. Bruce Thompson, a Dallas-based entrepreneur, said in a February release that he bought the land from Luminant, a Texas-based electric utility. T5 Smackover Partners is developing a project in Franklin, Titus and Hopkins counties in Texas that combines geothermal power with direct lithium extraction and bromine recovery. Lithium is a key ingredient in EV batteries.
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Texas Tribune – April 16, 2026
Texas needs at least $174 billion to avoid water crisis, state says
Texas communities will need to spend $174 billion in the next 50 years to avert a severe water crisis, a new state analysis revealed Thursday. That’s more than double the $80 billion projected four years ago, when the Texas Water Development Board last passed a state water plan. The three-member board presiding over the agency authorized the highly anticipated draft blueprint Thursday, the first administrative step toward adopting the water development board’s plans for the next 50 years. The plan, released every five years, encompasses the projects that 16 regional water planning groups in Texas said are the most urgent, water development board officials said.
The board’s latest estimates come as the state’s water supply faces numerous threats. Growing communities across Texas are scrambling to secure water, keep up with construction costs and cope with a yearslong drought. This week, Corpus Christi officials said the city may be just months away from declaring a water emergency. Meanwhile, other rural cities by the Coastal Bend are rapidly drilling wells to avoid a crisis. Residents in North Texas have also been bracing for groundwater shortages.
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Politico – April 16, 2026
Oil company founded by energy secretary paid no US taxes last year
Related: Secretary of Energy makes promises for America’s ‘nuclear renaissance’ — KTXS
The company founded and formerly run by Energy Secretary Chris Wright paid no federal corporate income taxes last year, according to its regulatory filings, and actually got more than $10 million back from the IRS.
Liberty Energy, the oil field services company Wright founded in 2011 but left last year to join the Trump administration, was among several energy companies included in a report issued Tuesday by the nonpartisan Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy naming 88 companies that together made more than $105 billion before taxes last year but paid no federal corporate income taxes.
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San Antonio Express-News – April 15, 2026
One of Texas’ largest cities plans $464M project to avoid water crisis
Water has become the hottest topic in Texas to start the year, and we haven’t even entered the summer months. Georgetown enacted a $291 million plan to make sure it doesn’t run out of water, Jacob’s Well is set to be closed to swimming for a fourth-straight year and Corpus Christi is fending off a state takeover if its water crisis doesn’t improve. Meanwhile, one of the fastest-growing cities in Texas is investing hundreds of millions to protect its residents from future water threats.
Fort Worth is putting nearly half a billion dollars toward a new water reclamation facility intent on supporting the growing western portion of the city. The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) finally approved a permit for the Mary’s Creek Water Reclamation Facility on August 12, 2025, seven years after the city first filed for the permit. Now Fort Worth has submitted plans with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR), revealing the scope of the project.
The Latest TERse Tips
Video: Fire spreads and intensifies in Tuapse refinery in Russia’a Krasnodar after Ukrainian drone attack — YouTube/Kanal 13
Europe could run out of jet fuel in 6 weeks, IEA warns — CNBC
Russia Could Occupy the Baltics in 90 Days Without Sending in a Single Soldier — a new war game by the Baltic Defense Initiative, a Lithuanian think tank, suggests that Russia could drive the Baltic states to capitulate merely by bombarding them with missiles and drones — The National Interest
Williams is signaling an aggressive timeline on the long-stalled Constitution Pipeline, with the operator targeting reinstatement of its FERC certificate by the third quarter of this year and initial service by late 2027 — Natural Gas Intelligence*
PROENERGY has finalized the sale of two ERCOT natural gas fired generation facilities to South Texas Electric Cooperative for $768 million — the deal includes the 384-MW Braes Bayou and 384-MW Brotman plants, totaling 768 MW, which were built between 2021 and 2023 to provide immediate, high-demand power to the Texas grid — Hart Energy*
“As part of the ongoing refreshment process of its Board of Directors,” CenterPoint Energy says its shareholders elected a new Director, Michael A. (“Casey”) Herman to its Board, effective April 16, 2026. “Herman brings decades of audit, governance, and finance strategy experience in the electric and gas utility industries to CenterPoint’s Board.” — see the press release
“Jim Wright ran for the Railroad Commission of Texas six years ago as a reformer. But his reforms drew the ire of powerful oil tycoons who are now trying to unseat him. Wright championed the first overhaul of oilfield waste rules in 40 years at the Railroad Commission, the state’s oil and gas regulatory agency. Some independent oil and gas companies criticized the rules change adopted last year. One of those companies, CrownQuest, brought a lawsuit against the Railroad Commission challenging its legality. CrownQuest’s billionaire founder Tim Dunn is known for targeting Texas Republicans who he does not consider sufficiently conservative. He is now backing Bo French, a far-right candidate, to unseat Wright at the Railroad Commission.” — San Antonio Current
Republican senator Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) has proposed legislation Wednesday that aims to speed up federal permitting for natural gas pipelines.
Xcel Energy said April 14 that its new solar generation and battery energy storage systems (BESS) are now in service at facilities located at the company’s Plant X site near Earth, Texas, and at the Cunningham Generating Station near Hobbs, N.M — Daily Energy Insider
Matrix Renewables said on Thursday it had started commercial operations at its 210-MWac/281-MWdc Stillhouse Solar plant in Texas and secured investment tax credit (ITC) funding alongside the conversion of construction financing into long-term debt — Renewables Now
Oil & Gas Texas
Pipeline & Gas Journal – April 16, 2026
Permian Constraints Keep Waha Gas Prices Negative for Record Stretch as U.S. Markets Weaken
Pipeline constraints in the Permian Basin continued to pressure U.S. natural gas markets, with prices at the Waha Hub remaining in negative territory for a record 47 consecutive days. Limited takeaway capacity has trapped associated gas production in West Texas, forcing producers to discount or effectively pay to move volumes out of the region. Analysts have long cited insufficient pipeline infrastructure as a key bottleneck, with additional capacity not expected to come online until later this year.
The sustained weakness in Permian pricing comes as broader U.S. gas and power markets also softened. Spot power and natural gas prices in Texas and California turned negative on April 14, as mild weather reduced both heating and cooling demand.
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Baird Maritime – April 16, 2026
Exxon cancels first two Golden Pass LNG sell offers, reason unclear
Exxon Mobil has withdrawn an offer to sell two initial cargoes of liquefied natural gas from its Golden Pass export plant in Texas that’s been in the process of starting up operations, two people familiar with the decision said on Thursday. The sources did not give a reason for the withdrawal, but the plant has been running at around a third of its capacity since it began production late last month, according to data from financial firm LSEG.
Golden Pass, a joint venture between Exxon and QatarEnergy, took in about 287 million cubic feet per day of natural gas on Thursday to be liquefied for export, LSEG data showed. The plant’s first train has a nameplate capacity of 800 mcfd. LNG producers and traders typically offer cargoes to potential buyers during the commissioning phase, when plants are tested to ensure they are operating as designed.
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KBMT – April 16, 2026
ExxonMobil plans major carbon storage project in Southeast Texas
ExxonMobil is planning a new carbon capture and storage project in Southeast Texas that could begin construction as early as this year, pending state approval. The company announced plans for the Sunflower Carbon Storage Project, a carbon capture initiative designed to store carbon dioxide underground across approximately 25,000 acres in eastern Liberty County and western Jefferson County.
The project, led by ExxonMobil Low Carbon Solutions, would store captured carbon dioxide between a half-mile and 1.5 miles below the surface in underground reservoirs. Company officials say the storage locations are situated thousands of feet below drinking water aquifers. Plans also include an 11-mile pipeline extension connecting the storage site to ExxonMobil’s existing pipeline network.
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Bloomberg – April 16, 2026
Oil Curve ‘Might Be Kind of Lying’ About Prices, CEO Says*
The upheaval in the oil market from the near-shutdown of the Strait of Hormuz is more severe than what benchmark crude futures prices are signaling, according to the boss of one of the biggest US shale drillers. The US-Israeli war on Iran that’s paralyzed hundreds of millions barrels of crude in and around the combat zone is wreaking havoc on fuel, fertilizer, plastic and chemical markets as far afield as Asia, Australia and North America.
However, the so-called forward curve of futures prices that underpin budget decisions and trading strategies across the oil industry is failing to reflect the true magnitude of the crisis, said Kaes Van’t Hof, CEO of Diamondback Energy Inc., the largest pure-play producer in the Permian Basin. “I don’t think the numbers we’re seeing on the screen and what the market’s telling us is the reality of where this is headed, Van’t Hof said Wednesday during an energy conference in Fort Worth “Our board is kind of seeing this as a bigger problem maybe than the market’s saying and the back end of the curve might be kind of lying to us.” The comments are the starkest public remarks yet from a prominent oil executive about whether investors have fully recognized the Iran war’s implications for crude prices.
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Reuters – April 16, 2026
Valero partially restarts Port Arthur, Texas refinery after blast, sources say*
Valero Energy Corp has partially restarted its 380,000 barrel-per-day Port Arthur, Texas refinery following a March 23 explosion and fire, said two people familiar with plant operations. While the production line from the 115,000-bpd AVU 147 crude distillation unit (CDU) is operating, Valero is repairing the heater in the 210,000-bpd AVU-146 CDU, keeping that production line shut. … During inspection of the refinery’s units following the March 23 shutdown of the refinery because of the fire, Valero discovered a damaged tube in AVU-146’s heater. Once the heater tube is repaired, Valero plans to restart the CDU.
The AVU-146 crude distillation unit accounts for 2% of crude oil refining capacity in the U.S. Gulf Coast states of Texas, Mississippi and Louisiana, which contain 9.62 million bpd or over half of the U.S. total. In Texas alone, AVU-146’s capacity is 3.4% of the state’s total of 6.13 million bpd in atmospheric crude distillation capacity. … No injuries were reported from the March 23 explosion and fire in diesel hydrotreater, but one person has filed a lawsuit, alleging he was injured when knocked to the ground. Valero has previously declined to comment about the lawsuit.
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The Hill – April 15, 2026
Chevron executive says ‘people should try to drive less’ amid Iran war
Chevron executive Andy Walz said that “people should try to drive less” to offset higher energy prices during the U.S. military operation in Iran. “People should drive less. They should try to conserve energy,” Walz told CBS News this week. “We should be doing that all the time,” he continued. “Energy’s essential for people’s lives, but we should conserve it.”
Global energy rates have spiked during the Middle East conflict, after Tehran launched retaliatory strikes on U.S. targets and energy infrastructure in the Gulf Region after Operation Epic Fury began on Feb. 28. These attacks effectively halted the flow of ships through the Strait of Hormuz, a major oil transportation corridor. As a result, the price of international benchmark Brent crude oil skyrocketed to $118 at the end of March. The average price of standard gas in the U.S. has also hiked up amid the conflict, exceeding $4 a gallon at the end of last month.
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April 13, 2026
On January 29, an affiliate of Energy Transfer applied for blanket authorization to build 18 miles of 24-inch diameter natural gas pipeline (which it calls Green Chile) to serve the proposed Project Jupiter data center on the New Mexico side of the northwest suburbs of El Paso, TX. Project Jupiter is a joint venture of OpenAI and Oracle as part of its broader Stargate AI plan, with initial construction performed by Borderplex Digital Assets.
The sole use for the Green Chile pipeline is to supply nearly 3,000 megawatts of planned natural gas power generation to exclusively serve Project Jupiter. The power needs for Project Jupiter exceed the entire existing generation output of all of El Paso Electric’s current power capacity, with the New Mexico Environment Department revealing the facilities would annually produce hundreds to thousands of tons of several pollutants.
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Texas Tribune – April 16, 2026
Texas oil and gas regulator Wayne Christian peddles oil-backed crypto coin
Texas Railroad Commissioner Wayne Christian is peddling a new crypto token tied to the value of a barrel of West Texas Intermediate crude oil, raising concerns about potential conflicts of interest given his position as an elected official to the state agency that oversees the oil and gas industry in Texas — and whose regulatory decisions could impact the value of the token. Christian, a Republican and one of three members of the Railroad Commission, is listed as a member of the board of directors and chair of the advisory board of Energy Substantiation, the company launching the West Texas Intermediate Coin, or $WTIC, according to materials obtained by The Texas Tribune that the company shared with prospective investors as recently as October.
Christian pitched prospective investors on $WTIC ahead of the coin’s public launch later this year, according to an email from Christian that also was obtained by the Tribune. “We are now inviting a limited group of early participants to learn more and consider getting involved at the founding stage,” Christian, who also works as a financial advisor, wrote in the email. “After more than 40 years as a financial advisor, I’ve learned that the biggest opportunities are often those recognized early. I believe this one is worth serious consideration.”
Oil & Gas National & International
S&P Global Platts – April 16, 2026
US expands Iran blockade scope as initial enforcement proves largely effective
The US Navy has expanded the scope of its blockade on Iranian seaborne trades to cover all sanctioned ships, as vessel-tracking data shows Washington’s initial enforcement is largely effective in controlling maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz. In a notice dated April 16, the US Naval Forces Central Command said all ships linked to Iran and listed by the Office of Foreign Asset Control could now be seized “regardless of location” as part of the blockade.
Also targeted are ships carrying contraband goods to Iran, including crude, refined products, iron, steel, aluminum, energy equipment, weapons and others “at any place beyond neutral territory,” according to the notice. After the weekend peace talks between the US and Iran collapsed, CENTCOM has enforced a naval blockade of all Iranian ports and coastal areas since 1400 GMT April 13 and turned back 14 ships in the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea within 72 hours, it said.
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Reuters – April 16, 2026
Iran war brings US close to net crude exporter for first time since World War Two*
The U.S. nearly turned into a net crude exporter last week for the first time since World War Two as shipments surged close to a record high to meet demand from Asian and European buyers scrambling to replace Middle East supplies cut by the Iran war. The U.S. and Israel’s war with Iran triggered the largest ever disruption to the global energy market as Iranian threats to shipping stopped around a fifth of the world’s oil and gas supplies from transiting the Strait of Hormuz waterway.
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Reuters – April 15, 2026
Trump issues several pipeline permits for US-Canada oil transportation*
U.S. President Donald Trump issued several pipeline permits on Wednesday, including one for the construction of a new pipeline, to facilitate the transportation of crude oil and petroleum products between the U.S. and Canada, according to documents released by the White House. The permit authorizing construction was issued to the Bakken Pipeline Company for pipeline facilities at Burke County, North Dakota.
Other permits were issued for the maintenance and operation of existing pipelines at border locations in North Dakota and Michigan.
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Presidential Permit: Authorizing Bakken Pipeline Company LP to construct, connect, operate, and maintain pipeline facilities in Burke County, North Dakota
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Presidential Permit: Authorizing Bakken Pipeline Company to operate and maintain exiting pipeline facilities in Burke County, North Dakota
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Presidential Permit: Authorizing Enbridge Energy to operate and maintain existing pipeline facilities in St. Clair County, Michigan
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Presidential Permit: Authorizing Enbridge Energy to operate and maintain existing pipeline facilities at Pembina County, North Dakota
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The Wall Street Journal – April 16, 2026
TotalEnergies Eyes Boost From Oil-Price Surge, Despite Hit to Production*
TotalEnergies said it expects a boost to its financial results from higher oil and gas prices as the energy industry continues to weigh the impact of the war in the Middle East. The French energy major said Thursday that it expects first-quarter production of oil and gas to be at the same level as the previous quarter, when it reported output of 2.545 million barrels of oil equivalent a day. A chunk of TotalEnergies’s hydrocarbon output is offline due to the U.S. and Israel’s war with Iran, which has spread to the wider Persian Gulf. As a result of the war, TotalEnergies has shut down or is shutting down production in Qatar, Iraq and offshore United Arab Emirates, representing around 15% of its total output. The company last week said a refinery complex in Saudi Arabia, a joint venture with the kingdom’s national oil company, was closed after being damaged.
But that hit should be partly offset by startups of new fields in Libya and Brazil, the company said. Income from production is meanwhile expected to rise significantly, reflecting a surge in prices amid the Middle East’s tumult. The group expects higher oil and gas prices, which surged to their highest point since 2022 as the conflict reignited, to add $2 billion to $2.5 billion to its working capital for the quarter. The update from TotalEnergies underscores the volatility caused by the Iran war to energy markets and the businesses operating in them, as they grapple with complex dynamics caused by the disruption and resulting higher prices for their products. British energy giant Shell last week cut its outlook for first- quarter gas production after its Pearl facility in Qatar was targeted in the war. But the group said it expects a boost to its bottom line from oil trading after prices per barrel skyrocketed. If the war persists, the blow to TotalEnergies’s production could be more serious, Chief Executive Officer Patrick Pouyanne said earlier this week.
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The New York Times – April 14, 2026
Trump Officials Pledge Swift Completion of Controversial Gas Pipeline*
A controversial plan to build an underwater gas pipeline skirting the shores of New York City is charging forward on schedule, three high-ranking Trump administration officials said on Tuesday at a groundbreaking ceremony. Under a bright blue sky and in front of a gigantic American flag that flapped in the wind, energy executives, labor leaders and cabinet secretaries celebrated the project on the grounds of a former World War II naval air station in coastal Brooklyn, surrounded by the city’s largest natural marshland.
The White House officials spoke of energy independence and abundance, patriotism and affordability. But environmental and climate activists protesting the plan, which was previously rejected repeatedly by the state, have spoken about global warming and threats to local waterways. Doug Burgum, the Interior secretary, described “a future where America leads the world, where we’ve got enough energy to not only support affordability and prosperity at home, but to bring peace in the world, because we can sell energy to our friends and allies so that they can stop buying from those that wage war or terrorism.”
And Lee Zeldin, the Environmental Protection Agency administrator, spoke of President Trump’s agenda to fast-track fossil fuel projects throughout the United States, especially in the Northeast, where aging infrastructure has not kept up with soaring energy demand. Mr. Zeldin recalled a meeting at the Oval Office in early 2025 during which Mr. Trump “specifically” asked about the underwater pipeline for New York. “He wanted it built instantly,” Mr. Zeldin said.
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CNBC – April 16, 2026
On a farm in Goldsboro, North Carolina, where her husband’s family has worked the land for generations, Lorenda Overman is facing familiar hurdles — but also new pressures she couldn’t have predicted only months ago. ″We’re always battling weather, disease and insects,” said Overman. “Three years we’ve had record high input prices, and it has just got higher the last six or eight weeks.”
Fertilizer prices have surged due to shipping disruptions from the war in the Middle East, and the higher costs are rippling across U.S. agriculture just as spring planting gets underway. Farmers are being forced to scale back inputs, shift crops and reconsider how much to plant, which could affect the supply of certain crops in the U.S. and around the world. New survey data from the American Farm Bureau Federation shows fertilizer access and affordability are becoming a defining challenge for this year’s growing season. Almost six in 10, or 58%, report worsening financial conditions amid rising input and fuel costs, according to the survey conducted April 3 through April 11.
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Associated Press/Yahoo! News – April 14, 2026
In apparent flub, Energy Secretary Wright says US heading ‘in the wrong direction’
Energy Secretary Chris Wright raised eyebrows Tuesday after saying the country “looks like we’re going in the wrong direction” in remarks hailing a new natural gas pipeline project. Speaking at a groundbreaking for a project that will transport natural gas from Pennsylvania into New York City and Long Island, Wright said President Donald Trump “is about driving down costs for Americans and driving up job opportunities and wages for Americans.”
Moments later, Wright apparently misspoke as he said, “Just because it looks like we’re going in the wrong direction doesn’t mean that’s the direction we are going.” The Energy Department later posted excerpts of Wright’s speech that did not include the “wrong direction” comment. Energy spokesman Ben Dietderich later denied any deliberate editing on the department’s YouTube account, saying the excerpts were presented under “standard editing.” The full remarks from Wright and other speakers can be seen on the department’s X account, he said.
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Utilities, Electricity & Renewables
Utility Dive – April 16, 2026
FERC orders American Efficient to pay $1.1B for ‘brazen fraud’
American Efficient; its owner, Modern Energy Group; and affiliated companies must pay about $1.1 billion for “one of the largest and most brazen frauds” in the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s history, the agency said Wednesday. American Efficient violated the market rules of the PJM Interconnection and the Midcontinent Independent System Operator by selling them energy efficiency resources that it didn’t control or that wouldn’t reduce load beyond what would have happened anyway, FERC said.
The company also manipulated the PJM markets by fraudulently presenting itself as a legitimate capacity seller, making misleading statements that its program lowered customer prices and by failing to tell PJM that MISO and ISO-New England had disqualified the company from their capacity markets, FERC said.
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KAVU – April 13, 2026
South Texas Energy Cooperative expands energy capacity with $768 million plant purchase
Two natural gas‑fired generation facilities were acquired Friday, April 10, by South Texas Electric Cooperative Inc. (STEC) for $768 million. The facilities were purchased from PROENERGY after years of planning, according to a statement from the cooperative. The acquisition adds 768 megawatts of generation capacity to STEC’s fleet. STEC currently owns three power plants: the Sam Rayburn Power Plant in Nursery, the Pearsall Power Plant in Pearsall, and the Red Gate Power Plant in Edinburg with about 1,865.3 megawatts of capacity.
Half of the newly acquired power capacity will come from the Braes Bayou Power Plant in Fort Bend County, with the remaining half operating from the Brotman Power Plant in Brazoria County. … Under the terms of the agreement, PROENERGY will continue operating the facilities.
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Hill Country Community Journal – April 11, 2026
More than 600 landowners fight power line project
As the filing deadline closed at the Public Utility Commission of Texas for the proposed Howard-Solstice 765-kV transmission line by AEP Texas and CPS Energy (Docket 59336), more than 600 landowners, businesses and governmental entities filed motions to intervene in the Certificate of Convenience and Necessity (CCN) proceeding — joining the Hill Country Preservation Coalition (HCPC) in what is now one of the most actively contested transmission cases in Texas history.
The filings include motions to intervene from the commissioner courts of four affected counties — Kerr, Edwards, Real and Val Verde — alongside hundreds of private landowners, ranches and property-holding entities across the proposed corridor. In total, nearly half of all filings in the docket are tied to intervenor participation, underscoring the scale of legal and procedural engagement in the case. Additionally, more than 260 parties submitted protest filings or comments, including U.S. Rep. Chip Roy and state Reps. Eddie Morales Jr. and Wes Virdell.
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KXAN – April 14, 2026
Rapid growth driving proposed electric upgrades in Georgetown
Rapid growth and electricity intensive development are driving major investments in Georgetown’s electric infrastructure, according to city officials. Georgetown’s Electric Utility General Manager Daniel Bethapudi said the city operates its own electric utility, but only at the distribution level. This means Georgetown is responsible for delivering power to customers but not generating or transmitting energy.
“We are responsible for not only the infrastructure that serves the customer, but also the energy that the customers consume, and the billing and the customer interface,” Bethapudi said. “The way we procure the energy is through contracts—to serve our customers—so we have multiple contracts for the energy that the customers use.”
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Austin American-Statesman – April 16, 2026
EV interest rises with gas prices, but new car sales still lag*
Interest in electric vehicles is spiking along with gas prices, but that may not be translating into new car sales. Auto research website Edmunds is seeing growing consumer interest, noting that EVs accounted for 9.6% of research activity on its website in January and February. As pump prices experienced a record surge in March, EV research climbed to 11.6% of the site’s total activity.
The uptick in research — from reading expert reviews to submitting dealer leads — comes after sales of new EVs slumped in recent months. Electric vehicle sales fell by 27% in the first quarter, according to Kelley Blue Book. But that doesn’t necessarily mean buyers are shying away from EVs. Used EV sales have soared, suggesting cost-conscious consumers are still looking for gas-saving deals.
The March boost in EV research activity is modest. But Joseph Yoon, a consumer insights analyst at Edmunds, said it’s similar to the interest in August and September, when EV demand swelled as consumers rushed to take advantage of a federal electric vehicle tax credit before it expired. But Yoon said he is advising drivers with a paid-off car to hang onto it. He referenced what happened when dramatic gas price increases were seen in 2008, saying “people freaked out” and traded in their big Suburbans and Tahoes for a hybrid-fuel Prius, used Civic or Geo Metro.
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E&E News By Politico – April 16, 2026
Largest US renewable project begins generating electricity
The largest renewable energy project ever built in the United States has begun generating electricity, putting a two-decade push to deliver wind power generated in New Mexico to consumers in California on the cusp of completion. SunZia Wind has begun testing its 916 turbines as it nears the start of commercial operations later this quarter, according to a person familiar with the project. The impact is already evident: California broke its record for wind generation eight times in the last four weeks, according to Grid Status, a website that tracks power flows.
The 3.5-gigawatt wind development, which will deliver power over a 550-mile transmission line to California, is nearing the finish line at a time when the wind industry is under attack in Washington. President Donald Trump eliminated tax credits for the industry and has erected new permitting barriers for wind projects nationwide. Wind developers have sought to keep a low profile against that backdrop in attempt to avoid provoking the president. In a sign of the times, neither the project nor the California grid operator announced SunZia had begun generating electricity. The news was first reported by Grid Status.
Regulatory
E&E News By Politico – April 16, 2026
4 takeaways from Chris Wright’s Capitol Hill appearance
Energy Secretary Chris Wright faced sharp criticism from House Democrats over rising energy prices during a budget hearing Wednesday, while also offering new details on the Department of Energy’s award cancellations, solar development and his approach to permitting reform. It was Wright’s first hearing appearance on Capitol Hill in nearly a year, and Democrats were quick to make up for lost time, grilling him over rising gasoline prices following U.S. strikes on Iran.
“We’re looking at gasoline prices going through the roof across the country,” said Connecticut Rep. Rosa DeLauro, the top Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee. “This is an administration that decided on a war of choice in Iran, and that choice is driving up these costs.” The Energy and Water Appropriations Subcommittee hearing was focused on the Department of Energy’s fiscal 2027 budget proposal, which would cut nondefense spending by more than 10 percent and impose even steeper reductions on renewable energy programs.
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The New York Times – April 16, 2026
Bessent Questions the Cause of Climate Change and Its Economic Toll*
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent claimed on Tuesday that it was difficult to determine the actual causes of climate change, dismissing decades of science that has attributed global warming to the burning of fossil fuels. He instead called on international financial institutions to focus their attention on economic growth and alleviating poverty. The comments came in remarks on the sidelines of the spring meetings of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank. Mr. Bessent had previously ordered the World Bank to remove some of its climate finance targets and finance “all affordable and reliable sources of energy” including gas, oil and coal.
The Trump administration has reversed most of the spending on clean energy that was underway during the Biden administration and pushed ahead with policies that end restrictions on greenhouse gas emissions and aim to ramp up domestic production of fossil fuels. President Trump last year called global warming a “hoax” and a “con job.” While the Treasury secretary did not go that far, his comments contradicted the scientific consensus about why the world’s climate is changing.
“Yes, the climate does change,” Mr. Bessent said, adding that “we are going through cycles, and I believe that it is very difficult to deconstruct the reasons around why anything changes.” Leading scientists have rejected claims like Mr. Bessent’s, and noted that natural factors like the sun, volcanic eruptions and orbital cycles would be cooling the earth if not for human activity. Instead, about 200 years ago, after the start of the Industrial Revolution, the direction of global temperatures reversed and began rapidly warming.