Texas Energy Report NewsClips
Friday May 22, 2026
Asterisk (*) denotes news stories that may be inaccessible because portions are behind a paywall
Texas Energy Report NewsClips return Tuesday May 26th. Happy Memorial Day weekend!
Good morning! Here are today’s Texas Energy Report NewsClips
Oil prices resumed their rally Friday after declining for three straight sessions as investors weighed mixed messaging on Iran peace deal negotiations.
While statements from the U.S. had signaled the peace deal was imminent, Iranian leadership’s reported stance of keeping enriched uranium within their country has raised worries of an extended conflict, keeping oil supplies disrupted for longer.
July futures for international benchmark, Brent crude, gained 1.9% to $104.52 a barrel in early Asia trading, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate futures for June advanced 1.5% at $97.81 per barrel.
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei issued a directive that near-weapons-grade uranium in the country should not be sent abroad, Reuters reported, citing Iranian sources.
This comes after U.S. President Donald Trump said that Washington was in the “final stages” of negotiations with Iran, according to a pool report.
Worries over oil supplies continue to linger with the International Energy Agency warning that as travel demand grows during the summer season, oil markets could enter a “red zone” soon as global stocks deplete.
Top Stories
The New York Times – May 21, 2026
Exxon May Return to Venezuela, Ending a Long Fight With Its Leaders*
The largest U.S. energy company, Exxon Mobil, is in talks to acquire rights to produce oil in Venezuela nearly two decades after it was effectively expelled from the country, according to several people familiar with the matter. The deal would be a major victory for President Trump, who has declared the country’s vast natural wealth open to American businesses. If finalized, the deal would mark Exxon’s return to a country with one of the world’s largest oil reserves after years of legal battles that had turned the oil giant into a nemesis of Venezuela’s ruling Socialist Party.
As recently as January, Exxon had called Venezuela “uninvestable.” After deposing the nation’s leader, Nicolás Maduro, Mr. Trump installed Mr. Maduro’s vice president to manage Venezuela’s economic opening to the United States. The deal, which could be finalized and announced as soon as this month, would involve Exxon signing contracts to produce oil in up to six fields in several regions in Venezuela, according to the people familiar with the matter. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly about private discussions. An Exxon spokesman declined to comment. Venezuela’s government and state oil company did not respond to requests for comment. Any deal between these two archenemies of the global oil industry — Exxon and the Venezuelan government — would be a milestone in Ms. Rodríguez and Mr. Trump’s campaign to turn Venezuela into an economic partner of the United States after decades of rivalry. Venezuela has on two occasions in past decades nationalized foreign oil ventures, including Exxon’s assets.
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Houston Chronicle – May 21, 2026
Texas is running out of cheap water, and will need to make salty water sweet: Chris Tomlinson*
Texas is outgrowing its freshwater supply. Communities across the state need billions of gallons more water for growing populations and thirsty industries like oil and gas fracking, computer chip etching and artificial thinking. What happens this summer in Corpus Christi is a sign of what’s coming for all Texans. The price of creating freshwater and keeping the economy growing will leave consumers with sticker shock, state lawmakers recently acknowledged. A draft of the 2027 State Water Plan says Texas will need to spend $174 billion to meet the water needs of the next 50 years — twice as much as lawmakers estimated just four years ago. “The taxpayer is going to pay for this stuff one way or the other, be it property tax or be it fees, or be it insurance cost increases,” state Sen. Charles Perry, chairman of the Senate Water, Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee, said during a hearing last week. “There is no free lunch here, or if they don’t pay, we end up with a Third World state.”
Droughts and floods have complicated life in Texas for eons. The population and economy only began to grow once people started damming rivers and drilling into aquifers. But experts say those water sources are insufficient for a growing state. Corpus Christi is the canary in our coal mine. The city’s surface water supplies are running low, new groundwater wells have disappointed, and citizens can’t afford to make seawater drinkable. In the City Council’s drive to attract industry and bring in new jobs and revenue, it stretched the water supply too thin. Now that the inevitable drought has arrived, the council will likely declare an emergency and impose strict rationing. Experts told the Senate committee on May 11 that while 57% of city-owned water utilities say they have long-term plans with sufficient funding, 10% have no plan, and 43% do not have enough money.
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Middle East Eye – May 21, 2026
Pakistan deployed 8,000 troops, a Chinese air defense system and warplanes to Saudi Arabia: Report
Pakistan has deployed 8,000 troops, a fighter jet squadron and a Chinese air defence system to Saudi Arabia as part of its mutual defence pact with the kingdom, Reuters reported on Monday. The deployments, which enhance the number of Pakistani troops and military assets in the kingdom, began in early April, Reuters reported. Pakistan has deployed a squadron of around 16 aircraft, mostly JF-17 warplanes, which it produces jointly with China. In addition, it has deployed an HQ-9 Chinese air defence system.
The presence of sophisticated Chinese weaponry in Saudi Arabia overlaps with high-tech US-made systems operating in the country. Saudi Arabia has Patriot and Thaad air defence systems. In fact, the kingdom has the largest stockpile of Patriot interceptors in the Gulf. … The deployment of military assets underscores how Islamabad tried to address Saudi Arabia’s security concerns. Reuters reported that the agreement left open the possibility of deploying 80,000 Pakistani troops to Saudi Arabia to secure the kingdom’s borders.
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Governing – May 9, 2026
Texas Energy Pipeline Tilts Back to Gas Amid Rising Demand
A decade ago, wind power was surging in popularity and attracting huge investments that made Texas a national leader in renewable energy. But today, gas generation is making a big comeback, driven by a wave of data centers flooding into the state.
For the last six months, the volume of gas generation in the Texas grid’s interconnection queue — the yearslong waiting list for electric generators wanting to connect to the grid — has surpassed wind. It’s the first time since January 2016 that gas has overtaken wind in the queue, a shift that reflects the policy and economic headwinds facing the wind industry and data centers favoring gas power as they seek to cash in on the artificial intelligence boom. “The data center explosion and their desire for 24/7 power probably excited a lot of gas developers, and that gas queue got bigger,” said University of Texas professor of energy regulation David Spence.
The Latest TERse Tips
US total crude inventories fell last week ~17.8 million barrels (that’s commercial and SPR stocks combined) and on that basis, it’s the largest weekly fall since data is available starting in 1982 — Bloomberg’s Javier Blas on X
Nearly 16,000 Austin Energy customers without power as storms move through Central Texas — Austin American-Statesman*
‘Crush their souls’: Democrats ditch the niceties after GOP gains upper hand on redistricting — Politico
A strong smell of natural gas reported across parts of the Houston area Thursday afternoon triggered multiple emergency responses, including a temporary evacuation at Lone Star College-Houston North Fallbrook campus, according to officials — KPRC
NRG says Glenn Wright has been appointed to its Board of Directors, effective May 26 — his leadership comes from Shell plc where he most recently served as Senior Vice President, Shell Energy Americas, and President and Chief Executive Officer of Shell New Energies, US — see the press release
Port Houston, an advocate of the nation’s busiest waterway, the Houston Ship Channel, has announced the appointment of Amy Rister as its Director of State Government Relations — she joins Port Houston with more than two decades of experience in Texas legislative and public policy work. Most recently, she served as Committee Director for the Texas House Committee on Intergovernmental Affairs — Marine Link
Fitch Ratings has affirmed San Miguel Electric Cooperative, TX’s Issuer Default Rating at ‘A+ — outlook stable — Fitch
Fitch Ratings has assigned a ‘AA-‘ rating to the approximately $297 million refunding revenue bonds series 2026A and 2026B (taxable) to be issued by the Lower Colorado River Authority — Fitch
“Oil and gas companies should tighten valves, close hatches, replace worn and faulty equipment, ensure equipment is well maintained, end routine flaring, and track emissions to know how much gas is escaping from where,” which will cost a modest amount of money and there are investors interested as well — Environmental Defense Fund’s Fred Krupp in an op-ed “Natural Gas Is Escaping Into Thin Air” in The Wall Street Journal*
Fitch upgraded Caturus Energy, LLC’s IDR to ‘B’ with Stable Outlook, citing Galvan Ranch scale and higher liquids mix. Fitch forecasts capex $700–$800 million through 2027; positive FCF supports debt repayment, with downgrade risk above 3.0x leverage — Fitch
BP plans to dismantle its pipeline gas trading team, as the oil major focuses on expanding its LNG trading, two sources familiar with the matter told Reuters*
Oil & Gas Texas
The Wall Street Journal – May 21, 2026
Exxon Blasts Proxy Advisers for Conflict of Interest in Fight Over Texas Move*
Exxon Mobil is striking back at two proxy advisory firms opposed to the company’s plan to move its legal home to Texas from New Jersey, its latest clash over shareholder governance issues. The U.S. oil giant says Glass Lewis and Institutional Shareholder Services have a conflict of interest in recommending that investors vote against Exxon’s proposed plan to redomicile in Texas, given their ongoing legal battle with state Attorney General Ken Paxton. They are fighting over a Texas law that requires proxy advisers to disclose their motivations for their recommendations. Exxon said it intends to run full-page ads in major newspapers, including The Wall Street Journal, to make its case. The company, which has been incorporated in New Jersey since 1882, relocated its headquarters to Texas from New York City in 1989.
“We’re not surprised the two dominant proxy advisory firms ISS and Glass Lewis are against our redomiciliation to Texas,” the ads read. “But we are surprised both firms didn’t disclose their ongoing litigation with the Texas Attorney General under their conflict-of-interest policies.” Glass Lewis and ISS are arguing the move would eliminate investor protections established under New Jersey law. Exxon has said it isn’t adopting any elective provisions of the Texas corporate statute that weaken shareholder rights. Investors will vote on the relocation plans at Wednesday’s annual meeting. “There is no conflict of interest,” a Glass Lewis spokeswoman said. “Glass Lewis’ proxy research, including our approach to assessing the governance implications of reincorporation proposals, is entirely separate from our lawsuit challenging Texas Senate Bill 2337, which is a matter of public record and has been disclosed on our website.”
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Texas Tribune – May 21, 2026
In the Permian Basin, AI takes on big oil’s dirty water problem
Underneath the Permian Basin, the state’s largest oil field, lies an ocean of toxic, unusable wastewater that bursts out of rock formations when oil companies extract fossil fuels from the ground. For years, companies have struggled with how to dispose of it. Now, many are turning to an ubiquitous, albeit controversial, technology to solve the problem — artificial intelligence.
In the race to keep up with skyrocketing demand for crude, oil and gas companies are increasingly turning to AI to gain an edge over their competition. AI, experts and analysts said, is reshaping how oil companies handle the saltwater slush, also known as produced water, by giving operators more information about the region’s geography. It’s also providing access to data more quickly and allowing operators to file permits faster.
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KUHF NPR – May 20, 2026
In Texas, high schools bet on a bright future for oil and gas careers under Trump
Dylan Ruiz sat in front of a nearly 6-foot-tall structure, a jumble of pumps and valves that simulate the flow of liquids and pressure changes. He was working through a training scenario on preventing oil leaks during his class on pumps, compressors and mechanical drives at Midland College in Texas. In the oil and gas industry, even minor errors can have major consequences. Ruiz, a 17-year-old senior at Legacy High School in Midland, is one of about 100 students earning dual high school and college credits by taking free courses on the basics of oil and gas production through Midland College’s Petroleum Energy Program.
“It’s a boom-and-bust economy, but you can see the profits undeniably,” said Ruiz, who wants to be a petroleum engineer to provide for his family. As a kid, he and his family felt the bust: His dad, who entered the industry without a college degree, was laid off a few times. But they’re betting on Donald Trump to help usher in a boom.
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Midland Reporter-Telegram – May 21, 2026
Czech investor acquires Delaware Basin portfolio*
A Czech billionaire is stepping into the upstream arena, acquiring a portfolio of southern Delaware Basin assets. Sev.en Global Investments, owned by Pavel Tykac, is acquiring the assets of UpCurve Energy Partners I and II from Post Oak Energy Capital. This includes substantially developed oil and gas assets located in the Southern Delaware Basin in West Texas, consisting of mature oil-weighted production and associated leasehold acreage.
“We focus on investments in commodity-linked sectors, including energy, mining and minerals, steel, oil and gas, and fertilizers,” a spokesperson for Sev.en told the Reporter-Telegram by email. “Geographically, we prioritize stable markets with predictable fundamentals, such as Europe, North America and Australia.” The company’s entry into the upstream oil and gas sector is driven by the company’s strategy of building a diversified energy portfolio and investing in assets with stable production and long-term development potential. “The U.S., and specifically the Permian Basin, represents one of the most established and attractive regions globally for this type of investment,” the spokesperson wrote.
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Houston Chronicle – May 26, 2026
Why Houston’s biggest oil companies are betting billions on the Gulf of Mexico again*
Crabs, tube worms and darkness greeted Dan McConnell, a marine geophysicist, when he rode a submersible deep into the Gulf of Mexico more than two decades ago. The trip marked the beginning of the deepwater renaissance for the industry operating offshore Houston, and its first shift away from crowded shallow waters. Now, it is seeing a new resurgence after years of taking a back seat to the onshore fracking boom as technology, artificial intelligence, and policy shifts have boosted an offshore industry some said was fizzling out.
“Offshore still has a lot of promise,” McConnell said earlier this month at the Offshore Technology Conference, which he chaired this year. “The promise comes through better imaging and better drilling technology.” Crabs, tube worms and darkness greeted Dan McConnell, a marine geophysicist, when he rode a submersible deep into the Gulf of Mexico more than two decades ago. The trip marked the beginning of the deepwater renaissance for the industry operating offshore Houston, and its first shift away from crowded shallow waters. Now, it is seeing a new resurgence after years of taking a back seat to the onshore fracking boom as technology, artificial intelligence, and policy shifts have boosted an offshore industry some said was fizzling out. “Offshore still has a lot of promise,” McConnell said earlier this month at the Offshore Technology Conference, which he chaired this year. “The promise comes through better imaging and better drilling technology.”
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Houston Chronicle – May 21, 2026
Houston’s oil industry is making a comeback in the Gulf of Mexico. Here’s how Trump is helping*
The offshore oil industry is making a comeback in the Gulf of Mexico, thanks, in part, to regulatory changes from the Trump administration. As part of President Donald Trump’s push for energy dominance, the administration has taken steps to boost offshore operations by making leases more available, easing regulations and unwinding permitting processes. As a result, new deepwater and high-pressure projects in the Gulf of Mexico and contested platforms offshore oil-averse states such as California have been given the green light. Offshore drilling, unlike its land-based counterpart, has added more rigs since last year, according to the latest counts from Baker Hughes. Onshore oil rig counts for the U.S. have dropped by 32, while the offshore count is up by 6.
Many of the administration’s moves offshore have been met with dismay and legal challenges from environmental groups, and some state leaders. The latest major lawsuit brought in April challenged the administration’s approval of BP’s Kaskida project, arguing the project was approved without proper oversight and testing of the newer deepwater and high-pressure technology.
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KIII – May 21, 2026
The water is there, but Corpus Christi still needs approval to pump more of it
As Corpus Christi pushes deeper into South Texas in search of water, the city’s western well fields are beginning to produce in a major way. New wells are coming online near Bluntzer, millions of gallons of groundwater are now flowing, and city leaders say the project could become one of the most important short-term water supplies the city has ever developed. But even as crews continue drilling, city officials say there is one major problem. The city may not be allowed to pump all the water it is finding.
Here on the banks of the Nueces River near Highway 666 and Highway 624, water from eight newly completed wells is already pouring into the river some 10 mgd of water which will end up at the O.N. Stevens treatment plant. Another drilling rig is now working on well number 19 at the city’s first western well field site. Crews lowered hundreds of feet of pipe nearly 800 feet underground into the Gulf Coast Aquifer, tapping another source of groundwater intended to help stabilize Corpus Christi’s water future.
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Yahoo! News – May 21, 2026
Gov. Gavin Newsom has decided to declare war on Chevron and small businesses as he tells drivers to avoid filing up at California gas stations this Memorial Day weekend. The California governor’s press office told travelers who are hitting the highway this holiday to “be sure to AVOID Chevron” amid the state’s sky-rocketing gas prices.
Newsom’s Thursday post claimed the company’s “branded” blend costs drivers more at the pump compared to “unbranded” gas. He also posted a map featuring two gas stations in the state, one in Sacramento County the other in Solano County, which Chevron said is run by small business owners.
Oil & Gas National & International
Oil Price – May 21, 2026
Why Oil’s Supply Crunch Could Arrive Late
The oil market still looks surprisingly calm for a system that has spent nearly three months absorbing the largest supply disruption in modern history. That should probably make people nervous. Because underneath the headline inventory numbers, the market has gone from adding barrels to burning through them. And lately, it has been using emergency reserves to help keep the machinery running.
The inventory picture still looks comfortable if you zoom out far enough. According to Oilprice.com’s analysis of weekly API data, U.S. commercial crude inventories excluding the Strategic Petroleum Reserve remain up roughly 25 million barrels year-to-date. That sounds reassuring until you zoom back in. Over the last five weeks, commercial U.S. crude inventories have dropped by roughly 25 million barrels. The entire year’s build effectively disappeared in a little over a month, and it was limited to “just” 25 million barrels only because the market had serious help.
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The Wall Street Journal – May 21, 2026
Walmart Sees Signs at Gas Pump That Consumers Are Stressed*
For the first time since 2022, Walmart WMT -7.27%decrease; red down pointing triangle shoppers filled their tanks with an average of less than 10 gallons per trip at its gas stations. “That’s an indication of stress,” said Chief Financial Officer John David Rainey in an interview. “The headline consumer is reasonably healthy, but when you look underneath, the pressure is uneven.” The retailer on Thursday reported strong sales growth in the most recent quarter and noted that rising fuel prices could draw more cash-strapped low-income shoppers. In this environment, Walmart plans to keep prices low to grab share but could lift prices later if fuel costs stay high, he said. The company also largely left its financial expectations for the rest of the year unchanged. That was a disappointment for some investors, who sent shares down sharply in Thursday’s session.
The company said that higher tax refunds to shoppers in the most recent quarter likely muted some of the impact of higher fuel costs on its results. Meanwhile, higher-income shoppers are gravitating to Walmart’s fast online delivery services and more premium selection in categories such as fashion and beauty, said Rainey. The dynamics pushed Walmart’s sales higher, with U.S. comparable sales, those from stores and digital channels operating for at least 12 months, up 4.1% in the three months ended May 1 from a year earlier. Sales rose in its major segments and online, the company said.
It is a familiar pattern for Walmart. The retail giant has often benefited amid times of economic trouble as shoppers look for bargains. Consumer sentiment in the U.S. has fallen to record lows in recent months as higher gasoline prices have exacerbated shoppers’ concerns about the economy, but wage and employment figures have held strong. The national average for regular gasoline is now $4.56, according to AAA, a sharp rise from $3.18 a year ago. Rainey said the company’s full-year sales would now land in the upper end of its earlier expectations of a 3.5% to 4.5% increase. The company said that for the current quarter it expects sales to increase by 4% to 5%. It said earnings per share would be between 72 and 74 cents, slightly below analysts expectations.
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Yahoo! News – May 21, 2026
One of Russia’s biggest oil refineries erupts in flames after Ukrainian strike
Note: Rumor is the distillation unit was destroyed
One of Russia’s largest oil refineries caught fire after a reported strike, marking another hit to fuel infrastructure tied to the country’s war effort. According to Ukrinform, the latest attack appears to have targeted both a major refinery and an oil pumping station, though officials had not yet confirmed the full extent of the damage.
The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine said on Facebook that the strike sparked a fire at the Lukoil-Nizhegorodnefteorgsintez plant in Kstovo, in Russia’s Nizhny Novgorod region. The facility is one of Russia’s largest refineries, with the capacity to process roughly 17 million tons of oil annually.
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Reuters – May 21, 2026
Deep under China’s coal basins, PetroChina is unlocking gas from rocks*
Thousands of metres below its vast coal basins, China is tapping an unconventional fuel source in a multi-billion-dollar effort to unleash new supplies of natural gas and further Beijing’s goal for energy independence. State energy giant PetroChina’s experts forecast the company could produce 30 billion cubic metres (1.06 trillion cubic feet) of coal rock gas by 2035, topping last year’s record shale gas output, which made up 10% of the country’s production.
The push to develop coal rock gas is part of Beijing’s widening effort to diversify its energy mix and reduce reliance on imports. That strategy, along with China’s massive electrification of its vehicle fleet, has insulated it from the worst of the disruptions triggered by the Iran war despite being the world’s top energy importer. Extracting coal rock gas (CRG), which for now is produced commercially only in China, requires horizontal drilling and fracking, a technology that PetroChina, the country’s top gas producer, has honed developing shale gas for over a decade.
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Industrial Info Resources – May 20, 2026
Venezuela’s PDVSA Continues with Refinery Repairs
State oil company Petroleos de Venezuela (PDVSA) is planning to shutter a refinery for a unit turnaround, while U.S. officials laud the role that Venezuelan crude oil can play in global energy security. According to Industrial Info Resources data, there are nine operational refining facilities in Venezuela, including three upgraders. Subscribers to the Industrial Info Resources Global Market Intelligence Petroleum Refining Plant Database can view a list of detailed plant profiles. There are 40 active petroleum refining projects in the country, including rehabilitations, restarts and refurbishments in the country, worth US$238 million.
PDVSA has scheduled planned maintenance starting June 2 at its refinery in Cardon, which has an operational capacity of 220,000 barrels per day (bpd). The maintenance is only for 75,000 bpd. Subscribers to the Industrial Info Resources Global Market Intelligence (GMI) Petroleum Refining Plant Database can view a detailed plant profile.
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Cool Down – May 15, 2026
Berkshire Sold $8 Billion of Chevron Shares as Prices Soared*
Berkshire Hathaway Inc. sold about $8 billion worth of Chevron Corp. shares in the first quarter as the oil giant’s stock reached a record high. Berkshire’s sale reduced its position in Chevron by about a third, leaving it with a 4.2% stake, the company said a filing Friday. The Omaha-based conglomerate, formerly run by Warren Buffett, was still Chevron’s fourth-biggest shareholder after the sale, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. Chevron stock touched a record high in March after US and Israeli forces attacked Iran and sent oil prices soaring.
Berkshire bought Chevron stock in 2020 when it was trading in the $65-a-share range before selling some a year later. It added to the position at $124 a share in 2022, around the time Russia attacked Ukraine. The most recent sale occurred at a volume-weighted average price of $182.59 a share, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.
Utilities, Electricity & Renewables
San Antonio Express-News – May 21, 2026
Texas is best positioned for AI data center boom, study says*
Texas ranks as the nation’s top state for artificial intelligence data center readiness, according to a new industry benchmark, as companies race to expand AI infrastructure across the country. Texas is the state most equipped for AI infrastructure, according to a new data center readiness index benchmark by AI-services and regulatory firm Labrynth. Oregon, Illinois, Florida and Georgia rounded out the the top five. Labrynth develops technology and consulting tools for heavily regulated industries, with the goal of helping companies and governments navigate rules more quickly and efficiently.
The company’s new benchmark examines energy supply, grid reliability, water supply, permitting, workforce and more to determine how states are prepared to support the massive wave of AI data center development. Texas has emerged as the nation’s fastest-growing data center hub, driven by abundant power, incentives and available land. That growth is helping propel Dallas to the top of the global market: The city was named the world’s No. 1 primary data center market, surpassing established hubs in Atlanta and Virginia, according to a report released Wednesday by commercial real estate firm Cushman & Wakefield. The corridor between Austin and San Antonio is rapidly emerging as a major cluster, with more than 70 projects planned between Temple and San Antonio and roughly 5,600 megawatts under construction in the Austin and San Antonio metro areas. The region leads rankings for secondary and tertiary markets.
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The Wall Street Journal – May 21, 2026
The Clash Between a Giant Coal Plant and Houston’s Booming Suburbs*
Thompsons, Texas—One of the fastest-growing counties in the nation is also home to one of its biggest coal-fired power plants: the W.A. Parish Generating Station. The plant, in Fort Bend County, is the largest in Texas and can generate about 5% of the state’s electricity. It also contributes to air pollution in Houston and haze as far away as Arkansas. Now its towering stacks are fueling residents’ concerns about the air they are breathing. “It’s hazy most of the time,” said Sarah Roberts, 49 years old, who lives east of the plant in Sienna, a planned community whose website boasts amenities such as a sports complex, amphitheater and “endless fresh air.”
From her plant-filled patio, Roberts said she often sees a brown haze and believes emissions have made her allergies worse. “Newcomers to the area have posted, ‘Is there a fire going on?’ ” she said. “There are still a lot of people that have no clue.” Last year, Parish pumped out 36,000 tons of sulfur dioxide, 49% more than the prior year. Its emissions exceeded those in 43 states in 2025. The surge came amid rising power demand and a shift to coal as natural-gas prices rose. Only one other U.S. plant, the Labadie Power Station in Missouri, produced more sulfur dioxide. The colorless gas can harm the respiratory system of sensitive individuals, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.
NRG Energy, which owns the Parish plant, said it takes environmental and safety compliance seriously and that its emissions are within permitted levels. Just west of the plant, a 4,700-acre community called Austin Point is under construction and projected to attract 50,000 new residents to 14,000 homes, priced from roughly $200,000 to $900,000. A few dozen are finished and occupied. “Watch the future unfold from your front porch,” a billboard reads.
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KUT NPR – May 21, 2026
Austin Energy wants to buy a new power plant but won’t say how much it costs
Austin City Council members are set to decide on whether to pursue a new natural gas power project without a public debate or public vote Thursday. Any discussion between City Council and representatives of Austin Energy, the city’s electric utility, will take place during executive session, where the mayor and council go behind closed doors. Opponents of the plan, including environmentalists and people from neighborhoods where the project may ultimately be located, are questioning both the need for the new gas generators and the secrecy around the council vote.
“They’re literally asking for a blank check, which ratepayers are the ones that will be on the hook for,” said Kaiba White, climate policy specialist for Public Citizen Texas. “It’s everybody who pays an Austin Energy bill that will pay this price.”
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Austin American-Statesman – May 21, 2026
Cheaper power bills or climate goals? New gas plants in Austin force controversial choice*
The Austin City Council, acting as the board of Austin Energy, is set to vote Thursday on a controversial proposal to add new natural gas plants that could be turned on when demand for power spikes during extreme weather or other grid emergencies. The proposal calls for adding 400 megawatts of power from natural gas “peaker” plants. Austin Energy officials say the deal is necessary to protect residents — and the financially strained city-owned utility — from soaring power costs, while opponents say it flies in the face of Austin’s climate goals and complain that some of the most basic details will not be released publicly before the vote. That is because state law allows public power utilities to discuss certain competitive power matters behind closed doors, including vendor names, pricing and contract amounts.
Kaiba White, a climate and energy policy specialist for the watchdog group Public Citizen who also serves on the Austin Electric Utility Commission, said city leaders are pushing an opaque project through in a rush while failing to consider all the alternatives that could keep the utility’s climate goals intact, like more solar and battery storage.
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San Antonio Express-News – May 21, 2026
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton targets San Antonio solar company over ‘deceptive’ practices*
After years of mounting complaints about Texas’ once largely unregulated residential solar industry, Attorney General Ken Paxton sued a San Antonio-based solar company over allegedly misleading homeowners about energy savings, tax credits, warranties and financing agreements. The lawsuit against CAM Solar Inc. follows a broader state investigation into rooftop solar companies that the attorney general’s office says was prompted by more than 100 consumer complaints statewide.
he allegations mirror findings from a 2024 San Antonio Express-News investigation into the industry that documented widespread reports of defective systems, aggressive sales tactics and homeowners stuck paying long-term loans for systems that failed to work as promised. The series was built on an analysis of more than 1,000 consumer complaints filed with the attorney general’s office. CAM Solar Inc. was involved in an asset sale in September and is no longer in business, according to Tania Garcia, owner of CAM Solar 2.0 LLC. She said she purchased CAM Solar Inc.’s assets — including the company name, the gocamsolar.com website, customer database and phone number — but did not assume liabilities.
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American Public Power Association – May 21, 2026
LCRA Commits $1.8 Billion for Power, Water and Broadband
The Lower Colorado River Authority recently approved its largest investment plan to date to help Texas keep pace with its continued growth, LCRA said on May 21. On Wednesday, LCRA’s Board of Directors approved a $656 million operating budget and $1.8 billion in capital investments for FY 2027. The $1.8 billion in capital investments is funded primarily through LCRA’s own revenues and debt, consistent with the organization’s operations since 1934, which have relied on no state appropriations.
LCRA manages the lower Colorado River and six Highland Lakes, provides wholesale electricity to Central Texas cooperatives and small towns, and operates one of the state’s largest transmission networks. The business plan projects that power demand across ERCOT will grow significantly through 2031. Water needs are rising alongside power demand.
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AOL – May 21, 2026
Clean energy more reliable than fossil fuel power, data shows
New data show that clean energy is keeping the lights on and saving consumers millions of dollars on their energy bills, while gas- and coal power plants are proving unreliable and costly. The analyses contradict the Trump administration’s claims that coal power plants are needed for reliability. “Some politicians with agendas are going around telling people we need coal- and gas power plants to supply the grid during cold snaps, heatwaves and hurricanes,” says Ted Kelly, an attorney for the global nonprofit Environmental Defense Fund, who specializes in clean energy. “But the truth is, coal and gas power plants are far less reliable than their boosters admit, and having a diversity of types of clean power — wind, solar, and batteries — helps guarantee our electric supply will be there when we need it most.”
When Winter Storm Fern barreled across much of the U.S. in January, a lot of coal- and gas power plants stopped working. For instance, the grid operator for much of the lower Midwest and the Mid-Atlantic region reported that more than 21 gigawatts of coal and gas power plants — enough to power about 16 million U.S. homes — went offline during the storm as a result of frozen equipment and other mechanical issues. Yet during the cold period that followed Fern, U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright claimed, “Beautiful, clean coal was the MVP of the huge cold snap we’re in right now.”
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Industrial Info – May 16, 2026
Billions Worth of Texas Solar Power Projects to Come Online in 2026
Solar power generation is expected to overtake coal-fired generation in Texas this year, in keeping with the more than $12 billion worth of utility-scale solar installations planned to come online in the state this year. For a while, solar power generation has been flirting with meeting and eventually surpassing coal-fired generation in Texas, and that milestone seems set to be crossed in a big way this year. In its latest Short-Term Energy Outlook, the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) noted that since the start of this year, and especially noticeable from second-quarter estimates onward, solar power’s dominance over coal has been firmly in place and is expected to surpass coal’s annual generation in the state this year.
The Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) grid covers the vast majority of Texas, and the EIA reports that ERCOT’s 14.0 billion kilowatt-hours (kWh) of solar generation slightly surpassed coal’s 13.8 billion kWh in the first quarter of this year, but from the second quarter onward, those numbers continue to diverge more widely in favor of solar generation. Industrial Info Resources data find 37 utility-scale solar projects, valued at $12.8 billion, that are set to be completed in Texas this year.
Regulatory
May 19, 2026
The Railroad Commission of Texas—the agency responsible for regulating Texas’s oil and gas industry—has reported runaway costs for plugging and remediating so-called “orphan” wells. The commission estimates that it will cost $202 million to plug its inventory of orphan wells approved for state-funded remediation and decommissioning, the highest total in the program’s history. (See Figure 1.) Texas is on a well-plugging hamster wheel whose liability has grown with each passing year.
The commission, which was given authority over Texas oil pipelines in 1917 and oil production in 1919, considers an oil or gas well orphaned if it has produced no hydrocarbons for a year and its paperwork has been delinquent for the same period. Each year, the agency approves a portion of those orphaned wells to its cleanup rolls for plugging and estimates its obligations based on the projected plugging costs for each included well.