Texas Energy Report NewsClips
Tuesday June 2, 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 held on to most of the previous session’s sharp gains in early trade on Tuesday on uncertainty over the status of ceasefire talks between the United States and Iran and the potential reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday talks with Iran were ongoing, while Tasnim news agency reported that Tehran had suspended indirect negotiations with Washington.
West Texas Intermediate fell 17 cents, or 0.18%, to $91.99 a barrel.
Brent crude futures inched up 6 cents, or 0.06%, to $95.04 a barrel at 0001 GMT.
Both benchmarks rose more than 5% in the previous session but pared gains after U.S. President Trump said he had not been told that Iran was suspending talks with Washington and that Israel had agreed to pull back any troops that were preparing to attack southern Lebanon.
In a separate interview with CNBC on Monday, Trump had said he did not mind if the talks were over.
Top Stories
E&E News By Politico – June 1, 2026
Congress set for summer sprint on energy, environment policy
Lawmakers’ return to Capitol Hill this week marks the beginning of a two-month sprint in which permitting reform, government spending bills and party-line budget packages will make up just a fraction of Congress’ jam-packed agenda. The House and Senate are facing a mountain of legislative priorities ahead of the August recess, and lawmakers are hoping to make meaningful progress on each one before entering the summer and fall campaign season. The upcoming scramble will be a major test of Congress’ ability to firm up bipartisan deals on a number of priorities with implications for energy and environment policy.
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Compressor Tech 2 – June 1, 2026
EIA: Nearly 45 Bcf/d of new U.S. natural gas pipeline capacity planned through 2027
Developers plan to bring approximately 44.9 billion cubic feet per day (Bcf/d) of new natural gas pipeline capacity online in the United States during 2026 and 2027, with most of the additions concentrated in Texas and tied to growing LNG exports and Permian Basin production, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA).
In its latest Natural Gas Pipeline Projects Tracker, EIA reported that roughly 70%, or 31.6 Bcf/d, of the planned capacity is already under construction. Texas accounts for more than two-thirds of the planned additions, with 29.7 Bcf/d of new capacity expected to originate in the state. Louisiana ranks second, representing 8.4 Bcf/d, or 19%, of the total planned expansion.
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Texas Tribune – June 1, 2026
Corpus Christi reconsiders building a desalination plant leaders rejected last year
Corpus Christi City Council is set to discuss Tuesday whether to revive a controversial and ambitious endeavor to build a desalination plant to convert seawater into drinkable water — a project the council rejected nine months ago over high costs and environmental concerns. A stubborn drought and rising demand has left the city strapped for water, but the coastal community is still divided on whether an expensive plant is worth the cost to taxpayers and the local ecosystem.
Desalination removes salt and other minerals from seawater or salty groundwater, but plants are expensive to build and require lots of energy to run. The city’s water department, the mayor and some City Council members view the proposed plant, the Inner Harbor Desalination Project, as the key to a long-term, steady water supply. City Manager Peter Zanoni often calls it a “drought-proof” solution capable of producing up to 30 million gallons of drinking water a day.
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June 1, 2026
The Exxon Example for Corporations: The Wall Street Journal*
Exxon Mobil shareholders last week voted to support management’s decision to move its corporate domicile to Texas from New Jersey. It’s a smart move that raises a question for other companies: Is it becoming a corporate governance duty to leave states that punish business for states that don’t? Seventy-one percent of Exxon holders supported the corporate move at its annual meeting. That endorsement came despite opposition from the proxy adviser duopoly of Glass Lewis and Institutional Shareholder Services. Those two advisory firms try to enforce progressive policies on corporate governance even if they’re not in the best interest of shareholders.
Exxon CEO Darren Woods pitched the decision as better for its business as the company has operated in Texas for decades. “The board believes that kind of familiarity will lead to more reasonable, productive decisions from Texas officials and citizens, which is critical to the long-term success of the company,” Mr. Woods told shareholders. Yet Exxon has had its legal home in New Jersey since 1882, so why move it now? The best answer is that the policy differences between states are becoming wider. States run by Democrats are moving in a sharply different direction than states run by Republicans.
The Latest TERse Tips
Chemical recycler Braven Environmental has abandoned plans to open a pyrolysis facility in Texarkana — Utility Dive
The Texas Public Utility Commission approved Vistra’s acquisition of the Q Generation assets in late May — Q Generation is the indirect owner of a key Texas cogeneration plant that was a cornerstone of the broader $4 billion purchase of the Cogentrix portfolio — The acquisition allows Vistra to rapidly expand its natural gas generation fleet to help meet surging power demands, particularly from energy-intensive AI data centers — see the SEC order
Falling US oil inventories put upward pressure on fuel prices — a surge in US oil exports highlights the impact of the global crisis on American consumers — opinion by Ed Crooks from Wood Mackenzie
Cheap Chinese cars have been flooding over the Mexico border into towns across Texas despite the US government’s attempts to ban the notoriously affordable vehicles due to national security concerns — Daily Mail
The Texas oil boom led to creation of the Houston Chronicle
Oil & Gas Texas
Dallas Morning News – June 1, 2026
Republican Bo French’s upset reshapes railroad commission race, giving Democrats hope*
When Bo French launched his campaign for the Texas Railroad Commission, Jon Rosenthal thought it was a joke. Rosenthal, a Democratic state representative from Houston, had expected he’d face Republican Jim Wright, chairman of the three-member commission that regulates the state’s oil and gas industry. French had drawn heavy criticism from both parties for incendiary social media posts. Wright was backed by the governor, top legislative leaders, the commission’s other two Republicans and major energy company executives.
But French, a former Tarrant County GOP chair, narrowly edged Wright in last week’s Republican runoff, scrambling expectations in a race that typically receives little attention but now offers what Democrats see as a rare opening in a statewide contest. Rosenthal, the Democratic nominee and a mechanical engineer who spent his career in the oil and gas industry, described French as a “chaos candidate” more interested in cultural fights than the commission’s work. In an interview with The Dallas Morning News, Rosenthal said French is an agitator “hurling personal insults or cultural mischaracterizations” that have “nothing to do with the commission.” “The case that I’ll make is I’m the industry expert,” he said.
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Texas Monthly – May 28, 2026
A Skeptic’s Guide to Whether Texas Democrats Can Actually Win This Year*
No Republican or pollster I talked to predicted a Talarico victory, but nearly everyone told me it was a distinct possibility. The positive case for Talarico is a simple one. In the last Trump midterm year, 2018, Beto O’Rourke ran a shockingly close campaign with Ted Cruz. He lost by 2.6 percentage points, but even Republicans could see that Democrats were in the range of victory: In a slightly more favorable year, with a slightly better candidate, they might prevail.
Everyone I spoke to, in both parties, believes that the national environment is better for Democrats this year than in 2018—Trump is even more unpopular, facing inflation and the Iran war. And they believe Talarico is a better statewide candidate than O’Rourke. At roughly this point in 2018, O’Rourke trailed Cruz in the polls by 5 points. The polling aggregate currently finds Talarico running 1.5 points ahead of Paxton (he leads by as much as 8 in one survey and trails by as much as 2 in another). As one longtime GOP strategist, who requested anonymity given their current position, told me: “This is not a made-up race. You are covering a real race.”
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Pipeline & Gas Journal – May 30, 2026
WhiteWater Adds 65-Mile Pelican Lateral to Serve Commonwealth LNG
WhiteWater plans to expand its Pelican Pipeline system in Louisiana with a new lateral designed to deliver natural gas to Commonwealth LNG’s proposed export terminal in Cameron Parish. The project, known as the Pelican Thrasher Lateral, will consist of approximately 65 miles of 42-inch pipeline extending from the Gillis area of Beauregard Parish to the LNG facility. The pipeline is designed to transport up to 2.5 billion cubic feet per day of natural gas.
WhiteWater said the lateral is expected to enter service during the first half of 2029, subject to permitting and construction schedules. Last year, WhiteWater announced plans to increase the capacity of its 170-mile Pelican Pipeline to 2.5 billion cubic feet per day by expanding the system to 42-inch diameter pipe. The line, scheduled to enter service in 2027, will transport natural gas from Williams, Louisiana, to the Gillis Hub near Ragley, creating additional takeaway capacity for Haynesville production and Gulf Coast demand centers.
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Houston Chronicle – June 1, 2026
Trump voters chose gridlock by picking culture warriors over fiscal conservatives: Chris Tomlinson*
Will Republican donors who spent $100 million on Cornyn to stop Paxton now write him a $100 million check for the midterm election when more scandals might come to light? Abbott, Patrick and every Big Oil company in Texas did their best to keep French from joining the state’s energy regulator, known as the Railroad Commission. In his primary campaign, French spent more time opposing immigration and civil rights than sharing ideas for the energy industry.
I’ve been writing for months about French’s Islamophobia, anti-immigrant policies and plan to denaturalize and deport 100 million American citizens. I was not surprised to receive text messages quoting Abbott and Patrick denouncing French and supporting incumbent Jim Wright. They weren’t criticizing French’s prideful bigotry but his business background. “Abbott said, French ‘would wreck the miracle’ and ‘doesn’t know anything about oil and gas,’” one text message correctly claimed. A message from the American Strength Texas PAC said, “French ran hedge funds that collapsed. The companies he was a partner in still owe thousands in unpaid taxes.” No mention of the conservative culture war issues, which seem to mobilize GOP voters these days.
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Townhall – May 28, 2026
Talarico Thinks Attacking the Texas Oil Industry Is a Good Idea: Amy Curtis
James Talarico warned voters yesterday that mean old Republicans would take his insane statements ‘out of context’ to make him look like a radical Leftist. The problem with that argument, of course, is that Talarico truly is a radical Leftist, by his own admission. He thinks God is non-binary, that there are multiple genders, said the Bible approves abortion, and that veganism — in Texas! — is how we save the planet.
He’s also doubling down on attacking the biggest driver of the Texas economy: oil and fossil fuels. Like all Democrats, Talarico wants to ruin our quality of life by mandating expensive, unreliable, and costly ‘renewable’ energy projects that actually do more environmental harm than good. Doing so, Talarico argues, will turn our future into one like ‘The Jetsons.’ “Texans are seeing that climate change is here,” Talarico said, “and that we need action. And so I think if it can happen in Texas, if we can built that bipartisan coalition to save the planet. If we can do it here, then there’s hope for us doing it across the country and across the world.”
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Dallas Morning News – May 27, 2026
Who is Bo French, the Republican nominee for Texas railroad commissioner?*
French, who represents the more extreme end of his party, is known for posting incendiary comments on social media. He has frequently disparaged Muslims and immigrants and blasted diversity, equity and inclusion measures, focusing his commissioner campaign largely on stopping what he called an “Islamic invasion.” Throughout the campaign, French accused Wright of allowing “Sharia law” within the railroad commission and called him “Jihadi Jim.” Much of French’s support came from political groups tied to influential West Texas conservative billionaires Tim Dunn and Farris Wilks, who have backed hard-line conservative causes and candidates across Texas politics.
French ran unsuccessfully for the Texas House twice before he was elected in 2023 to lead the Tarrant County GOP. Earlier this year, French called for fellow Republicans to openly embrace Islamophobia and for the U.S. to deport 100 million people, nearly a third of the country’s population. He has previously drawn public ire for using slurs, including “homo” and “retard.” Last year, he used what is considered a derogatory term against Black people in multiple posts about SNAP benefit cuts. In June 2025, French provoked a firestorm after publishing a survey on X asking whether Jews or Muslims were a bigger threat to the state. Several Republicans, including Patrick and Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker, called for his resignation. French did not resign but said he regretted posting it.
Oil & Gas National & International
S&P Global Platts – June 1, 2026
Venezuela crude exports to US, India rise in May as output climbs
Venezuelan crude exports to the US and India increased in May, extending a shift in trade flows that has seen the Latin American producer diversify its customer base, according to S&P Global Commodities at Sea. Exports to the US rose to 17.1 million barrels in May, while Indian receipts climbed to 13.5 million barrels, as refiners stepped up purchases of heavy crude, CAS data showed June 1.
US imports of Venezuelan crude reached their highest in almost eight years in the week ended May 15, according to US Energy Information Administration data released May 20. India has emerged as one of the main beneficiaries of the new trade pattern. CAS data show Indian refiners increased purchases from Venezuela as they sought alternatives to Middle Eastern supplies disrupted by restrictions on shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.
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S&P Global Platts – June 1, 2026
Egypt leads US LNG cargo destinations in May as European share drops
Egypt was the top destination for US LNG cargoes delivered in May, while US shipments to Asia continued to rise during the month to help offset supply disruptions caused by the war in the Middle East, an analysis of S&P Global Energy CERA data showed June 1.
The share of monthly US cargoes landed in Europe also declined in May to the lowest point since late 2024, as forward pricing for the winter months continued to discourage buyers in the region from competing with Asia for available volumes. Egypt received 16 US cargoes in May, followed by the Netherlands and Italy, each with 15; by India with 14; and by France, Germany and Japan, with 10 each.
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News from the States – June 1, 2026
‘Time is the enemy’: Oil industry faces uncertainty in what the Bakken’s next era will look like
North Dakota elected officials are pushing to make rapid progress on the next generation of oil production technology before a change in federal administration, but oil and gas executives say there’s no guarantee of a quick breakthrough. “We have a tremendous opportunity in the next two years, because we have an administration that understands this stuff. We have to get them to mobilize a little faster,” said Gov. Kelly Armstrong during a prominent oil conference in May. “Time is the enemy, but they understand this, and so we have gone from headwinds to tailwinds.”
But oil and gas executives say there are a lot of unknowns and success will depend on many factors. “Future success is far from a given, it’s going to have to be earned,” said Danny Brown, CEO of Chord Energy. “But the reward is tremendous for this and for future generations.”
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Politico – May 29, 2026
Oil money is taking center stage in the California governor’s race
Oil companies are making a cash splash to back Xavier Becerra in the final stretch of California’s race for governor. And Tom Steyer wants you to know it. Chevron’s contribution early in the campaign to Steyer’s top primary opponent, Becerra, was already a controversial wedge issue. Then this month, California Resources Corporation, the state’s largest oil and gas producer, contributed $500,000 to an independent committee backing Becerra. Chevron did the same last week.
That gave Steyer, a billionaire climate activist who has pledged not to accept fossil fuel industry cash, a fresh opening to hammer the issue. In the past week, his campaign has dispatched trucks mounted with billboards describing Becerra as being “fueled by Chevron,” labeled the former Biden administration cabinet secretary as “Big Oil Becerra” in press releases and run a new ad criticizing Becerra for receiving oil money support.
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Fortune – May 29, 2026
The ‘imminent’ oil crisis isn’t at the pump—it’s under your hood
Prices at the pump have surged and global fertilizer shortages are spreading because of the war in Iran, but the most immediate supply chain crisis hitting consumers may be one that arrives every 5,000 miles: the routine engine oil change. The Independent Lubricant Manufacturers Association has warned of a “global base oil supply crisis” and an “imminent shortage” of low-viscosity motor oils—the most common grades used in newer vehicles today. “[Auto shops] are being warned by their suppliers that availability will be a problem in June, and certain types of oil will become more scarce,” said Michael Chung, senior director of market intelligence for the Auto Care Association. “They’re actually expecting a huge [motor] oil price increase in June.”
Chung told Fortune that more people are expected to delay oil changes as prices rise, triggering a temporary dip in demand. Even so, the situation hasn’t yet reached a point where shops cannot perform the service. “People are doing the things that are urgent, but waiting on things that aren’t so critical. I just feel like the consumer is a punching bag these days,” Chung said. “It’s inflation from all sides and the stress of everything that’s going on in the world. Customers have basically been absorbing costs.”
KUHF NPR – May 29, 2026
Here’s how we’re coping with high gas prices, according to Costco and Walmart
In the hunt for cheaper gas, people are going out of their way for discounted fuel at Costco and Walmart — many of them visiting for the first time. Drivers also are now filling up more often, but topping up with fewer gallons at a time. As the U.S. war in Iran continues to drive up gas prices, Costco’s gas stations have been selling record amounts of fuel, executives told investors on a call Thursday. In fact, Costco had never sold as much gas as it did between April and mid-May, CEO Ron Vachris said, with stations having to get multiple daily gas deliveries to keep up. People have been willing to drive further and wait in line longer to buy cheaper gas.
“A lot of members are increasing their frequency of visiting the gas station to top up in between what would have normally been a gap between getting the tank to empty because of the concern about what might the gas price be tomorrow,” said Gary Millerchip, Costco’s finance chief.
Utilities, Electricity & Renewables
San Antonio Express-News – June 1, 2026
CPS Energy CEO Rudy Garza leaving city-owned utility to run Austin river authority*
CPS Energy President and CEO Rudy Garza is leaving the city-owned utility to take on the general manager role at the Lower Colorado River Authority. Garza, who has led the organization since becoming the interim CEO in November 2021, delivered his notice of intent to retire on Monday, the utility announced. “It has been the honor of my lifetime to work with the talented and dedicated team at CPS Energy,” Garza said in a statement. “I am proud of the fantastic leaders in this organization and the work we have done together as one team to build out long term strategies to power the Greater San Antonio community now and into the future.”
Garza will assume the general manager role at the river authority on July 20, bringing with him decades of experience running private and public utilities. The nonprofit public utility and conservation district provides power and water and manages the Lower Colorado River, including the six Highland Lakes — Buchanan, Travis, Inks, LBJ, Marble Falls and Austin.
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KUHF NPR – June 1, 2026
As data centers flock to Texas, ERCOT tries to decide which projects are feasible
Texas power grid operators are preparing for an influx of data centers In the first quarter of this year alone, nearly 200 proposed data centers and other large energy users requested to join the grid. Currently, data centers and other high energy users, such as cryptocurrency miners and industrial facilities, are seeking a combined 438 gigawatts of power in Texas. That’s more than five times the amount of electricity used to power the entire state during record-breaking demand.
But that number is likely inflated by proposed facilities that will never be built. “I haven’t really believed the numbers for two years now,” University of Texas research scientist Joshua Rhodes said. Texas has the fastest-growing data center market in the country and could lead the nation in this sector in the coming years. As these facilities flock to Texas, the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, also known as ERCOT, is trying to understand which data center projects are actually feasible — and what infrastructure is needed to build them.
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Texas Observer – June 1, 2026
Texas Nights Are Getting Hotter, and the Power Grid Isn’t Ready
Texas is heading into summer 2026 with a power grid under pressure from two directions. Data centers and large computing facilities are adding enormous, continuous electricity demand. At the same time, summer nights are getting warmer, reducing the overnight cooling the grid once relied on, keeping residential air conditioners running long after dark. Regulators are still writing the rules for those new industrial loads, but Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) planning documents already show where the pressure is building: in the evening hours, when solar output fades but demand does not. That is where cooling homes that cannot cool down and data centers that never switch off collide, and it is exactly where the grid is most exposed.
There is a moment in a Texas summer night, usually around 2 a.m., when you expect the heat to finally relent. For most of the 20th century, that moment was reliable. Engineers built demand curves around it. Rate structures were calibrated to it. But that moment is becoming less reliable.
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Reuters – June 1, 2026
SEG Solar announces third US solar panel factory in Texas*
U.S. solar panel maker SEG Solar on Monday announced plans for a third major factory in Texas to serve demand for American-made clean energy equipment.
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The Houston-area facility will support SEG’s transition to high-efficiency heterojunction (HJT) solar technology.
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The factory will bring SEG’s U.S. module production to 10.6 gigawatts.
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The third factory is expected to begin production in May 2027. The company’s second facility will open in August of this year.
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SEG is evaluating U.S. locations for an HJT solar cell factory.
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The facility’s products are aimed to serve demand for solar panels that comply with federal laws barring Chinese companies from claiming clean energy subsidies.
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Houston-based SEG is planning a solar wafer and ingot facility in Indonesia to serve its U.S. factories
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Axios – May 31, 2026
AI is turning energy into the hottest business in America
The AI boom is pushing companies across the economy — from tech giants to automakers — deep into the energy business. The scramble for electricity has become the gold rush beneath the AI boom, creating enormous financial value and enormous risk if demand falls short. Electricity — long treated as a cheap, abundant commodity — is suddenly emerging as one of the most valuable strategic assets in business.
“Everyone to some extent is either dependent on energy as a core input or they see energy as a huge opportunity,” said Brian Janous, who was Microsoft’s first energy hire 15 years ago and is now co-founder of data center developer Cloverleaf Infrastructure. Ford unveiled earlier this month its expansion into energy storage for data centers and other large power users.
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The Conversation – May 28, 2026
Extreme weather is posing a growing threat to the power supplies Americans rely on. In 2021, a fierce winter storm left millions of Texans without electricity and water for days. Hurricane Helene in 2024 knocked out power to about 5 million customers across the U.S. Southeast. Beyond the immediate human and economic toll, major blackouts like these often leave behind the same unsettling contrast: One region goes dark while nearby places still have power. This raises a question: If electricity is still available somewhere nearby, why can’t it be sent where it is needed most?
The U.S. bulk power system is not one seamless national grid, but three major grid regions known as interconnections – the Eastern, Western and ERCOT – Electric Reliability Council of Texas – systems. There are very few transmission lines between them, so if one has too little power, the others may not be able to help much. That limited connectivity made the 2021 Texas blackout far more severe: As the storm knocked out gas lines and power generators, ERCOT was forced into the largest deliberate electricity shutoff in U.S. history. Operators cut power to millions of customers to avoid a total grid collapse.
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Utility Dive – May 28, 2026
MISO pushes back on utility complaint over competitive transmission bidding
Utilities are overstating how much time competitive solicitations can add to the transmission development process, the Midcontinent Independent System Operator told federal regulators on Wednesday in response to a complaint filed by incumbent companies seeking exclusive rights to build certain power lines. “MISO disagrees with the exaggerated length of the delay alleged in the Complaint as MISO’s actual experience differs from the alleged 16-20-month timeframe,” the grid operator said in a filing with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.
Although MISO challenged assertions in the complaint, it stopped short of taking a position on whether FERC should grant or deny the utilities’ requested relief. Looking ahead, the dispute at FERC could affect who gets to build regional transmission projects in MISO and the Southwest Power Pool and could spill over into other regions.
Regulatory
The Hill – May 31, 2026
‘Climate hushing’ or ‘kitchen table’? Democrats must decide: Andreas Karelas, Climate Change writer
I want to let you in on a secret: The throughline for much of the chaos and turmoil we’re witnessing in the world is the climate crisis and the global energy transition. Yet we barely hear about it. We see it with our own eyes. We feel it at the gas pump and when we pay our electric bill. We see our military invade yet another oil-rich country. We see more than a million Americans lose power when a record-breaking winter storm collides with a woefully neglected electrical grid.
We roast through the hottest March ever recorded. We watch the EPA proclaim allegiance to the polluting industries it is supposed to regulate instead of to human lives. And we witness ungodly amounts of fossil fuel money being pumped into politics, with corruption spanning from utility commissions to the White House. Still, the silence remains. “Climate hushing,” as it’s now being called, is the cowardly act of not talking about climate out of fear that it’s not going to win you any political points. However, to halt the freefall we find our country in, we must muster the courage to speak about climate and energy — simply, plainly and honestly.