Texas Energy Report NewsClips
Friday July 24, 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
Brent oil prices hovered above $100 per barrel on Friday while heading for their fourth week of gains, driven by concerns about disrupted energy flows in the Red Sea and fears of further escalation in the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran.
West Texas Intermediate (WTI) futures were little changed at $91.20 a barrel, their highest level since June 11 and on track for an 11.8% weekly rise.
Brent futures advanced 37 cents, or 0.37%, to $101.06 a barrel at 0330 GMT, having settled up 7% above $100 in the previous session for the first time since May, after Iran-aligned Houthis said they struck two Saudi oil tankers in the Red Sea.
The contract remained on course for a 14.6% advance this week.
Top Stories
Pipeline & Gas Journal – July 23, 2026
House Bill Would Fast-Track FERC Approval of National Security Pipelines
A new House bill would allow the president to designate certain interstate oil and natural gas pipelines as critical to national security, triggering expedited FERC reviews and limiting state permitting authority.
Rep. Ken Calvert, R-Calif., has introduced legislation that would establish an expedited federal permitting process for interstate oil and natural gas pipelines deemed critical to U.S. national security. The National Security Interstate Pipeline Act (H.R. 9838) would allow the president to designate qualifying pipeline projects as essential to supplying energy for military installations, the defense industrial base or other critical infrastructure. Projects receiving the designation would fall under the exclusive permitting authority of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), with the agency required to issue a decision within 180 days of receiving an application.
The legislation would also preempt state and local permitting requirements that could delay or block designated projects. Any legal challenges filed under the measure would be heard exclusively by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. Calvert said the bill is intended to improve energy reliability for critical facilities and address barriers to developing interstate pipeline infrastructure.
________________________________
The Hill – July 23, 2026
Trump slams brakes on Saudi nuclear deal with Abraham Accords demand
President Trump has thrown the Saudi nuclear deal into question less than 24 hours after it was signed, making it conditional on the Saudis normalizing relations with Israel. His Thursday announcement appears vastly different from what sources familiar had disclosed about the deal on Wednesday, raising questions about whether it marks a U-turn or just a confusing rollout.
The Saudis have long said that any normalization with Israel is conditioned on seeing a pathway to the establishment of a Palestinian state, something Israel has dismissed. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters in a briefing that Trump has said if the Saudis don’t join the Abraham Accords, “the deal is off.” When asked why the condition wasn’t mentioned Wednesday when the Energy Department announced that the deal was signed, Leavitt said it was because Trump “is always the final dealmaker.”
________________________________
Oil Price – July 23, 2026
U.S. Refinery Utilization Hits 96.2% as Fuel Markets Tighten Worldwide
U.S. refinery utilization has been near-capacity for weeks, with American fuel exports jumping to record high levels amid tight global fuel markets in the wake of the Iran war and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. The average refinery capacity utilization across the United States was 96.2% as of July 17, the latest reporting week available, up from 94.7% in the same week in 2025, according to data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA).
The average may be just above 96% nationwide, but the Midwest and Rocky Mountains regions, PADD2 and PADD4, respectively, were at 100% utilization as of last week, the EIA’s latest Weekly Petroleum Status Report showed on Wednesday. At the same time, U.S. commercial oil stocks remain 6% below the five-year average for this time of year, despite a build in the past week, while stocks at Cushing, Oklahoma, and in the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) are at multi-year and four-decade lows, respectively.
________________________________
KETK – July 23, 2026
SWEPCO signs White House pledge to not raise power bills near AI data centers
he Southwestern Electric Power Company publicly committed on Thursday to not raising customers’ electricity bills because of new AI data center construction. Their commitment comes as the power company signed on to the White House Ratepayer Protection Pledge, a five-part agreement that President Donald Trump’s administration has put together to try and diminish the threat that data centers could have on residents’ power bills.
The Southwestern Electric Power Company (SWEPCO) provides power to much of East Texas, northwest Louisiana and western Arkansas, and as a part of this agreement they’ve committed to negotiating separate power prices for data centers in those areas. SWEPCO President and chief operating officer Brett Mattison said their signing of the pledge reflects their belief that “growth should pay for growth” without raising their customer’s power bills, which is one of many concerns surrounding data center development.
The Latest TERse Tips
AAA Texas reports that gas prices are climbing as conflict in the Middle East continues, pushing crude oil into the $90-per-barrel range
Russia’s turn to imported gasoline and diesel after Ukrainian attacks damaged its refineries is adding demand to a tight Asian fuel market, creating a potential new complication for Iran as it struggles to cover a daily shortfall of about 30 million liters — Iran currently produces about 105 million liters of gasoline a day while consuming approximately 135 million liters, according to Reza Sepahvand, a member of parliament’s energy committee — Iran International
Southwest Airlines put Texas jet fuel on a boat to LA for the first time amid supply worries — CNBC
A controversial data center project in East Texas is no longer moving forward after the company said it wouldn’t be able to comply with Gov. Greg Abbott’s development standards — Kansas-based Diode Ventures had proposed building a data center in Henderson County near Cedar Creek Reservoir, a historic waterway in a community heavily involved in water conservation. The Fort Worth Star Telegram reported the site was expected to take 12 years to build out and consume 5 million gallons of lake water per day by its fifth year — Texas Tribune — Plus Governor approves of Diode’s actions and says will seek legislation to codify data expectations as well as:
- Require large data centers to annually report electricity and water usage data to the PUC
- Repeal sales tax exemptions and other outdated or unnecessary incentives for data centers
Democrats seize on AI data center backlash that’s dividing rural Republicans in places like Texas — Associated Press/Spectrum News
Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller publicly criticized Gov. Greg Abbott in a recent social media post, accusing the governor of prioritizing corporate interests over rural Texans — San Antonio Express-News*
Warning that Texas communities are being overwhelmed by the rapid growth of data centers, Texas Rep. and Democratic gubernatorial candidate Gina Hinojosa on Thursday urged Gov. Greg Abbott to immediately halt new projects until lawmakers can take up new rules — KFOX
Energy Transfer LP disclosed execution of an Eleventh and Twelfth Supplemental Indenture dated July 20, 2026, with U.S. Bank Trust Company, National Association, acting as trustee — these supplemental agreements establish the terms for new Series 2026A and Series 2026B junior subordinated notes to be issued under the existing December 14, 2022 base indenture — Globe & Mail
Three very large crude carriers hauling about 6 million barrels of crude slipped out of the Persian Gulf via the Strait of Hormuz in the past 24 hours, running the gauntlet of potential attack by Iran — the three VLCCs began sending automated position signals as they entered the Gulf of Oman on Thursday morning, having previously been in the Persian Gulf, according to ship-tracking data compiled by Bloomberg.
.
Oil & Gas Texas
TIKR – July 23, 2026
Kinder Morgan’s Q2 Earnings Prove the Natural Gas Buildout Is Real
Related: Kinder Morgan raised its 2026 earnings outlook after placing several major natural gas expansion projects into service while advancing a $9.6 billion project backlog dominated by gas infrastructure — Pipeline & Gas Journal
- Revenue of $4,477 million came in 11% higher than a year ago, while adjusted EBITDA reached $2,199 million and adjusted EPS rose 32% to $0.37.
- Raising its full-year outlook for the second straight quarter, Kinder Morgan now expects adjusted EBITDA at least 5% above its 2026 budget and adjusted EPS at least 12% above budget, worth $430 million of incremental EBITDA.
- With leverage already at 3.6x EBITDA, Chairman Richard Kinder framed the funding math bluntly on the call: “We can fund these projects almost completely with our internally generated cash flow while still continuing to pay a solid and growing dividend and maintaining a debt-to-EBITDA ratio at the lower end of our targeted range.”
________________________________
KUHF NPR – July 23, 2026
The Texas Panhandle was hit by a magnitude 5.0 earthquake
A rare magnitude 5.0 earthquake rattled parts of the Texas Panhandle early Thursday morning. It’s the strongest quake to hit that region in at least 100 years, according to online data compiled by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). The epicenter was located about 24 miles southeast of Spearman, a town northeast of Amarillo, USGS reported. “My cat woke me up. He kind of freaked out about it a little bit and that woke me up,” said Robertson County Judge Mitchell Locke, who serves as emergency management coordinator. “But I did feel it. There was some shaking. Nothing too extreme, though.”
Robertson County is a rural community with a population of about 900 people. As of Thursday morning, Locke said he had not heard reports of any significant damage. One area of concern is the potential damage to the extensive oil and gas industry in the region. Earthquakes in the Permian Basin to the south have been linked to industrial activity associated with drilling for oil, such as hydraulic fracturing, or fracking. The process involves injecting large quantities of contaminated, salty water deep underground.
________________________________
Oil & Gas Journal – July 23, 2026
Matador Resources expands Delaware basin footprint, signals Woodford confidence in New Mexico
Matador Resources Co. agreed to acquire Delaware basin assets from EnCap-backed Paloma Permian LLC and Ridge Runner Resources II LLC while reporting initial results from its first Woodford exploratory well that support further development of the emerging play in southeast New Mexico. The transactions will add producing assets, undeveloped acreage, and about 300 net drilling locations and increase Matador’s Delaware basin position to about 240,000 net acres, according to a July 23 investor presentation.
Under the larger of the two deals, a Matador subsidiary will acquire Paloma Permian LLC for $1.275 billion in cash. The acquisition includes 16,235 net acres (70% held by production) in Eddy and Lea counties, NM, with estimated third-quarter production of about 11,100 boe/d (57% oil). Matador said the assets add more than 156 net drilling locations, primarily targeting the Bone Spring and Wolfcamp formations. The transaction is expected to close in fourth-quarter 2026.
________________________________
Dermot Cole – July 23, 2026
Hilcorp says it ‘contributes’ $1 billion in taxes and royalties
Hilcorp opposes the proposal that owner Texas billionaire Jeff Hildebrand be forced to start paying an oil tax that has always applied to ConocoPhillips and ExxonMobil. The proposal is “punitive” and aimed at Hilcorp and Hildebrand, according to one of Hildebrand’s Alaska executives. The state failed to amend the law when Hildebrand bought BP’s major Alaska holdings in 2019.
There is nothing surprising and little that is new in this seven-page plea to keep the Hilcorp loophole in place. The missive includes all of the usual suspects: The amendment to close the loophole is flawed. Closing the loophole would make North Slope natural gas more expensive. Closing the loophole would reduce the amount of money that Hildebrand has to invest in Cook Inlet to provide natural gas. Closing the loophole would threaten future investment. It’s not fair to Hilcorp to close the loophole.
________________________________
Bloomberg – July 23, 2026
Trump-Backed Gas Pipeline to New York Struggles for Customers*
When US President Donald Trump revived a long-stalled pipeline project to bring more natural gas to the Northeast, he vowed to use the force of the federal government to make it happen. More than a year later, construction has yet to begin. New York State is battling the project in court, but the hurdles extend beyond the legal fight. More fundamentally, the US energy landscape has changed dramatically since Williams Cos. first proposed the Constitution pipeline more than a decade ago. Not a single utility has announced an agreement to buy gas from the project, and moreover, drillers are no longer pushing to ship their fuel on it.
The result is that the economic case for Constitution has weakened even as the pipeline has taken on outsized political significance. It remains a key test of Trump’s effort to revive stalled fossil-fuel projects, though analysts say the project has become more symbolic than commercially important. “The project’s strategic rationale has deteriorated,” said Amber McCullagh, a US gas analyst. “Most gas industry executives today would quietly acknowledge that, at this point, when they talk about Constitution, it’s to emphasize the need for a streamlined and straightforward permitting process, rather than as a pipeline that is itself strategically important to build.”
________________________________
Press Reader – July 22, 2026
RRC Concludes Record-Breaking 2026 Regulatory Conference
The Railroad Commission of Texas (RRC) once again set a new attendance record at its 2026 Regulatory Conference, welcoming more than 1,100 attendees and over 60 exhibitors to the agency’s premier annual educational event. Held July 13–15 at the Kalahari Resort & Convention Center in Round Rock, the conference brought together stakeholders from across the oil and gas regulatory community, including operators, industry experts, state and federal regulators and other energy professionals.
RRC Executive Director Wei Wang opened the conference before welcoming RRC Chairman Jim Wright, who officially kicked off the event. The first session featured a fireside chat between Chairman Wright and State. Representative Drew Darby, Chair of the Texas House Committee on Energy Resources, as well as an update from Chairman Wright on the Commission’s STOPTheft Task Force. Attendees also heard from The Honorable Paul Roberti, Administrator of the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA), who discussed the evolving federal pipeline safety regulatory landscape.
Oil & Gas National & International
BBC – July 23, 2026
Houthi attacks raise fears of wider Middle East conflict and more global economic damage*
Yemen’s Houthi fighters claim to have attacked shipping in the Red Sea – a move that threatens to further escalate the already volatile situation in the Middle East. By forcing ships to turn back from the narrow Bab El Mandeb strait, they have threatened to choke off the main maritime route from Europe to Asia. It comes as US-Iran strikes continue and while a deal to develop Saudi Arabia’s nuclear industry prompts fears of an arms race. So is the Middle East becoming more dangerous?
So far, 2026 is sadly proving to be one of the more violent years for parts of the Middle East. For 12 consecutive nights, US Central Command (Centcom) has carried out air strikes on Iranian coastal radar, drone and missile bases. The Gulf Arab states, in normal times a haven of low-crime tranquility and minimal taxation, are having to learn to live with constant attacks from their well-armed neighbour across the water: the Islamic Republic of Iran. And now the Iran-backed Houthis of Yemen have entered the fray, after a 2022 ceasefire with neighbouring Saudi Arabia appeared to have broken down.
Reuters – July 23, 2026
War risk insurance costs surge for southern Red Sea voyages after Houthi attacks*
________________________________
The Wall Street Journal – July 23, 2026
TotalEnergies Uses Cash From War-Induced Price Rises to Cut Debt*
TotalEnergies said it is prioritizing paying down its debt as conflict in the Middle East continues to provide earnings tailwinds and the opportunity to shore up balance sheets. The French oil-and-gas company said Thursday that continued high prices over the second quarter enabled it to cut its net debt by $3.3 billion to just shy of $20 billion. The company said it was prioritizing deleveraging as prices stay high. Higher prices also enabled TotalEnergies to maintain its $1.5 billion quarterly share buyback and declare a second interim dividend of 0.90 euros a share.
The conflict is providing oil majors with an unexpected cash boost that looks set to continue. Iran has exchanged fire with the U.S. and its Gulf allies in recent daysthat has pushed oil prices above $96 a barrel. Prices are unlikely to snap back to pre-war levels even if the conflict were to end soon. Spain’s Repsol said Thursday it would buy back up to half a billion euros in shares by the end of October after high crude prices boosted its adjusted earnings in the first half of the year. Norwegian oil major Equinor this week also said it would increase its quarterly buyback. TotalEnergies’ oil and gas unit benefited from a near $18 a barrel rise in average liquids prices compared with the first quarter. Lost production due to the conflict was also less than initially expected, enabling the company to capture more of the higher prices.
________________________________
Oil Price – July 14, 2026
Venezuela’s Oil Revival Faces a Critical Services Bottleneck
Venezuela’s upstream industry has entered a new phase. Following sweeping hydrocarbon reforms and broader geopolitical developments in early 2026, the conversation has shifted from whether the country can reopen its oil sector to whether it can successfully execute a meaningful production recovery. The country’s resource potential has never been in doubt. The greater challenge now lies in converting policy momentum into sustained operational growth.
Rystad Energy estimates Venezuela’s crude production could increase by approximately 17%, or around 194,000 barrels per day (bpd), between the fourth quarter of 2025 and the fourth quarter of 2028. Importantly, this growth is expected to come primarily from existing producing assets rather than large-scale new discoveries, highlighting that operational execution, not resource availability, will determine the pace of recovery.
________________________________
Reuters – July 15, 2026
China’s oil fortress will reshape the global order: Ron Bousso*
China caught the oil industry by surprise during the Iran war, pulling powerful levers to shield itself from the biggest energy shock in decades. In the process, it established itself as a new force in global energy markets – an independent, opaque, massive power. The measures China used to offset the energy supply shock — sharply cutting crude imports, restricting exports of refined fuels and drawing on domestic inventories — culminated in a decades-long campaign to reduce its heavy dependence on overseas energy supplies.
This offers a glimpse into how future crises could play out. Given the lack of transparency surounding many of Beijing’s policy choices, China’s assertive strategy points to a future in which energy market blind spots may matter more than visible data. And it also suggests that we could be entering an era in which China’s energy dynamics are a weapon – both defensive and offensive – not a vulnerability. China has been insulated from much of the extreme price volatility that followed the outbreak of war in Iran on February 28.
Utilities, Electricity & Renewables
KIAH – July 23, 2026
Public Utility Commission seeks additional authority to regulate data centers
The Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUCT) proposed additional legislative actions ahead of the next session to give itself and the Electric Regulatory Commission of Texas (ERCOT) more authority in regulating data center development in the state. Those proposals include how ERCOT would communicate with data center operators about power curtailments; requiring more information from data center developers to ensure grid reliability; and power to prevent foreign actors from disrupting the electric grid through data centers.
The recommendations — posted on the PUTCT website on Monday — were in response to a letter Governor Greg Abbott sent the commission on June 10th. The governor called on the entities to take immediate action to ensure Texans do not pay the price of connecting data centers to the state’s electric grid. Both the PUCT and ERCOT are central to the state’s electric grid. PUCT oversees the state’s electric and water utilities, while ERCOT manages the flow of electric power throughout the state– acting as the grid manager.
________________________________
KSAT – July 23, 2026
CPS Energy says no rate hike is planned as Texas braces for massive energy demand surge
As temperatures soar across Texas this week and the state’s power grid faced back-to-back peak demand days, the leaders of CPS Energy and ERCOT sat down with KSAT to address two questions on the minds of San Antonians. Is the grid keeping up? And: Are electric bills about to go up? The short answers, according to both executives: Yes, and, not right now.
ERCOT, the agency that manages the Texas power grid, said the system performed well despite the intense demand this week — the highest the state has seen since a record last set in August 2023. “We had a peak on Tuesday, we had another peak on Wednesday, and during all of that, the grid was reliable,” ERCOT president and CEO Pablo Vegas said. ”And prices were relatively moderate during all that time, as well.”
________________________________
Austin American-Statesman – July 23, 2026
‘Vote him out’: Bastrop residents unite against data centers as Texas AI boom accelerates*
Red and blue came together in a Bastrop hotel conference room as Central Texans from across the political spectrum united over a shared frustration: data centers. They heard from local and state officials urging them to take a stand against the industry that is rapidly developing artificial intelligence infrastructure across the region. The gathering was a response to a series of town halls conducted by one of the developers building data centers in the region, meetings residents said they left feeling that their concerns about the $1.4 billion project under construction in Cedar Creek were not addressed.
They’re like an increasing number of Texans who are packing local government meetings to make their voices heard and posting signs in their yards to protest the developments they fear will drive up electric rates, threaten water supplies and bring industrial sprawl. “We are often sold the myth that we are divided people, that we do not share much in common,” Nick Lealos, a Bastrop County resident and attorney, said at Wednesday’s meeting. “I find, as I look out in this crowd, that to be completely farcical. … There is more unity in this room than division.”
________________________________
Data Center Dynamics – July 23, 2026
Liberty Energy, PowerBridge form JV to power planned 2GW data center in West Texas
US energy firm Liberty Energy has formed a joint venture (JV) alongside powered land and data center development firm PowerBridge to support the development of a planned 2GW data center in West Texas. As part of the agreement, Liberty Energy subsidiary Liberty Power Innovations will design, develop and operate scalable, modular power generation architecture for the data center.
The JV is expected to support the development of PowerBridge’s Alpha Digital Campus, a planned 2GW powered campus in West Texas. The initial phase of the data center is expected to consist of 300MW of generation capacity, with the option to expand over time. First power at the site is expected in Q4 of 2027, with deployment continuing through the first half of 2028. It is unclear what form of generation will power the campus. DCD has reached out for further information.
________________________________
KENS – July 23, 2026
Artificial intelligence data centers are quickly becoming one of the biggest issues in Texas’ race for governor, with growing concern from rural communities over their impact on water supplies, electricity costs and open land. According to the Associated Press, Democratic gubernatorial candidate Gina Hinojosa has made opposition to large-scale data center development a key campaign issue, arguing rural Texans deserve more say over projects planned in their communities. The backlash has united Republicans and Democrats in some parts of the state as concerns grow over water use, noise, pollution and rising energy demand.
Thursday, in a town hall-style Zoom presentation, Rep. Hinojosa said she had just gotten back from the Panhandle, where people were very concerned about the increase of data centers coming to Texas. “What I saw was that the people of Texas are being taken advantage of in a big way by corporations that are operating under no rules,” Rep. Hinojosa said. “Especially in these unincorporated, in these rural areas, data centers are coming in and doing as they please and the people have no say and have no power.”
________________________________
Inside Climate News – July 23, 2026
Data Center Forecasts Keep Climbing and So Does Public Opposition. Something Has to Give.
Forecasts of U.S. data center growth defy belief—and common sense. “The math isn’t mathing,” as many observers have said. Growth forecasts continue to climb, but there is little evidence that AI data center developers have profitable, sustainable business models. And nearly every major project is facing local opposition over concerns about land, power and water use.
On Tuesday, BloombergNEF revised its estimate for data center electricity demand to 194 gigawatts by 2035, an 83 percent increase from its estimate six months ago. Under this model, data centers would use about 20 percent of the country’s electricity, up from 5.9 percent today. For context, the U.S. industrial sector—essentially all factories for all industries—used 25.7 of electricity last year.
________________________________
The Texan – July 23, 2026
Granbury Residents Take Action Against Seven City Officials Over Data Center Concerns
A coalition of residents called Grassroots Granbury has filed recall petitions, collected signatures for votes of no confidence, and filed a lawsuit against City of Granbury officials, calling for accountability and transparency regarding the city’s supposed data center developments. Fewer than 100 signatures are needed to qualify for a citizen initiative, which will put the recalls on the November ballot for Mayor Jim Jarratt, Mayor Pro Tem Bruce Wadley, and City Council Members Skip Overdier, Zeb Ullom, and Greg Corrigan.
Granbury has a population of roughly 11,500 voting-age adults. Grassroots Granbury confirmed in an email to The Texan that each petition received between 1,446 and 1,470 signatures. According to the group, these amounts exceeded the minimum of 1,300 required under the city charter, which sets the threshold at 15 percent of qualified voters on the rolls as of the last municipal election, in this case November 2025.
________________________________
Reuters – July 23, 2026
US energy officials consider power shift in PJM electric grid*
U.S. energy officials questioned PJM Interconnection’s power structure on Thursday as regulators weigh reforms to the country’s largest power grid, which faces the growing risk of blackouts as data center demand soars and little new electricity supply is added. PJM, which covers 67 million Americans across the Mid-Atlantic and Midwest that include the world’s biggest concentration of data centers, has struggled with power shortfalls and surging electricity prices since demand in the region began to accelerate roughly two years ago.
Officials with the White House, state governments and power industry executives convened at a technical conference held by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to discuss potential solutions to PJM’s supplies and pricing woes. Some of those proposals included giving the grid operator’s board of managers more independence from its stakeholders, which include voting members like utilities and independent power producers, and more control to enact changes in the market that covers 13 states and the District of Columbia.
________________________________
Utility Dive – July 23, 2026
GE Vernova gas turbine backlog climbs to 116 GW
GE Vernova posted double-digit revenue and order growth in the second quarter, driven once again by continued strong performance in its Power and Electrification business segments. Those segments, respectively, produce and service gas, hydro and nuclear power generation equipment; and commercial electrical equipment such as transformers and switchgears.
GE Vernova’s beleaguered third segment, Wind, saw orders fall sharply amid persistent softness in U.S. demand for onshore wind turbines and blades. “We remain focused on what we can control,” CEO Scott Strazik said on a Wednesday morning earnings call, alluding to the economic, regulatory and legal challenges facing its wind business.
Regulatory
Canary Media – July 22, 2026
State legislatures are getting better at clean-energy permitting policy
Solar, wind, and batteries are the cheapest, fastest ways to add much-needed electricity to America’s grid. And across the country, more state legislatures are passing laws to streamline renewable development than are enacting policies to prevent clean energy from being built.
That’s the good news from the Siting Solutions Project, a nonprofit that tracks state energy permitting and siting policy. According to its new tally of more than 200 bills put forward in over 40 states in 2026, the results have been “more balanced — and more encouraging — than the surge in restrictive siting bills that defined 2025.” Both this year and last, a flurry of proposals in Republican-controlled states aimed to make it harder to build clean energy. But while many of those bills passed into law in 2025, similar attempts have largely failed so far in 2026.
________________________________
Inside Climate News – July 23, 2026
To Block Renewable Energy Projects, Texas Republicans Have Weaponized Conservation Concerns
Environmentalists in Texas want the state to adopt new laws and regulations governing where renewable energy projects should be built, how they should run and what they can do to minimize their environmental impact. These policy proposals would be in stark contrast to what’s been introduced in prior legislative sessions—bills designed to artificially slow renewables’ progress.
Without clear rules, ideological opponents of renewable energy have weaponized conservation concerns to justify sweeping legislative proposals that would effectively ban new solar, battery storage and wind projects, according to a new report by the Environment Texas Research & Policy Center and the Frontier Group, both progressive research organizations.
________________________________
Utility Dive – July 23, 2026
DOE’s new power export rule at odds with ‘energy emergency’ findings: Public Citizen
The U.S. Department of Energy’s streamlined rules for companies seeking permission to export U.S. electricity are at odds with the department’s finding that there are “energy emergencies” across the United States that justify keeping power plants from retiring, Public Citizen said Tuesday. The DOE should reconsider the final rule on power export authorizations it issued on June 22, in part because it prevents people and groups from intervening in export authorization proceedings or protesting them, the consumer watchdog group said in a rehearing request filed July 21.
If the DOE dismisses Public Citizen’s rehearing request, the group will “likely” sue the department to overturn the new rule, Tyson Slocum, director of Public Citizen’s energy program, said in an email Wednesday.