Energy

Texas startups like Graphitic Energy are innovating by converting carbon from fossil fuels into usable products instead of CO2, using processes like pyrolysis to lower energy use. Though the impact on emissions is small, this sector could reframe carbon as a resource rather than waste.

Four Texas bills intended to limit renewable energy failed, as bipartisan lawmakers acknowledged the economic and grid benefits of wind and solar projects. Conservative groups opposed renewables, citing costs, while business and environmental advocates argued renewables enhance reliability.

A new natural gas drilling site is approved in Arlington after 12 years, despite opposition due to its proximity to The Mother’s Heart Learning Center. The City Council cited state law limitations, yet faces criticism for not increasing setback distances. TotalEnergies plans 10 new wells, amid ongoing public resistance.

Arlington approved TotalEnergies' plan to drill 10 new gas wells near daycare centers and schools, marking the first fracking expansion in the city in 13 years amid increased Barnett Shale activity. Despite significant public opposition citing health concerns, the City Council unanimously passed the proposal.

In Arlington, Texas, residents grapple with methane emissions from local oil and gas wells. A federal rule requires operators to reduce methane leaks, but as Texas gathers public input for its state plan, concerns about health impacts persist. The rule aims to reduce pollution, but enforcement challenges loom.

Over a decade ago, environmentalists warned about a nuclear waste facility in West Texas. Now, the U.S. Supreme Court will review a case regarding the site's high-level radioactive waste storage plan. Despite state opposition and legal battles, Interim Storage Partners aims to store 40,000 metric tons there.

Liveable Arlington, alongside Greenpeace Paris and Stop Total, protested Total Energies' fracking expansion in Arlington, Texas, citing health risks and environmental injustice. Total, operating nearly 200 wells in Arlington, faces local pushback, especially near schools and daycares, with plans to add 10 new wells.

Cheryl Shadden, a Granbury, Texas resident, suffers from noise pollution and hearing loss caused by a nearby 300-megawatt Bitcoin facility. The growing number of energy-intensive cryptocurrency mines in Texas raises concerns about power grid stability and rising utility costs, while residents demand accountability and solutions for noise and environmental impacts.

A report from a six-month investigation by Earthworks, Liveable Arlington, and others highlights that gas wells in Arlington, Texas, are leaking dangerous emissions, particularly impacting communities of color. A study focused on Total Energies’ wells revealed emissions from 25 sites, raising public health concerns for 400,000 nearby residents.

Dallas resident and nature photographer Daniel Koglin discovered a leaking gas pipe at Richland Creek WMA, a wildlife habitat managed by Texas Parks and Wildlife. The leak was reported, and Southwest Operating remediated it. Koglin expressed relief but noted evidence of leakages at other sites.