ICN Texas - Inside Climate News

Funds to Help Low-Income Families With Summer Electric Bills Are Stretched Thin

By Martha Pskowski, Jenaye Johnson — Fri, 19 Jul 2024 09:00:00 +0000

A federal program helps people in poverty cover the costs of heat and cooling. But advocates say it disadvantages states like Texas and Arizona, even though extreme heat is a key cause of weather-related deaths.

By Martha Pskowski, Jenaye Johnson

In San Elizario, Texas, tucked between cotton fields and the U.S.-Mexico border fence, nearly 30 percent of the population lives below the poverty line.

Rooftop Solar Was Having a Moment in Texas Before Beryl. What Happens Now?

By Dan Gearino — Thu, 18 Jul 2024 13:00:00 +0000

The Lone Star State has seen a recent surge in small-scale solar development. Grid instability could push more residents to consider adoption.

By Dan Gearino

While much of the Houston area suffered through heat and electricity failures following Hurricane Beryl last week, Bill Swann never lost power.

Employees Suing American Airlines Don’t Want Their 401(k)s in ESG Funds

By Mathilde Augustin — Tue, 16 Jul 2024 09:05:00 +0000

Their class-action lawsuit could have broad repercussions, prompting other companies to go quiet on sustainable investing.

By Mathilde Augustin

A class-action lawsuit against American Airlines filed by employees opposed to Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) funds used in their 401(k)s could redefine how employers handle ESG investing and respond to further litigation.

Hurricane Beryl Was a Warning Shot for Houston

By Dylan Baddour — Fri, 12 Jul 2024 09:05:00 +0000

The category one storm dealt the city disastrous damage. Houston’s first direct hit from a hurricane in decades showed how vulnerable the nation’s energy capital remains.

By Dylan Baddour

When Hurricane Beryl entered the Gulf of Mexico, the city of Houston had little reason to believe it was about to take its first direct hit from a tropical cyclone in decades.

US Government Launches New Attempt to Gather Data on Electricity Usage of Bitcoin Mining

By Keaton Peters — Thu, 11 Jul 2024 21:33:04 +0000

The Energy Information Agency is starting the process to require cryptocurrency miners to submit energy consumption data after a previous attempt faced legal challenges.

By Keaton Peters

The fast-growing cryptocurrency industry is a major consumer of electricity, but no one—not even the U.S. government—knows exactly how much energy goes into the armada of computers used to ‘mine’ Bitcoin and other digital assets. The U.S. Energy Information Agency estimates that cryptocurrency mining uses between 0.6 percent and 2.3 percent of all electricity per year, but the agency may soon be able to access more precise information.

Texas Leaders Worry That Bitcoin Mines Threaten to Crash the State Power Grid

By Keaton Peters — Wed, 10 Jul 2024 10:00:00 +0000

Residents in the small town of Granbury are raising alarms over noise from a local Bitcoin mine, while state lawmakers warn that the energy-hungry facilities risk “crashing” the electrical grid.

By Keaton Peters

GRANBURY, TEXAS — Cheryl Shadden cannot sleep. The 61-year-old nurse, who works at hospitals giving patients anesthesia, says she is kept up at night by the nonstop mechanical whir of fans spinning to cool tens of thousands of computers.

US Prisons and Jails Exposed to an Increasing Number of Hazardous Heat Days, Study Says

By Sarah Hopkins — Tue, 02 Jul 2024 09:00:00 +0000

Incarcerated people in southern states had the greatest exposure to extreme temperatures, yet do not have access to universal air conditioning, researchers found.

By Sarah Hopkins

Marci Simmons thinks back to her days in a Texas state prison as a cruel game of psychological planning for the summer. “In April, you start preparing yourself for the heat,” she said. “Towards the end of May, when it starts to get hot, you start telling yourself, ‘OK, it’s only four months of this really bad heat.’ And then you kind of count down in your mind. It’s a mental game of survival.”

Former Pioneer CEO and Son Make Significant Political Contributions to Trump, Abbott and Christi Craddick

By Martha Pskowski — Mon, 01 Jul 2024 20:19:21 +0000

A new Public Citizen report describes a family oil and gas empire with ties to Texas regulators facing increased scrutiny. Pioneer, its former CEO and his son have contributed $4.1 million to state and federal candidates since 2020, according to the report.

By Martha Pskowski

Former Pioneer Natural Resources CEO Scott Sheffield and his son Bryan have ramped up political contributions since 2020, according to the non-profit Public Citizen.

Texas Opens More Coastal Waters for Carbon Dioxide Injection Wells

By Dylan Baddour — Sat, 29 Jun 2024 09:05:00 +0000

The Gulf Coast is poised to be a major hub for underground disposal of greenhouse gas to mitigate climate change, but questions remain over who will fund it long-term.

By Dylan Baddour

Texas has opened more than a million acres of offshore, state-owned waters for proposals from companies to inject greenhouse gas underground for permanent disposal as a means to mitigate climate change.

How Can Solar Farms Defend Against Biblical-Level Hailstorms?

By Dan Gearino — Thu, 20 Jun 2024 13:00:00 +0000

Contrary to some recent examples, solar projects don’t need to be sitting ducks, even in hail-prone places like Texas.

By Dan Gearino

When a baseball-size hailstone slams into a solar panel at more than 90 mph, the result is not pretty.