/https://static.texastribune.org/media/profiles/Erin_Douglas_TT.jpg)
Erin Douglas is the climate reporter for The Texas Tribune. She was previously a business and economy reporter at the Houston Chronicle where she covered labor, energy and the environment. She studied journalism and economics at Colorado State University, and her first newsroom job was interning at The Denver Post, her hometown newspaper. Based in Austin, Erin is always planning her next road trip.
The actions by the Public Utility Commission led to billions of dollars of overcharges, the Austin-based court found. It’s not yet clear if the ruling will affect consumers. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/09e5272e692a61bf7376dd7daceddb25/ATX%20Winter%20Storm%20JV%20Feb%2016%20TT%2034.jpg)
In its first bill passed this session, the Texas Senate sought to ensure juvenile mental health hospitalizations are reported to the federal firearm background check system. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/2627b407d3e30e48f1db7b9fcbe09523/0226%20CC%20Gun%20Show%20BY%20TT%2007.jpg)
The Teacher Retirement System of Texas was following a new state law targeting investment firms that seek to invest in companies that don’t worsen climate change. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/0e0fedd918ce6606a92d9611a04f1bd2/Teacher_Retirement_System_3_TT_JJ)
Experts say local governments should prioritize extreme weather preparedness. Cost can be a deterring factor. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/738a96c56c12318474ad922487eb81a3/0202%20Ice%20Storm%20DTX%20ST%20TT%2007.jpg)
The Hill Country loves its trees. But improper pruning and a drought earlier in the year may have contributed to the huge number of downed branches this week that frequently took power lines with them. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/9a518cd77969491240de08aae827cfc1/0202%20Ice%20Storm%20ATX%20Day%202%20EL%20TT%2015.jpg)
A Texas Tribune analysis of state data found that at least 279 people in Texas were killed by heat last year, and a large portion of those deaths were likely migrants who died after crossing the border. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/a95a2dbb1aaa26df6fe3eaf50f06c53b/1214%20Border%20Helicopter%20JH%2007%20TT.jpg)
The U.S. Chemical Safety Board found that TPC Group LLC failed to identify problem areas where dangerous chemicals might cause explosions and didn’t implement a safety recommendation that could have prevented the blast. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/4929d8311cb99d0a311fb3affdcd2293/Port%20Neches%20Explosion%20REUTERS%20TT%2003.JPG)
The Electric Reliability Council of Texas expects sufficient electricity generation as much of the state will plunge into frigid temperatures. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/e9549491628b12d46c838d66a416c232/ATX%20Ice%20Storm%202022%20EG%20TT%2015.jpg)
In a Monday committee hearing, lawmakers questioned whether a Public Utility Commission proposal to redesign Texas’ electricity market would lead to the building of more natural-gas-fired power plants. Regulators say it would. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/512018e968d06d838fd6b88e6ef5f12a/ERCOT%20PUC%20Presser%20JV%20TT%2003.jpg)
Changes to Texas’ power grid have improved ERCOT’s ability to keep power flowing during major winter storms, but in an extreme scenario, the grid could still face rolling blackouts, a seasonal assessment shows. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/120f80cda439cd42c625fb6ed66de545/ATX%20Winter%20Storm%20SF%20TT%2020.jpg)