Energy

A political science professor with McMurry University says that with factors like uncontested races — of which Lubbock had 13 — the Democratic Party in West Texas is in shambles. The future of the region's major industries like oil and gas, may be affected by President-elect Donald Trump’s approach to foreign affairs.

The three challengers seeking to unseat Railroad Commission Chair Christi Craddick focus on different issues, but share a common critique of the state's oil and gas regulator.

While energy experts say the Texas energy grid is more reliable than three years ago, KERA’s Pablo Arauz Peña reports the grid still faces challenges as providers transition to clean energy sources. Last week, school districts across Lubbock County took part in the seventh annual United we read event to encourage a love of reading in their students.

Energy experts say Texas' grid is more reliable than it was three years ago — when a massive winter storm knocked out power to millions. But there are still challenges.

The Southern Spirit Transmission project would allow limited energy to flow between the Texas grid and neighboring grids.

After more than 22 years on death row, Texas inmate Robert Roberson is set to be executed on October 17. The former lead detective for the police department that arrested him has joined those saying that Roberson is innocent. And KERA's Bekah Morr reports that the federal government will have obstacles to overcome in its project to connect the Texas power grid with those in the Southeast.

Dozens of advocates are blanketing Capitol Hill this week to push for Congress to revive a program that provided compensation to people with long-standing impacts from U.S. nuclear testing programs.

A panel of Texas lawmakers heard testimony Tuesday about the investigation into what caused the largest wildfire in Texas history, which burned more than one million acres of the panhandle in late February and early March.

The number of outages due to Beryl is more than double the 900,000-plus who lost power in May when a derecho unexpectedly hit the area. The company said it would first need to complete a damage assessment before it could publicly release a timeline for restoring power.

Today is the last day for Lubbock citizens to choose and sign a contract with an electric service provider after the largest single transfer of customers in ERCOT’s history. And Texas Public Radio's Dan Katz reports a trial that challenges voting restrictions in Texas wrapped up this week in a federal court in San Antonio.