Infrastructure

Gov. Greg Abbott has made water a priority for this legislative session. Lawmakers will debate whether to invest more into new water supplies or repairing old, leaking pipes around Texas.

Petroleum theft is a persistent problem in the state.

Republican state Rep. Brooks Landgraf has filed a bill that would ban the outdoor storage of hazardous chemicals within 2,000 feet of homes. The proposal is a response to a large chemical fire at an Odessa-area facility last summer.

Among the proposals is a bill that would force more inspections of power lines, which a committee concluded ignited a blaze that burned more than 1 million acres last year.

The state is aggressively pushing to deploy the next generation of atomic energy that would power big industrial operations.

Temperatures across the state should rise into the 70s by next week.

With cold weather arriving today across the region, ERCOT expects grid conditions to be normal. Lubbock's mayor signed a purchasing agreement last week, securing 85% of the land needed for Lake 7. Our reporter Bishop Van Buren has more on the project moving forward. On Friday night, a 5.0 magnitude earthquake struck near the Texas-New Mexico border. Quakes have become more common in the region in recent years.

Last night, the Lubbock Planning and Zoning Commission passed a recommended zoning change in the Tech Terrace neighborhood which could pave the way for a new student housing development. Our reporter Samantha Larned has more on the next steps. Work begins Monday to demolish the water tower at 74th Street and Genoa Avenue as part of the city’s long-term water infrastructure plan. Drivers are encouraged to avoid the area.

At the American Farm Bureau Federation convention in San Antonio, farmers braced for the impact of President Trump's mass deportation plan.

Nonprofit, public policy organizations including Texas 2036 and the Texas Water Association have made water infrastructure one of their priorities this legislative session.