Heat strains Texas power grid as population keeps growing

Aug 28, 2023
The state is home to many of the fastest-growing cities in the U.S. Add record temperatures, and it's no surprise that the grid is stressed.
This summer, peak demand for the Texas grid is 11,000 megawatts more than it was two years ago.
Brandon Bell/Getty Images

How the prickly pear cactus inspired a scientist seeking alternatives to fossil fuels

Aug 16, 2023
Engineers at the University of Texas at El Paso have discovered a low-cost, "biomimetic" way of generating hydrogen gas.
Materials engineer Navid Attarzadeh with a prickly pear cactus. The form of the plant inspired a new design for hydrogen gas generation.
Zoe Kurland/Marfa Public Radio

Risk of electricity shortages rises with extreme heat waves

Jun 28, 2023
Supply shortfall caused by spiking demand during extreme summer weather could affect two-thirds of the U.S.
Brandon Bell/Getty Images

How's Houston's economy working for the working poor?

Jun 23, 2023
A new United Way report finds a 5% increase in the number of Houston-area households struggling to afford basic necessities.
Affordability has been a long-time selling point for people in Houston, but optimism in the local economy is waning.
Loren Elliott/AFP via Getty Images

Water contamination in Black communities doesn't stop at Flint or Jackson

Jun 19, 2023
"When I was traveling throughout the South, I visited 11 cities. Every single city had water problems, had a water boil notice within the last year, or had reported having brown water trickling through their faucets," said reporter Adam Mahoney.
A resident of Beaumont, Texas looks on as the city attempts to flush out contamination from its water lines.
Courtesy Adam Mahoney

As Texas uses more renewable power, it bets on batteries to keep the lights on

Jun 8, 2023
They help when the sun isn't shining and the wind isn't blowing but everyone's AC is on full blast.
A wind energy plant in Dawson, Texas. As the state leans into renewable sources of energy, it's also been expanding its battery capacity.
Mark Felix/AFP via Getty Images

How would a U.S. debt default play out in Texas?

May 18, 2023
Half a million jobs could be lost in the second-biggest state economy. Pensioners, the food insecure and many others could suffer.
Treasury chief Janet Yellen has warned that the federal government could run out of money by June 1. Moody’s estimates that in a default, the giant Texas economy could lose more than half a million jobs.
Alex Wong/Getty Images

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A family fled Texas to protect their transgender child. They're still afraid.

May 8, 2023
As conservative politicians target LGBTQ rights, more families worry they'll have to move.
Demonstrators gather at the Texas State Capitol on March 8.
Brandon Bell/Getty Images

Texas lawmakers want state-funded power plants to improve grid reliability

Apr 13, 2023
Blackouts and brownouts are becoming more common thanks to climate change. Grid managers say backup electricity options are essential — but at what cost?
Texas lawmakers are debating a bill that would fund new natural gas plants to act as a sort of fleet of emergency generators. Above, transmission towers near Houston.
Brandon Bell/Getty Images

In Dallas, housing voucher holders face limited options when looking for a home

Mar 20, 2023
More than 90% of landlords in the Dallas-Fort Worth metro area won’t rent to people who rely on housing vouchers to pay the rent.
Texas is one of a number of states that does not prohibit discrimination against recipients of federal housing vouchers.
Valerie Macon/AFP via Getty Images