7 articles
Texas has heightened scrutiny of data centers seeking to connect to the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) grid. For developers, the question is increasingly not just whether a project can connect, but how much grid power it will need. On August 3, Governor Greg Abbott directed the Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUCT) and […]
Summer heat isn’t just uncomfortable for field crews — it’s one of the most underestimated threats to pipeline integrity. As temperatures climb across Texas and the Southwest, operators need to be thinking proactively about how extreme heat affects their systems and what regulators expect them to do about it. How heat impacts pipeline operations: What […]
On June 18, 2026, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) issued tailored show cause orders under Section 206 of the Federal Power Act to each of the six regional grid operators under its jurisdiction (Regional Transmission Organizations (RTO) or Independent System Operators (ISO)). FERC directed them to justify or reform the rules governing how data […]
Texas Operators Should Prepare Now for Mandatory Electronic Filing The Railroad Commission of Texas (RRC) has announced that, effective September 1, 2026, it will no longer accept hard-copy submissions for several commonly used oil and gas regulatory forms. Operators that currently rely on paper filings should begin transitioning to electronic filing systems now to avoid […]
When it comes to produced water use and reuse, Texas and New Mexico are on the same road but at very different mileposts. Texas is drafting permit mechanics for the land application of treated produced water. New Mexico is still deciding whether to authorize broader off-oilfield reuse at all. Operators, midstream water companies, data center […]
Practical Implications for Projects in Ozone Nonattainment Areas A recent Interior Board of Land Appeals (IBLA) decision vacating Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) approval of a large scale federal natural gas development project in Wyoming addresses how Clean Air Act (CAA) general conformity analyses must account for emissions from mobile equipment in ozone nonattainment areas. […]
Last week, the Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUCT) convened a full-day stakeholder workshop in Project No. 58481 to gather input on implementing new large-load interconnection standards under PURA §37.0561. The workshop included extensive participation from electric utilities, ERCOT, large-load customers (including data center and industrial developers), and trade associations. While no final decisions were […]