WASHINGTON - A bipartisan group of senators is seeking to extend tax credits for carbon capture beyond industrial sources such as power plants and cement factories to farmers, ranchers and forest landowners.The bill, introduced by  Senators Mike Braun, R-Ind., Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., Lindsey Graham R- S.C., and Sheldon Whitehouse D-R.I., on Thursday, would create a certification program at the Department of Agriculture for the carbon dioxide naturally pulled from the atmosphere by crops and trees."This legislation is an important step in encouraging farmer and forest landowner...…WASHINGTON - A bipartisan group of senators is seeking to extend tax credits for carbon capture beyond industrial sources such as power plants and cement factories to farmers, ranchers and forest landowners.The bill, introduced by  Senators Mike Braun, R-Ind., Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., Lindsey Graham R- S.C., and Sheldon Whitehouse D-R.I., on Thursday, would create a certification program at the Department of Agriculture for the carbon dioxide naturally pulled from the atmosphere by crops and trees."This legislation is an important step in encouraging farmer and forest landowner...WW…

WASHINGTON - Oil refineries around the country are scaling back fuel production, amid a coronavirus pandemic that has caused a record drop-off in gasoline and diesel demand.With engineering limits on how much they can throttle back their plants, some refineries might soon have to shut down all together, as motorists stay home in the weeks or months ahead and the limited storage capacity for transportation fuels nears capacity.“There will be more (closures) coming at some point,” said Ryan Todd, an analyst with the Houston-based investment firm Simmons Energy. “But all the refineries we...…WASHINGTON - Oil refineries around the country are scaling back fuel production, amid a coronavirus pandemic that has caused a record drop-off in gasoline and diesel demand.With engineering limits on how much they can throttle back their plants, some refineries might soon have to shut down all together, as motorists stay home in the weeks or months ahead and the limited storage capacity for transportation fuels nears capacity.“There will be more (closures) coming at some point,” said Ryan Todd, an analyst with the Houston-based investment firm Simmons Energy. “But all the refineries we...WW…

WASHINGTON — A new poll shows 60 percent of registered voters support transitioning from fossil fuels like oil, a policy supported by Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden.The poll by Politico and Morning Consult showed that 55 percent of Republicans, 68 percent of independents and 83 percent of Democrats support such a move, which President Donald Trump has criticized as likely to wreck the U.S. economy.ELECTION COVERAGE: The issue came to a head in last week's presidential debate, when Trump asked Biden to explain his views on the the oil sector, then urging voters in oil and...…WASHINGTON — A new poll shows 60 percent of registered voters support transitioning from fossil fuels like oil, a policy supported by Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden.The poll by Politico and Morning Consult showed that 55 percent of Republicans, 68 percent of independents and 83 percent of Democrats support such a move, which President Donald Trump has criticized as likely to wreck the U.S. economy.ELECTION COVERAGE: The issue came to a head in last week's presidential debate, when Trump asked Biden to explain his views on the the oil sector, then urging voters in oil and...WW…

WASHINGTON — Five days after Gov. Greg Abbott announced he was putting a hold on the state’s reopening due to a surge in coronavirus cases, Texas Republicans in Congress are coming under increasing pressure to support another large stimulus bill.Just a few weeks ago Texas Republicans were arguing for reopening the economy and against new spending — pointing to their own state’s success in reopening businesses and schools. But now Texas is facing weeks if not months of shutdowns and increased unemployment for which the state is likely to require federal assistance.During a press event to...…WASHINGTON — Five days after Gov. Greg Abbott announced he was putting a hold on the state’s reopening due to a surge in coronavirus cases, Texas Republicans in Congress are coming under increasing pressure to support another large stimulus bill.Just a few weeks ago Texas Republicans were arguing for reopening the economy and against new spending — pointing to their own state’s success in reopening businesses and schools. But now Texas is facing weeks if not months of shutdowns and increased unemployment for which the state is likely to require federal assistance.During a press event to...WW…

This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigateWASHINGTON — In the days leading up to Christmas 1989, it got so cold in Houston that a man ice-skated on his swimming pool and Christmas tree vendors huddled around burning barrels to keep warm.The deep freeze hung over Texas for days on end, driving temperatures down to 7 degrees in Houston and minus 7 in Abilene. But for all the cars skidding off the road and pedestrians slipping onto their behinds, the power stayed on, except for a two-hour window on Dec. 23, 1989, when utilities rotated outages to keep the grid from...…This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigateWASHINGTON — In the days leading up to Christmas 1989, it got so cold in Houston that a man ice-skated on his swimming pool and Christmas tree vendors huddled around burning barrels to keep warm.The deep freeze hung over Texas for days on end, driving temperatures down to 7 degrees in Houston and minus 7 in Abilene. But for all the cars skidding off the road and pedestrians slipping onto their behinds, the power stayed on, except for a two-hour window on Dec. 23, 1989, when utilities rotated outages to keep the grid from...WW…

WASHINGTON - Ten years ago, plunging temperatures forced rolling blackouts across Texas, leaving more than 3 million people without power as the Super Bowl was played outside Dallas.Now, with a near identical scenario following another Texas cold snap, Texas power regulators are being forced to answer how the unusually cold temperatures forced so much of the state’s power generation offline when Texans were trying to keep warm.To start, experts say, power generators and regulators failed to heed the lessons of 2011 — or for that matter, 1989. In the aftermath of the Super Bowl Sunday...…WASHINGTON - Ten years ago, plunging temperatures forced rolling blackouts across Texas, leaving more than 3 million people without power as the Super Bowl was played outside Dallas.Now, with a near identical scenario following another Texas cold snap, Texas power regulators are being forced to answer how the unusually cold temperatures forced so much of the state’s power generation offline when Texans were trying to keep warm.To start, experts say, power generators and regulators failed to heed the lessons of 2011 — or for that matter, 1989. In the aftermath of the Super Bowl Sunday...WW…

WASHINGTON - Former Texas governor Rick Perry suggests that going days without power is a sacrifice Texans should be willing to make if it means keeping federal regulators out of the state’s power grid.e, Perry is quoted responding to the claim that “those watching on the left may see the situation in Texas as an opportunity to expand their top-down, radical proposals.”“Texans would be without electricity for longer than three days to keep the federal government out of their business,” Perry is quoted as saying. “Try not to let whatever the crisis of the day is take your eye off of having a...…WASHINGTON - Former Texas governor Rick Perry suggests that going days without power is a sacrifice Texans should be willing to make if it means keeping federal regulators out of the state’s power grid.e, Perry is quoted responding to the claim that “those watching on the left may see the situation in Texas as an opportunity to expand their top-down, radical proposals.”“Texans would be without electricity for longer than three days to keep the federal government out of their business,” Perry is quoted as saying. “Try not to let whatever the crisis of the day is take your eye off of having a...WW…