The energy industry that helped define Texas is now at a crossroads. Even as the state has emerged as a world leader in renewables, President Trump and the Republican-dominated state legislature are throwing their weight behind an expanded campaign of oil and gas drilling to supply their dreams of a global “energy dominance.”
Supporting that push is a renewed push for environmental and labor deregulation and increased industry consolidation.
This series charts what's at risk: alternative energy sources, blue-collar workers, and even the very landscape of Texas itself.
In addition to field reporting for this project, journalist Saul Elbein worked with on-the-ground reporters from local Texas television stations in an energy reporting partnership.
