Travis Bubenik

Energy & Environment Reporter

Travis Bubenik reports on the tangled intersections of energy and the environment in Houston and across Texas. A Houston native and proud Longhorn, he returned to the Bayou City after serving as the Morning Edition Host & Reporter for Marfa Public Radio in Far West Texas. Bubenik was previously the News Director for NPR member station KVNF in rural Western Colorado, where he reported on local environmental and economic issues.

News

Texas Parks Department Concerned about Border Wall Plan

Posted on October 11, 2018 · The state has previously warned that a wall through Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley State Park could force it to close.

News

Waller County Elections Office Denies Rejecting Voter Registrations from Prairie View A&M Students

Posted on October 9, 2018 · “We have absolutely not rejected one voter registration from the campus,” a local election official says.

In-Depth

Drillers Burn Off Record Amounts of Gas as Focus Remains on Oil

Posted on October 9, 2018 · In West Texas, natural gas flares dot the horizon, a sign of how oil drilling is growing faster than pipelines and other infrastructure.

News

Federal Government Launches Pipeline Cybersecurity Effort

Posted on October 8, 2018 · The initiative will be led by Homeland Security and the Energy Department.

News

EPA Proposal Could Weaken Mercury Rule Power Companies Wanted Kept in Place

Posted on October 2, 2018 · The EPA argues the Obama Administration inflated the benefits of the rule.

Energy & Environment

Swiss Company’s Oil Export Plans Could Threaten Corpus Christi’s Port Expansion

Posted on September 28, 2018 · Corpus Christi wants to further dominate the oil export market, but a Swiss company's plans could pose obstacles.

News

Environmental Groups Raise Concerns about Gulf Coast Petrochemical Boom

Posted on September 26, 2018 · They say plants need to do more to gear up for more-intense storms

News

Researchers: “No Link” between Fracking And Methane in North Texas Groundwater

Posted on September 25, 2018 · Water wells with high levels of methane can be at risk of exploding, but researchers who looked at the issue in the Dallas-Fort Worth area say fracking isn't to blame.

News

China Targets U.S. Liquefied Natural Gas in New Retaliatory Tariffs

Posted on September 18, 2018 · The energy industry and Houston business leaders have warned of the risks of growing trade tensions.

News

Local Officials Say Plan for VW Settlement Money “Shortchanges” Houston Area

Posted on September 17, 2018 · Houston wants a bigger cut of millions that will be distributed across the state to help cities clean up air quality.

News

Texas Regulator “Not Happy” with Power Companies Offering Different Plans in English And Spanish on State-Run Website

Posted on September 14, 2018 · The companies have been given a Monday morning deadline to fix the problem

Energy & Environment

EPA Moves to Roll Back Obama-Era Methane Rules

Posted on September 11, 2018 · The agency wants to ease rules on monitoring and fixing oilfield methane leaks

News

Texas Sand Mines Starting to Edge Out Midwestern Counterparts

Posted on September 10, 2018 · Demand for sand is growing with increased Permian Basin drilling, but the West Texas sand market could become oversupplied.

News

Arkema Asks Judge to Pause Lawsuit over Fires during Harvey

Posted on September 6, 2018 · The company says the lawsuit is "nearly identical" to a criminal case brought by Harris County.

News

Family of Man Killed in Workplace Shooting Sues Company for Negligence

Posted on September 6, 2018 · The lawsuit claims the company should have had tougher security in place, given past threats.