TXU Corp. received permission Wednesday to move forward with plans to construct a coal-fired power plant in Central Texas. The plant is one of three that the company’s prospective new owners still plan to build.
A federal judge in Austin approved a settlement Wednesday among TXU, the Justice Department and Alcoa Inc. that allows TXU to [...]

WACO — On the eve of hearings on six of the 11 coal-burning power plants that TXU wants to build in a hurry across the state, a judge in Austin ruled that Governor Rick Perry never had the authority to fast-track permits for the new plants in the first place.
It is unclear whether Goliath will [...]

New coal-fired power plants proposed by TXU would add to ozone levels across a swath of Texas, and push Waco’s air quality below federal standards. That’s according to a study commissioned by TXU opponents.
The study’s authors say Waco’s air would get dirtier even if TXU follows through with promises to cut overall emissions by 20 [...]

Texas’ largest Baptist group is taking a rare step into environmental advocacy, working to block Gov. Rick Perry’s plan to speed the approval process for 18 new coal-fired power plants.
The Christian Life Commission, the public policy arm of the Baptist General Convention of Texas, is mobilizing Baptists against the coal-fired plants and urging the convention’s [...]

Masquerading as activists battling coal plants, Big Gas is squaring off against Big Coal in a polished campaign run by a Hollywood ad agency.
Natural gas companies, calling themselves the Texas Clean Sky Coalition, have been fighting coal plant proposals with full-page advertisements in the state’s major daily newspapers.
Utilities have proposed at least 17 new coal-fired [...]

The Chinese embassy in Pakistan has barred its country’s services companies from oil and gas exploration and production work in Balochistan for security reasons. This can adversely hit Pakistan’s efforts to restart drilling activities in the province.
Chinese embassy’s advisory put Pakistan Petroleum Limited (PPL) into limbo as after M/s Great Wall Drilling Company (GWDC) denial [...]

Rep. Charles “Doc” Anderson, R-Waco, on Wednesday introduced legislation calling for the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality to place a six-month moratorium on permit approval for new coal plants in Texas.
Power companies plan to build 18 new coal plants in Texas, including 11 planned by Dallas-based TXU Corp. Nine of the proposed plants are in [...]

A Central Texas lawmaker became one of the first Republicans to take a strong stance against coal plants in Texas on Wednesday, filing a resolution urging a halt to new permits for the next six months.
State Rep. Charles “Doc” Anderson’s resolution is considered a long shot in legislative circles. Even if it passes, it won’t [...]

TXU Corp. Chief Executive Officer C. John Wilder wasn’t counting on hunger strikes and opposition from big-city mayors when he proposed spending $10 billion to build coal-fueled power plants in Texas.
The energy company has invested time and money in building corporate goodwill in Texas, where it is the largest power producer. Wilder, 48, is United [...]

Texans may consume more electricity than other Americans, but they’re suddenly debating the wisdom of doubling the number of coal-fired power plants in the state — plants critics say will worsen air quality and increase health risks.
The threat of more smog-forming emissions from 12,000 new megawatts of coal-fired generation on the books for Texas has [...]