Jack Kaskey | Bloomberg Businessweek | November 3, 2017

A decade ago, chemicals were just another fading U.S. manufacturing business. Companies were reluctant to invest in new factories because of soaring prices for the oil and natural gas that serve as both raw materials and power sources. Dow Chemical and others were closing plants and moving production to the Middle East to save money. “The conventional wisdom was we are not going to produce a lot of petrochemicals here,” says Kevin Swift, chief economist at the American Chemistry Council, an industry group.

New data from the Texas Comptroller show state sales tax revenue increased over 10 percent in September 2017 compared to September 2016, totaling $2.4 billion. This significant growth in state tax revenue was led by increased spending in oil and gas sectors, along with an almost 36 percent jump in oil and gas production tax revenue, the Comptroller reports.  This revenue helps improve communities across Texas - funding local school districts, allowing for infrastructure investments, and supporting emergency services.

Two of the most prolific oil and natural gas basins in the United States have experienced dramatic declines in methane emissions over the past five years, according to new data released by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

The increased use of natural gas has proven more effective at reducing carbon dioxide than renewables, according to the latest data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA).

The largest lease sale in University Lands’ history took place last week and resulted in $118 million in revenue, with over 43,000 acres of land leased for oil and gas development in West Texas’ Permian Basin. Held through an online auction platform, the sale resulted in an average leasing price of $2,700, with some lots going for more than $12,000, demonstrating once again the significant benefit oil and gas development delivers for Texas education.

More than 440,000 miles of pipeline exist in Texas, supporting 165,000 jobs and generating $1.6 billion in state and local tax revenue each year, according to a new white paper from Texans for Natural Gas.

Members send hundreds of letters to defend Texas energy against extreme environmentalists.

Potential listing of Texas Hornshell, a freshwater mussel, as endangered or threatened could restrict oil and gas development in the Eagle Ford, Permian.

Tim Pearce, The Daily Caller 09/07/2017

An American Indian environmental activist was “praying” Hurricane Harvey would hit Texas hard in order to disrupt the Valley Crossing Pipeline and cost energy companies more money, according to a Facebook post.