Mitchell Ferman, Texas Tribune

Mitchell Ferman

Texas Tribune

Houston, TX, United States

Contact Mitchell

Discover and connect with journalists and influencers around the world, save time on email research, monitor the news, and more.

Start free trial

Recent:
  • Unknown
Past:
  • Texas Tribune
  • mySA
  • PeoplesWorld
  • monitornews
  • Govtech.com

Past articles by Mitchell:

Texas gas companies face fines up to $1 million for failing to prepare for extreme weather

Critics are skeptical about whether the new rules by the Railroad Commission will prevent another catastrophe like the power grid disaster in February 2021. → Read More

Pablo Vegas, a utility executive in Ohio, named ERCOT’s new CEO

The state power grid operator has been run by an interim chief since the previous CEO was fired following the deadly 2021 winter storm that crashed much of the grid. → Read More

“He has total veto power”: Greg Abbott takes control over who will lead Texas’ troubled power grid, sources say

Locked in a potentially tight reelection race and facing criticism over the grid’s 2021 collapse, the governor is exerting unprecedented influence over what the state grid operator shares with the public — and who will be its next CEO. → Read More

Texans face skyrocketing home energy bills as the state exports more natural gas than ever

The cost of electricity in Texas is tightly tied to the price of natural gas, which has more than doubled since Russia invaded Ukraine in late February. → Read More

Texas’ grid operator told a power plant to delay repairs ahead of a May heat wave. It was among six that crashed.

Climate change and other factors are shortening the window when aging Texas power plants... → Read More

With Roe v. Wade on the line, some Texans look south of the border for abortion drugs

Cheap regulated and unregulated medication is available over the counter at Mexican pharmacies, including abortion-inducing drugs that are strictly regulated in the U.S. → Read More

Abbott eases state inspections at one commercial bridge

The deal provides little relief as trade between the two countries is interrupted across... → Read More

Truckers protest Abbott's new inspections by blocking Texas border

Importers said buyers have already canceled orders. → Read More

In Texas, calls to boost U.S. oil production after Russian invasion run into hard realities

Labor shortages, supply chain issues, hesitant financial backers and a frosty relationship with the Biden administration have limited how much Texas oil and gas companies are ramping up production. → Read More

Texas lawmakers call for U.S. to ban Russian oil imports and increase domestic production

Texas Republicans spent much of Monday demanding nearly unfettered drilling and pipeline usage across North America — policies Biden officials refused to endorse. → Read More

How Texas’ power grid failed in 2021 — and who’s responsible for preventing a repeat.

In the state’s power grid, electricity and natural gas are codependent. Here’s how the winter storm last year broke the system. → Read More

A winter storm is heading to Texas. Here’s what that means for the power grid.

The weather is not expected to be as severe or last as long as last year’s freeze. Texas leaders do no not expect systemwide blackouts, but they have warned that local power outages are possible throughout the state. → Read More

Gov. Greg Abbott intervenes in public messaging to put a positive spin on Texas’ power grid

The governor has promised the lights will stay on this winter. But many of the problems... → Read More

Gov. Greg Abbott intervened to put a positive spin on Texas' power grid

He's been heavily involved in positive public messaging about the grid’s winter readiness, but the data aren't rosy — and experts fear the grid could fail if there's another winter storm. → Read More

Texas AG Ken Paxton sues Biden administration over new COVID-19 vaccination rules for big businesses

The move comes a week after Texas filed a separate lawsuit over new vaccination rules for federal contractors. → Read More

A Houston day care convinced all its workers to get the COVID-19 vaccine. Now it requires a shot.

While some national companies are requiring employees to be vaccinated against the coronavirus, mandates have been the exception for businesses in Texas. → Read More

Energy industry showers Texas politicians with cash after weak regulation bills pass

This story is reprinted from The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan media organization that informs Texans—and engages with them—about public policy, politics, government, and statewide issues. The article originally appeared here. → Read More

Gov. Greg Abbott tells electricity regulators to encourage building more power plants, penalize renewable energy

The governor did not include many specifics about how regulators should carry out his requests to improve the state's main power grid. → Read More

Some Texas power plants unexpectedly went offline last week. The grid operator says it still doesn’t know why

Texans were asked to cut back on their electricity use for a week because of “tight” power grid conditions, according to ERCOT officials. They still haven’t said what caused the plant outages. → Read More

Gov. Greg Abbott says power grid better than ever as Texans asked to cut back electricity use

A number of power plants were inexplicably offline at the same time that Texas was experiencing record June demand for electricity. ERCOT officials are still working to determine why. → Read More