A flurry of earthquakes last week in West Texas, some of the region’s largest in recent years, appears to be tied to oil and gas operations. Scurry County Judge Dan Hicks reported that his county was hit by 61 earthquakes over a seven-day period, including a 5.1-magnitude earthquake. This is the fifth “magnitudes 5 or larger earthquake” to occur in the Permian Basin (and all of Texas) since 2020, according to Justin Rubinstein, a research geophysicist with the U.S. Geological Survey. Rubinstein suggested that it’s “highly likely” that these earthquakes are linked to the disposal of saltwater or enhanced oil recovery.
Solar Dominates US Energy Capacity Growth
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) has published data showing that solar accounted for over 75% of US electrical generating
