Author

Dylan Baddour

Dylan Baddour covers the energy sector and environmental justice in Texas for Inside Climate News. Born in Houston, he’s worked the business desk at the Houston Chronicle, covered the U.S.-Mexico border for international outlets and reported for several years from Colombia for media like The Washington Post, BBC News and The Atlantic. He also spent two years investigating armed groups in Latin America for the global security department at Facebook before returning to Texas journalism. Baddour holds bachelor’s degrees in journalism and Latin American studies from the University of Texas at Austin. He has lived in Argentina, Kazakhstan and Colombia and speaks fluent Spanish.

Dylan's Latest Articles

Corpus Christi Folds on Its Desalination Gamble

By Dylan Baddour & Inside Climate News ● Gulf Coast ● September 3, 2025

Years of blundering and project delays have pushed the South Texas city to the brink of crisis as drought bears down and industrial water use grows. The project’s failure leaves an uncertain future for Corpus Christi.

In Booming Central Texas, Wastewater Is Polluting Rivers and Streams

By Dylan Baddour & Inside Climate News ● Water ● April 29, 2025

A bill in the Texas Legislature would protect the last 21 pristine watersheds. But for years, previous attempts have been defeated by powerful homebuilders.

Cleaning Fracking’s Waste Stream in Texas Could Require More Power Than Most U.S. States

By Dylan Baddour & Inside Climate News ● Energy ● March 31, 2025

One company, Natura Resources, wants small nuclear reactors to power the energy-intensive process of purifying vast volumes of toxic “produced water” for use in agriculture and industry.

Corpus Christi Taking Emergency Water Actions as Reservoirs Dwindle and Industrial Demand Grows

By Dylan Baddour & Inside Climate News ● Water ● January 23, 2025

This Texas city has struggled to develop a seawater desalination plant, but its efforts have lagged as thirsty industries arrive and drought persists.

Cat 1 Hurricane Beryl Tests Houston’s Resilience, Finds Gaping Holes

By Dylan Baddour & Inside Climate News ● Gulf Coast ● July 13, 2024

Houston’s first direct hit from a hurricane in decades showed how vulnerable the nation’s energy capital remains.

Oil Companies Seek Permits to Dump 18M Gallons per Day Into the Pecos River Watershed

By Dylan Baddour & Inside Climate News ● Texas ● May 9, 2024

Texas regulators are issuing permits to discharge treated produced water. But questions remain about toxic pollutants in the wastewater.

Corpus Christi Officials Warn Water-Intensive ‘Green’ Fuels Plant May Threaten Supply, Rates

By Dylan Baddour & Inside Climate News ● Energy ● April 12, 2024

‘They spent millions of dollars pushing desalination and all the money went to lawyers, permitting and public relations. The idiots sold water they didn’t have,’ said a local retired chemical engineer.

Scorching 2024 May Push South Texas Water Supplies to the Brink

By Dylan Baddour ● Gulf Coast ● January 23, 2024

‘Pretty scary times,’ says president of the Rio Grande Regional Water Authority with reservoirs already in decline.

How Some of the Biggest Texas Polluters Keep Skirting Federal Environmental Laws

By Dylan Baddour, Martha Pskowski & Inside Climate News ● Energy ● January 5, 2024

Industrial developers describe facilities as “minor” polluters to avoid federal permitting requirements, and environmental lawyers say the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality lets it happen.

texas springs drought

Water Crisis Foretold by Dry Central Texas Springs

By Dylan Baddour ● Reportando ● August 15, 2023

Heat, drought, and booming population growth have stressed the Texas aquifers that supply drinking water to millions of people.