Texas is trying to keep its edge as the nation’s energy capital by backing more always-on power.
Dawn Buckingham says the state produces 42% of America’s crude oil and 27% of its marketed natural gas. Texas also has 32 refineries that process about a third of the nation’s crude oil supply, plus two nuclear plants that help keep power flowing around the clock.
Now the General Land Office has issued Requests for Information to invite energy innovators to develop state land. The list includes geothermal energy leasing, salt-cooled nuclear technology, small modular reactors and natural gas power plants.
Buckingham says state land should be a launchpad, not an obstacle, for that kind of investment. She says Texas already has work under way on salt-cooled reactors at Abilene Christian University and small modular reactor research through the Texas A&M System.
She also links the push to economics: lower bills for families, more certainty for businesses and more confidence for manufacturers deciding where to build their next plant.
President Donald Trump is pushing the same general direction, Buckingham says, by cutting red tape that has slowed projects for years.
Why it matters: dependable power is not a slogan. It is what keeps factories running, air conditioners on and capital flowing into Texas instead of overseas.
The bottom line: Texas is betting that energy abundance, not bureaucratic delay, is what drives growth. For taxpayers, workers and consumers, that is the kind of policy that shows up in paychecks, not press releases.