If Texas’ economy was a fire, it would be one of the biggest, brightest and hottest the world has ever seen.
In 2022, our glorious state led the nation with the most Fortune 500 businesses. We are ranked as the ninth largest economy in the world, even larger than Canada, South Korea, Russia, and Australia.
And our population is booming with about 4 million new residents within the past decade. That’s a lot — enough people to almost grow two extra Houstons.
But our hot economy and explosive population growth needs fuel, and lots of it.
We’re at a crossroads. New green technologies are emerging, becoming increasingly viable every day. In fact, many green energy facilities have begun popping up in the Crossroads.
On the other hand, fossil fuels, which remain the backbone of our energy profile, are recognized as potentially harmful to our natural environment.
Do we double down on natural gas, coal and oil, or look to newer, greener methods. Or is the answer some combination of the to?
According to the Texas Comptroller’s office, we lead the nation in both energy production and consumption. That power is essential to our economy and population.
Industrial and manufacturing sites throughout the Crossroads have immense electricity requirements to make vital products and materials.
Free-flowing power can be literally life-saving during this state’s brutally hot summers and surprisingly cold winters.
Without power, everything falls apart. Remember the chaos in our own communities during Hurricane Harvey and the winter storm of February 2021?
It was as if we were momentarily thrust into the dark ages.
There’s so much at stake with the energy question. And that’s why we have to answer that question with cool, logical thinking.
We need to weigh the environmental risks that come with fossil fuels with their inherent reliability as a power-producer.
Winds may shift, and cloud cover may come and go, but fossil fuels are much more steady.
Plus, as of 2023, Texas’ gren sources were not yet up to the task of shouldering the state’s entire energy burden.
But it may be surprising to many that already about 24% of the state’s energy comes from wind, a bit more than coal’s 19% share.
That 24% is second only to natural gas, 42%, and demonstrates green energy has a serious role to play already.
Green energy has already arrived in the Crossroads, and it’s showing no signs of slowing.
In the shadow of the soon-to-shut-down Coleto Creek coal-powered station, newer, greener facilities are popping up all over.
Near Ganado, a solar farm and battery storage site is slated to open later this year.
Dow’s Seadrift plant has locked in a state-of-the-art $2 billion nuclear power plant project.
And the Victoria County Navigation District, which runs the Port of Victoria, is negotiating lease agreements with a green ammonia maker.
Whether we like it or not, it’s clear that green energy options are worth considering.
And at the same time, we can’t afford to tos aside fossil fuels if it means unduly harming our economic future.
We’ve got to keep this state and it’s incredible economy going.