Governor Abbott Champions Texas’ Electric Grid At Texas Electricity Policy Summit In Houston
Governor Greg Abbott today championed Texas’ ongoing efforts to bolster the electric grid to support the state’s growing energy needs during his keynote address at the Texas Electricity Policy Summit in Houston.
“Every business here today needs one thing to operate: affordable, reliable power,” said Governor Abbott. “We are bolstering the grid to accommodate the ever-growing Texas population and our booming economy. I have worked tirelessly with the Public Utility Commission, ERCOT, and our many power providers to ensure that every Texan has affordable, reliable power for generations to come. Our work has ensured that since Winter Storm Uri, no Texan has lost power because of the state grid. Texas is the economic engine of America, where industry leaders know that they live in a state that can power the future to produce a bigger, better Texas."
The Governor was joined by Texas Oil & Gas Association President Todd Staples, Texas Chemistry Council President and CEO Hector Rivero, Texas Association of Manufacturers President and CEO Tony Bennet, Rice University’s Baker Institute Center for Energy Studies Senior Director Kenneth Medlock, and other energy industry leaders.
Speaking to a crowd of over 120 energy, manufacturing, and business leaders, Governor Abbott touted Texas as the No. 1 state for wind-powered generation and the top state in the nation for utility-scale solar, with fossil fuel power serving as the backbone of the Texas grid. The Governor also highlighted Texas as the epicenter of the nuclear energy supply chain, pointing to the Advanced Nuclear Working Group’s efforts to create the latest nuclear energy technology that will help power the electric grid of tomorrow. Additionally, Governor Abbott mentioned that he signed a law last year that created the Texas Energy Fund to provide up to $10 billion over the next four years in loans and grants to expand or build new dispatchable power across the state.
Earlier in the day, Governor Abbott attended the Lower Colorado River Authority (LCRA) peaker power plant groundbreaking ceremony in Maxwell to announce an additional peaker power plant will be built at the same LCRA site. These two plants will play a critical role in the Texas grid, adding a total of 380 megawatts of power and creating over 300 good-paying jobs in the San Marcos area.