by Judd Messer, Vice President, Advanced Power Alliance
This appeared in the Odessa American on 16 September 2025: https://www.oaoa.com/opinion/guest-views/guest-view-energy-abundance-is-the-key-to-texas-economic-leadership/
Since the winter freeze of 2021 paralyzed Texas and much of the southern U.S., state lawmakers have worked to strengthen the grid and prevent the energy shortages and rolling blackouts that left millions of Texans without power.
While many measures introduced have been sensible and strategic, including changes to ERCOT governance and weatherizing generation and transmission facilities, other proposals have sought to increase government interference in the competitive energy market without delivering commensurate reliability benefits. These laws would have tipped the scales in favor of certain resources, undermining market principles and saddling Texas consumers with higher costs. As Texas seeks to satisfy its ever-growing demand for power, policymakers should embrace a diverse, reliable energy portfolio rather than quell energy progress and economic growth.
The good news is that a majority of the Texas Legislature endorsed this principle and rejected proposals threatening it in the most recent session. One such bill would have undermined free-market competition by dictating which power resources may operate on the Texas grid, even prohibiting participation of the most versatile resources in their convoluted scheme. Another proposal would have effectively required certain power generators to subsidize their competition. Worse, many proposed requirements were retroactive, foisting new regulatory burdens on companies that made investments under the previous rules of the road. Had cooler heads not prevailed in the Legislature, Texans would be staring down billions in regulatory compliance costs and steeper utility bills.
Ironically, while theses failed measures were marketed as making our grid stronger, they would have accomplished the opposite. After all, this summer, as Texas temperatures hit triple digits, renewables hit all-time generation records in ERCOT, which has not issued an energy emergency alert since the fall of 2023. To take resources out of our power mix now is to lay the groundwork for the next rash of energy shortages, just as demand is skyrocketing.
Texas is blessed with abundant natural resources, and our economy is powered by everything from oil and gas to nuclear, solar, wind, and batteries. We should be leveraging all of their best attributes to build a more resilient, affordable grid for families and businesses — not weakening our energy leadership and driving businesses away from our state by picking winners and losers.
Energy policy is increasingly front of mind for companies flocking to the Lone Star State. The last thing we should do is punish their decision to bring high-paying jobs to Texas with new, anti-business laws that make energy less reliable and more expensive. To remain competitive, our leaders should continue to focus on reducing regulatory hurdles that hinder the construction of critical infrastructure, spurring growth for our state’s advanced nuclear and energy storage industries, and preserving and building upon the natural gas, wind, and solar resources we have worked so hard to foster here in Texas.
For decades, Texas has been a model for how smart energy policy can unlock economic growth and improve residents’ standard of living. We need to build on this reputation now more than ever as we are called upon to power America’s AI race and stay ahead of competitors like China. The data centers being built in our state are the engines for these critical technologies and they require cheap, clean energy resources to help fuel their operations and the Texas economy at large. The proposals that build out our energy portfolio by investing in all technologies are a step in the right direction, while those that pick winners and losers send Texas down the wrong path.
There is a saying, “As goes Texas, so goes the nation.” We have an opportunity to demonstrate the value of a diverse energy portfolio that meets the demands of both our citizens and our thriving economy. It’s imperative that we get this right.
Judd Messer is Texas Vice President for Advanced Power Alliance.