FACT SHEET: How Democrats Will Deliver for Texas Energy and the Electric Grid

Today in Corpus Christi, Texas Democrats are highlighting how we’re working to ensure Texas remains the energy capital of the world with an all-of-the-above approach to energy and fixing the state power grid.

Texas Democrats in Washington, D.C. have uplifted Texans through grid and energy developments in the “Build a Better Grid” initiative, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the Inflation Reduction Act, and other historic legislative and executive actions, and Texas Democrats will uplift and capitalize on these federal incentives and policies.

When Democrats win at the statewide level in November, we will work to fix the grid that’s been shamelessly neglected by Texas Republicans, resulting in the deaths of hundreds of Texans and standing in the way of economic prosperity for our state. Democrats will create thousands of jobs across the state – and solidify Texas as the energy capital of the world.

Texas Democrats’ Policy Proposals to Deliver for Texas Energy and the Electric Grid

Policy Proposals from Beto O’Rourke for Governor: 

As governor, Beto will work tirelessly to ensure Texas remains the global energy leader for generations to come. He will ensure that we fix our failing power grid, expand the energy jobs we create in Texas, bring down Texans’ energy bills, and help lead the fight against climate change.

Beto will add to our hundreds of thousands of oil and gas jobs by pursuing the Texas labor movement’s aggressive clean energy jobs plan, which aims to create 1.1 million high-paying jobs over the next 25 years by investing in geothermal power generation, hydrogen-fueled energy, offshore wind, solar generation, energy efficiency, and more.

And as energy consumers around the world increasingly demand cleaner energy, it’s becoming clear that we will soon lose our leadership in oil and gas if we don’t work seriously to remove emissions from the industry and better protect our air, water, and public lands. While most companies want to do the right thing, they’re put at a competitive disadvantage when Greg Abbott allows his wealthiest corporate donors to pollute without consequence. When Beto is governor, he will enforce our pollution laws and create jobs in emission reduction strategies like carbon capture and storage.

Pursuing these solutions now promises to bring billions of dollars into the Texas economy—but if we don’t act soon, other states and countries will pass us by.

 Policy Proposals from Mike Collier for Lt. Governor:

FIX THE DAMN GRID: Mike will fix our vulnerable power grid by increasing energy production and transmission, investing in battery storage and smart-grid technology, and creating tie-ins to the national grid. Expand to an “all-of-the-above” approach to energy so that Texas remains the energy capital of the world and in order to bring down energy bills for Texans.

• Increase energy production across the board, including virtual electricity production
• Immediately increase transmission capacity so that renewable energy production in South and West Texas can get power to market.
• Invest in storage and smart grid technology in order to transform intermittent sources into base load-like production.
• Seek waiver for regulation from the federal government to build tie-ins to surrounding power grids.
• Ensure winterization of the power grid to prevent a reoccurance of the tragedy of winter storm Uri.

LEAD THE FIGHT AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE: Mike will position Texas as THE leader in the fight against climate change through technological innovation and investment in renewables, smart grid technology, electricity storage, low carbon processes and materials, and reduction in methane releases and flaring.

 Policy Proposals from Luke Warford for Railroad Commission:

Secure Our Energy Infrastructure so Texans don’t have to live in fear that their power will go out the next time it gets cold. A drop in natural gas supply was one of the leading causes of the grid failure. The Railroad Commission should establish a clear weatherization standard, identify critical gas producers, and ensure preparations for the next winter storm are actually completed.

Reduce Emissions to ensure Texas remains competitive. Lowering Texas oil and gas emissions is just good business, and with the situation in Europe, buyers are increasingly demanding lower-emissions gas. In order to compete, Texas must reduce our emissions. Texans need a Railroad Commission that will consistently enforce existing rules in order to protect the reputation of Texas gas and prevent huge amounts of Texas’ precious natural resources from being wasted through flaring and venting.

Expand Texas Energy Leadership to improve energy security and create jobs. Texas has been the energy capital of the world for nearly a century. In order to maintain Texas’ energy leadership and take advantage of the significant economic opportunities in today’s market, we must work to make our oil and gas cleaner, safer, and more affordable while also expanding Texas energy leadership in areas like wind, solar, geothermal, carbon capture, and hydrogen.

Protect Our Air And Water for future generations of Texans. The current Railroad Commissioners regularly put their campaign donors ahead of public safety. Recently, Commissioner Wayne Christian went against the recommendation of the RRC inspectors  and approved a waste disposal site that will threaten a major aquifer. Three days later, he received a $100,000 campaign contribution from the site-owners. Plus, abandoned or orphaned wells that the Commission is responsible for regularly leak pollutants that end up in our drinking water. Texans need a Railroad Commission that will stop sacrificing public safety in exchange for campaign contributions.

How the Biden-Harris Administration is Delivering for Texas Energy and the Electric Grid

How the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (March 2022) is Delivering for Texas:

Electric Vehicle Charging: Through the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Program alone, Texas should expect to receive more than $407 million in formula funding over five years to support the expansion of electric vehicle charging in the state. Building up our national infrastructure for electric vehicles will increase demand for electric cars, therefore providing a boost in demand and jobs for GlobiTech and Texas Instruments in Sherman, TX and Samsung in Taylor, TX.

The law also makes a historic investment in clean energy technologies like advanced nuclear, clean hydrogen, and carbon capture, as well as a historic $3.5 billion investment in weatherization to improve energy efficiency of homes and lower energy costs for impacted households by an average of $372 per year. 

• Announced funding to date: To date, approximately $173 million has been allocated to Texas in 2022 for weatherization and $30.3 million to help prevent outages and make the power grid more resilient in 2022. Additional grid funding will be made available in the coming months. 
• Announced funding to date: To date, approximately $525 million has been allocated to Texas for infrastructure resilience in 2022. Legacy Pollution Cleanup: Across the country, thousands of former industrial, chemical, and energy sites emit harmful pollutants into surrounding communities. These sites pose harms to health, welfare, and economic prosperity — and disproportionately impact communities of color: 26% of Black Americans and 29% of Hispanic Americans live within 3 miles of a Superfund site, a higher percentage than for Americans overall. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law will deliver the largest investment in tackling legacy pollution in American history by cleaning up Superfund and brownfield sites, reclaiming abandoned mines, and capping orphaned oil and gas wells. 
• Announced funding to date: To date, more than $108 million has been allocated to Texas in 2022 for legacy pollution cleanup, such as capping orphaned oil and gas wells and reclaiming abandoned mine lands.

 The “Build a Better Grid” Initiative (January 2022)

Ensuring a robust, resilient, and sustainable domestic industrial base to meet the requirements of the clean energy economy is essential to our national security, a resilient energy sector, and the preservation of domestic critical infrastructure.  

As National Climate Advisor Gina McCarthy noted: “After the Texas transmission debacle this winter, no one can doubt the need to invest in our electric grid. The steps that the Departments of Energy and Transportation are taking today, when combined with the grid investments outlined in the American Jobs Plan, will turbocharge the building of major new electricity transmission lines that will generate new jobs and power our economy for years to come.”

Historic Actions Include Authorizing Defense Production Act to Lower Energy Costs, Strengthen Power Grid, and Create Good-Paying Jobs

• Clean energy technologies are a critical part of the arsenal we must harness to lower energy costs for families, reduce risks to our power grid, and tackle the urgent crisis of a changing climate. From day one, President Biden has mobilized investment in these critical technologies. Thanks to his clean energy and climate agenda, last year marked the largest deployment of solar, wind, and batteries in United States history, and our nation is now a magnet for investment in clean energy manufacturing.

Since President Biden took office, the private sector has committed over $100 billion in new private capital to make electric vehicles and batteries in the United States. We have made historic investments in clean hydrogen, nuclear, and other cutting-edge technologies. And companies are investing billions more to grow a new domestic offshore wind industry.

The stakes could not be higher. That is why President Biden also continues to urge Congress to quickly pass tax cuts and additional investments that advance U.S. clean energy manufacturing and deployment. Failing to take these actions would deny consumers access to cost-cutting clean energy options, add risks to our power grid, and stall domestic clean energy construction projects that are critical to tackling the climate crisis. 

 How the Inflation Reduction Act (July 2022) Delivers Affordable Clean Energy for Texas:

• GOOD-PAYING JOBS: In 2021, there were already 238,884 Texas workers employed in clean energy jobs. The Inflation Reduction Act will expand these opportunities, bringing an estimated $66.5 billion of investment in large-scale clean power generation and storage to Texas between now and 2030. It provides a historic set of tax credits that will create jobs across solar, wind, storage, and other clean energy industries. These credits include bonuses for businesses that pay a prevailing wage, so that Texas workers earn a good paycheck as we build the clean energy future in America.
  • Provides a 10% bonus tax credit for wind and solar projects that are developed in places that have seen a coal mine or power plant close or have seen employment losses as a result of contractions in the fossil fuel economy.
  • Delivers tax credits for clean energy manufacturing projects that are developed in energy communities where coal mines and power plants have closed with bonus credit for projects creating good-paying union jobs.
• DOMESTIC MANUFACTURING: Manufacturers employ 873,500 workers in Texas, and the Inflation Reduction Act will help us make the technologies of the future at home— supporting local economies and strengthening supply chains. The Inflation Reduction Act will boost U.S. manufacturing of clean energy and transportation technologies, as well as investments for a new Advanced Industrial Facilities Deployment Program to position America to lead the growing global market for clean steel, aluminum, cement, and more.
• SMALL BUSINESSES: Texas is home to 3 million small businesses, representing 99.8% of all businesses in the state, and the Inflation Reduction Act will help them save money. Commercial building owners can receive a tax credit up to $5 per square foot to support energy efficiency improvements that deliver lower utility bills. Other programs that will benefit small businesses include tax credits covering 30% of the costs of installing lowcost solar power and of purchasing clean trucks and vans for commercial fleets.
• ELECTRIC VEHICLES: The Inflation Reduction Act will make it easier and cheaper to purchase an electric vehicle, with upfront discounts up to $7,500 for new EVs and $4,000 for used EVs, helping middle-class Americans skip the gas pump and save on fuel costs. In Texas, millions of people will be eligible for these discounts. Texas recently submitted a state plan for using funds from President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to build out EV charging stations along highways.

 President Biden’s energy reform and grid repair Executive Actions (2021-2022) include: 

• Announced actions from seven agencies on clean energy deployment, including new investments and partnerships to advance offshore wind; steps to fast-track solar, onshore wind, and geothermal energy on public lands; and the “Building a Better Grid” initiative to build out long-distance transmission lines and unlock clean energy resources.
• Advanced America’s electric vehicle future, standing with CEOs to announce new manufacturing facilities for electric vehicles, batteries, and chargers and issuing state allocations and guidance for the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law’s $5 billion National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Formula Program.
• Announced major investments to secure a Made in America supply chain for critical minerals and sustainably source key inputs (including lithium and rare earth elements) for clean energy technologies like batteries, electric vehicles, wind turbines, and solar panels. This includes taking action to update outdated mining regulations and laws to ensure that extraction and production adheres to strong environmental, labor, and community and Tribal engagement standards.
• Jumpstarted an electric transportation future that’s Made in America, uniting automakers and autoworkers to get to 50% electric vehicle sales share in 2030 and spurring investments of over $100 billion in the American EV and battery manufacturing industry.