GUEST COMMENTARY
Texas needs new energy generation. We also need to power the Permian Basin, which supplies the oil and gas production that America runs on.
Yet despite our state’s explosive growth and rising demand, we are still woefully behind in building reliable generation, with only one natural gas plant, coming online this month, since before Winter Storm Uri.
Generation creates power. Transmission just moves power around.
The proposed transmission lines would primarily move existing electricity across the state without any meaningful increase in the amount of reliable power available to Texans.
Meanwhile, ratepayers will pay billions more to finance that infrastructure without fully solving the real problem: adding energy capacity.
There is an obvious answer: Build new natural gas generation, close to where energy is needed most — the Permian Basin.
Transmission will always be an important part of meeting Texas’ energy needs. But prioritizing dependable generation near the fuel source strengthens long-term reliability while avoiding unnecessary expansion of transmission infrastructure across rural Texas.
That means lower long-term costs for Texans and fewer threats to the farming and ranching communities that have shaped our state for generations.
This is why I joined many of my colleagues in sending a formal letter to the Public Utility Commission, urging thoughtful implementation of existing laws and careful consideration of future solutions.
Texans have always been willing to do what it takes to keep the lights on and support our growing state. But they also expect practical solutions to complex problems. And they deserve a seat at the table when major infrastructure decisions are being made.
We can electrify the Permian Basin without overbuilding transmission. We can strengthen the grid without ignoring landowners and ratepayers. And we can meet Texas’ future energy needs by focusing on dependable, dispatchable generation that actually adds capacity to the grid. With federal wind and solar subsidies coming to an end, Texas now has an opportunity to rebalance the energy market and encourage long-term investment in reliable generation. Texas succeeds when we protect taxpayers and property owners, focus on practical solutions, and build infrastructure that serves the people, not just the process. I stand ready to help get that done.
Republican Ellen Troxclair represents District 19 in the State Legislature.
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