The recent announcement that Texas will receive over $60 million in federal funding to help strengthen and secure our state’s electric grid is good news for local businesses and economic development efforts throughout North Texas and across the state.
Updating and modernizing our energy infrastructure will not only help protect Texas homes, businesses and industries from the devastating, life-threatening effects of power outages during inclement and extreme weather, but also help create jobs, drive innovation and a more dynamic, more resilient life to support economy.
The new power grid investments, which will flow to the Texas Division of Emergency Management, are part of a more than $207 million grant program created by the federal Infrastructure Act passed in late 2021. The program will help Texas, along with eight other states and three tribal nations, invest in energy infrastructure improvements to reduce the impact of extreme weather events on our power grid and increase reliability across the energy sector.
Since the devastating events that followed the 2021 winter storm and the subsequent loss of much of our state’s electrical grid, modernizing, weathering and improving the resilience of our entire energy infrastructure has been a priority for Texas legislators in Austin and Washington, DC. For their part, state legislators have passed legislation to increase energy production in the state, while grid operators work to address lingering resiliency concerns.
Meanwhile, Senator John Cornyn, R-Texas, began work in Congress immediately after the storm to introduce legislation called the POWER ON Act, which was incorporated into the bipartisan infrastructure bill. The legislation provides the critical funds Texas will now receive to support the weathering of power plant assets to increase the resilience of our electrical grid while supporting jobs and spurring economic growth.
Investing in our energy infrastructure, including air conditioning and modernization efforts, will help Texas prevent another catastrophic blackout that will disrupt our economy and put lives at risk. At the same time, these efforts will spur economic activity along the supply chain, create high-paying, high-skilled jobs for hard-working Texans, support local businesses, and spur economic growth in communities throughout North Texas and across the state.
Additionally, these investments in energy infrastructure will help increase reliability and affordability as North Texas and the rest of the state continue to move towards a holistic approach to energy that includes both natural gas and renewables like wind and solar. Because Texas is already a state leader in renewable energy generation, further investment throughout our power grid will only help expand the state’s booming clean energy economy and workforce, which has a significant presence in the North Texas region.
Ultimately, these investments will strengthen our power grid’s resilience to extreme weather events and deliver clear economic, environmental, and quality of life benefits for Texans, while supporting local jobs, businesses, and economies across the state.
The North Texas Commission and other business/civic organizations and chambers of commerce across the state are grateful to Cornyn. Rep. Michael C. Burgess, R-Pilot Point; Governor Greg Abbott and other members of our Texas federal and state delegations who remain committed to investing in our energy infrastructure that protects and empowers Texas communities.
Chris E. Wallace is President and CEO of the North Texas Commission. He wrote this column for The Dallas Morning News.
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