From the oilfields of the 1901 Spindletop strike to today’s growing wind farms of the west Texas plains, energy has played a key role in the development and prosperity of Texas and Texans alike.

Through incentive and innovation, Texas has successfully diversified its energy portfolio, exploring all energy options from solar and wind to natural gas, nuclear and clean coal. Led by the ingenuity, vision and boldness of Texas entrepreneurs and state support of promising technology, Texas is pointing the way toward energy independence for our nation.

Action Items

»  Governor Perry has made diversifying the energy mix of Texas’ electricity market one of his major priorities, helping to lower electricity prices. In 2012, Texas relied on a variety of fuel sources to meet the growing demand for electricity, including 34 percent of energy produced coming from coal, 45 percent from natural gas, 12 percent from nuclear, 9 percent from wind, and 0.5 percent from other sources such as hydro, biomass, landfill gas, and solar.
»  In 2007, Governor Perry signed comprehensive energy efficiency legislation, House Bill 3693, into law. This legislation created incentives to reduce energy costs through investing in energy efficiency technologies. As a result, Texans reduced electric consumption in 2009 alone in this state by 506,000 megawatt hours. In 2011, he signed SB SB 1125 increasing the energy efficiency goals, including cost caps for those programs to ensure the costs remain reasonable for customers, and allowing consumers to participate in the generation market through demand-management.
»  In 2011, Governor Perry signed House Bill 3328, the first of its kind in the nation, requiring oil and gas companies to disclose chemicals used in the hydraulic fracturing process. The bill furthers a commitment to ensuring safe energy production in Texas by providing citizens with needed information to better understand this industry practice. HB 3328 illustrates that Texas can lead the nation in oil and gas production while increasing transparency in the process.
»  Governor Perry has stood up against federal energy policies like the offshore drilling moratoria and cap and trade that would make oil, gas, and electricity dramatically more expensive.

News & Announcements

• Monday, May 06, 2013 • Houston, Texas • Press Release
  Gov. Perry Renews Call for More Offshore Energy Development, Consistent Federal Regulation
  
  Gov. Rick Perry today renewed his call for more offshore energy development and consistent federal regulations in order to help our nation reach its goal of energy independence. The governor spoke at the 2013 Offshore Technology Conference as part of a panel of coastal governors.
• Friday, August 24, 2012 • Austin, Texas • Press Release
  Gov. Perry Asks Obama Administration to Waive Renewable Fuel Standard
  Gov. Rick Perry today asked the Obama Administration to waive the mandated Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) for 2012 and 2013. In a letter to U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lisa Jackson, the governor added Texas to the list of states and leaders supporting the national Petition for Waiver or Partial Waiver of Applicable Volume of Renewable Fuel because of the mandate’s adverse impact on Texas.
• Thursday, April 19, 2012 • Lake Jackson, Texas • Press Release
  Gov. Perry Announces TEF Investment in Dow Chemical to Create 150 New Jobs in Brazoria County
  
  
  Gov. Rick Perry announced that The Dow Chemical Co. will create 150 new jobs and $1.7 billion in capital investment with the location of a hydrocarbon cracker in Brazoria County. The governor was joined by Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst, Dow CEO and Chairman Andrew Liveris and lawmakers, where he announced the state is investing $1 million through the Texas Enterprise Fund (TEF) to close the deal on this project.
• Wednesday, March 28, 2012 • Austin, Texas • Press Release
  Statement by Gov. Perry on Federal Court Ruling Directing EPA to Reconsider Disapproval of Texas Permitting Process
  Gov. Rick Perry issued a statement regarding a ruling by the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals on the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) disapproval of TCEQ's Pollution Control Project Standard Permit. The court ruling directs the EPA to quickly reconsider its disapproval, after determining that the EPA acted "arbitrarily and capriciously".
• Wednesday, March 14, 2012 • Taylor, Texas • Press Release
  Gov. Perry: Texas Developing Power Sources to Meet Future Energy Needs
  
  
  Gov. Rick Perry today toured the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) facility and met with energy officials to discuss plans for meeting Texas' rising demand for electricity. While the state's business-friendly environment has encouraged investment that has led to sufficient generation and transmission capacity for the near term, Texas' continued growth is likely to require expanded capacity in the years to come.
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