Bill Text: TX HCR30 | 2023-2024 | 88th Legislature | Comm Sub
Bill Title: Expressing support for geothermal energy production.
Spectrum: Moderate Partisan Bill (Democrat 5-1)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2023-05-02 - Referred to Natural Resources & Economic Development [HCR30 Detail]
Download: Texas-2023-HCR30-Comm_Sub.html
| 88R8256 TBO-D | ||
| By: Guerra, Darby, Anchía, | H.C.R. No. 30 | |
| Morales of Maverick, et al. | ||
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| WHEREAS, In February 2021, Winter Storm Uri provided a harsh | ||
| reminder of the fragility of the Texas power grid; and | ||
| WHEREAS, Record low temperatures created a catastrophic | ||
| energy shortage as weather-related failures took down natural gas, | ||
| nuclear, coal, wind, and solar generation; natural gas-fired power | ||
| plants, which supply 42 percent of the state's electricity, ran out | ||
| of fuel as pipelines and related equipment froze; and | ||
| WHEREAS, The geographical characteristics of Texas have | ||
| created untapped geothermal resources that can increase energy | ||
| options; geothermal, which generates energy using heat from the | ||
| Earth's interior, is a reliable and flexible source that runs | ||
| consistently regardless of weather conditions and can quickly | ||
| adjust to the changing needs of the power system; it is clean, | ||
| producing 95 percent fewer emissions than coal and 92 percent less | ||
| than gas; moreover, it is endlessly renewable, as the superheated | ||
| water can be injected back into the ground to run in a constant | ||
| loop; and | ||
| WHEREAS, Texas has a long history with geothermal; the State | ||
| Capitol was originally heated by geothermal water, and in the | ||
| 1970s, the U.S. Department of Energy funded geothermal projects to | ||
| provide space heating for the Falls Community Hospital in Marlin | ||
| and Cotulla High School in the Eagle Ford Shale; geothermal | ||
| resources along the Gulf Coast were catalogued and proven | ||
| extractable in the 1970s and '80s, but such initiatives languished | ||
| once oil prices sank; and | ||
| WHEREAS, Every oil and gas well brings geothermal heat to the | ||
| surface as a byproduct; preliminary data collected by Southern | ||
| Methodist University over 15 years ago indicated that up to 2,000 | ||
| megawatts of geothermal energy could be available just from the | ||
| state's then-extant oil and gas wells, and the subsequent fracking | ||
| boom likely means that even more geothermal energy is available; | ||
| more recent research has identified abundant geothermal energy | ||
| reserves across Texas, and new technologies have made it possible | ||
| to extract geothermal energy from deep below the Earth's surface; | ||
| geothermal technology can repurpose end-of-life oil and gas wells, | ||
| alleviating the need for plugging, abandonment, or decommissioning | ||
| while also supporting clean energy generation; and | ||
| WHEREAS, Geothermal energy development can also repurpose | ||
| the skills and expertise of the state's oil and gas workers, which | ||
| are readily transferable; in Canada, many former oil workers have | ||
| already made this transition; geothermal applications will create | ||
| independent energy resources and jobs in a rapidly changing | ||
| industry, and with its well-trained workforce, as well as its | ||
| geological advantages, Texas is poised to realize tremendous | ||
| economic development through geothermal expansion; and | ||
| WHEREAS, Texas must diversify its energy portfolio in order | ||
| to create a more resilient, responsive power grid and maintain its | ||
| energy leadership and independence, and geothermal energy is a | ||
| resource that can provide thousands of good jobs and attract | ||
| millions in investments while achieving these goals; now, | ||
| therefore, be it | ||
| RESOLVED, That the 88th Legislature of the State of Texas | ||
| hereby express support for geothermal energy production. | ||
