Texas Border Business
By Glenn Hamer, President & CEO, Texas Association of Business
This week, Texas Governor Greg Abbott and the Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUCT) unveiled a strong plan to further strengthen Texas’ global energy leadership. The Texas Advanced Nuclear Working Group’s final report charts a groundbreaking roadmap for establishing an advanced nuclear industry in Texas, one that will solidify our energy dominance, enhance grid reliability and energy security, catalyze unprecedented economic growth, and unlock transformative opportunities for Texas’s growing workforce.
The Texas Association of Business (TAB) applauds this bold initiative as part of our ongoing commitment to an ‘all-of-the-above’ energy strategy that has propelled us to become the 8th largest economy in the world.
Upon releasing the working group report, Governor Abbott made clear that Texas is “ready to be No. 1 in advanced nuclear power,” adding:
“By utilizing advanced nuclear energy, Texas will enhance the reliability of the state grid and provide affordable, dispatchable power to Texans across the state. I thank Public Utility Commissioner Jimmy Glotfelty and the members of the Texas Advanced Nuclear Reactor Working Group for working tirelessly to put Texas on the path to be the global leader in advanced nuclear power. As we build an advanced nuclear industry in our great state, we will ensure Texas remains a leader in energy and strengthen the Texas grid to meet the demands of our growing state.”
With Texas being the energy capital of the world and the largest energy-producing state in the nation, the new report not only reflects the promise of nuclear power but also the responsibility Texas bears in leading the nation toward a future of secure, sustainable, and scalable energy solutions. By deploying a coordinated nuclear power strategy, Texas can capture economic opportunities and first-in-the-nation advantages to cement our national and global energy leadership.
The Lone Star State is home to a massive source of uranium, accounting for 8% of total domestic reserves. In addition to our natural resources, Texas is uniquely positioned to dominate the advanced nuclear energy landscape. Texas is primed to become a global economic powerhouse in this cutting-edge sector due to our deregulated energy market and robust industrial infrastructure.
As PUCT Commissioner Jimmy Glotfelty noted, reflecting on the Working Group’s report:
“Texas is well-poised to become the national, if not global, leader in using advanced nuclear energy technologies. Texas has the industrial and development needs – from oil & gas production to data centers and a burgeoning Artificial Intelligence sector – with demand growth projected at 8% a year for the next decade.”
The economic projections and implications of this plan are transformative. The deployment of advanced nuclear reactors (ANRs) –including small modular reactors (SMRs) – has the potential to generate an estimated $50.6 billion in economic output annually while supporting an annual average of 148,000 high-quality jobs directly and indirectly by the new SMR industry.
From reactor operations to nuclear-grade welding, these positions will fuel Texas’s economic engine and establish our workforce as a leader in one of the most advanced fields of modern technology. By embracing this plan and ANRs, we can provide a stable, carbon-free power source that enhances Texas’ grid resilience and lowers land and transmission requirements while also creating pathways to prosperity for countless Texans.
However, in order to secure new investments in nuclear energy generation, we must also advance policies that streamline federal pathways and establish state-supported early site permits, in addition to addressing workforce development through proactive recruitment and specialized training initiatives to ensure we can develop a Texas-based talent pool to build and operate these important new generation projects.
TAB is especially proud to recognize Stephanie Matthews, former Vice President for the Texas Association of Business, for her invaluable contributions as a member of the Working Group that produced this report. Her leadership highlights the essential role of TAB in shaping policies that advance our state’s economic and energy interests.
By harnessing the potential of advanced nuclear energy, our state will not only secure its energy future but also cement our role as the world’s global energy superpower.
