Texas needs to invest big in energy transmission to be competitive | Opinion

From The Austin American-Statesman

The industries of the future are here, and they want to be in Texas. Artificial intelligence, advanced manufacturing and other energy-hungry industries represent our state’s greatest economic opportunity in a generation.

But bringing them here will require more than just the raw energy they need. It also demands a transmission system that can efficiently deliver electricity to all Texans who are counting on it.

Thoughtful bills, such as Senate Bill 6 by Senators Phil King and Charles Schwertner, have been and will be filed at the Texas Capitol this year recognizing that the state needs to rethink how it plans, pays for and ultimately builds transmission. These discussions must acknowledge that transmission, like roads and water, is the backbone of the Texas economy.

To plug new industries into the state’s power grid, Texas must plan for and create the most cost-efficient transmission system for Texans’ long-term needs.

Access to electricity is one of the first things employers look at when deciding where to build and hire. Keeping pace in the artificial intelligence arms race and growing the state’s manufacturing workforce requires the most reliable, affordable and cost-efficient energy system possible.

A bigger, better grid will save money and make the grid more reliable for all Texas consumers.