If you were asked which state in America leads in the production of renewable energy which would you answer? Perhaps California with its sunny climes or Colorado with its high mountains and snow pack that turn into rushing rivers good for generating hydroelectricity? Would it surprise you to learn that the answer is actually Texas?
As Inside Climate News states:
“This isn’t new. Texas has produced more gigawatt-hours of electricity from renewable sources than any other state for several years running, thanks largely to wind energy…In 2022, Texas generated 136,118 gigawatt-hours from wind and utility-scale solar, most of it from wind. The runner-up was California with 52,927 gigawatt-hours, most of it from utility-scale solar, according to the Energy Information Administration.”
This is fantastic progress but it must be tempered by the knowledge that Texas is also a massive overall energy producer and still relies on oil and coal to produce most of its energy - renewables make up just over a third of all the energy that Texas produces.
Still, it is heartening that a place seen as so connected to oil and gas is making big strides in producing renewable energy and is poised to continue this momentum with continuing investment in renewables - even from oil and gas companies.
If you’re living in a place with culture that is firmly rooted in oil and gas this should give you hope that change is possible.