Texas 2023 - 88th Regular

Texas House Bill HCR30 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

Old	New		Differences
1	1		88R8256 TBO-D
2		-	By: Guerra, Darby, Anchía, H.C.R. No. 30
3		-	Morales of Maverick, et al.
	2	+	By: Guerra H.C.R. No. 30
4	3
5	4
6	5		CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
7	6		WHEREAS, In February 2021, Winter Storm Uri provided a harsh
8	7		reminder of the fragility of the Texas power grid; and
9	8		WHEREAS, Record low temperatures created a catastrophic
10	9		energy shortage as weather-related failures took down natural gas,
11	10		nuclear, coal, wind, and solar generation; natural gas-fired power
12	11		plants, which supply 42 percent of the state's electricity, ran out
13	12		of fuel as pipelines and related equipment froze; and
14	13		WHEREAS, The geographical characteristics of Texas have
15	14		created untapped geothermal resources that can increase energy
16	15		options; geothermal, which generates energy using heat from the
17	16		Earth's interior, is a reliable and flexible source that runs
18	17		consistently regardless of weather conditions and can quickly
19	18		adjust to the changing needs of the power system; it is clean,
20	19		producing 95 percent fewer emissions than coal and 92 percent less
21	20		than gas; moreover, it is endlessly renewable, as the superheated
22	21		water can be injected back into the ground to run in a constant
23	22		loop; and
24	23		WHEREAS, Texas has a long history with geothermal; the State
25	24		Capitol was originally heated by geothermal water, and in the
26	25		1970s, the U.S. Department of Energy funded geothermal projects to
27	26		provide space heating for the Falls Community Hospital in Marlin
28	27		and Cotulla High School in the Eagle Ford Shale; geothermal
29	28		resources along the Gulf Coast were catalogued and proven
30	29		extractable in the 1970s and '80s, but such initiatives languished
31	30		once oil prices sank; and
32	31		WHEREAS, Every oil and gas well brings geothermal heat to the
33	32		surface as a byproduct; preliminary data collected by Southern
34	33		Methodist University over 15 years ago indicated that up to 2,000
35	34		megawatts of geothermal energy could be available just from the
36	35		state's then-extant oil and gas wells, and the subsequent fracking
37	36		boom likely means that even more geothermal energy is available;
38	37		more recent research has identified abundant geothermal energy
39	38		reserves across Texas, and new technologies have made it possible
40	39		to extract geothermal energy from deep below the Earth's surface;
41	40		geothermal technology can repurpose end-of-life oil and gas wells,
42	41		alleviating the need for plugging, abandonment, or decommissioning
43	42		while also supporting clean energy generation; and
44	43		WHEREAS, Geothermal energy development can also repurpose
45	44		the skills and expertise of the state's oil and gas workers, which
46	45		are readily transferable; in Canada, many former oil workers have
47	46		already made this transition; geothermal applications will create
48	47		independent energy resources and jobs in a rapidly changing
49	48		industry, and with its well-trained workforce, as well as its
50	49		geological advantages, Texas is poised to realize tremendous
51	50		economic development through geothermal expansion; and
52	51		WHEREAS, Texas must diversify its energy portfolio in order
53	52		to create a more resilient, responsive power grid and maintain its
54	53		energy leadership and independence, and geothermal energy is a
55	54		resource that can provide thousands of good jobs and attract
56	55		millions in investments while achieving these goals; now,
57	56		therefore, be it
58	57		RESOLVED, That the 88th Legislature of the State of Texas
59	58		hereby express support for geothermal energy production.