89R22017 BPG-D
By: Harris H.R. No. 788
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, Hundreds of employees, advocates, and allies of the
nuclear energy industry are gathering in Austin on April 10, 2025,
for Texas Nuclear Legislative Day at the State Capitol; and
WHEREAS, Nuclear electric power generation is an important
source of energy for Texas, ranking among the state's top four
sources, just behind natural gas, wind, and coal; currently, the
state has two nuclear power plants, Comanche Peak Nuclear Power
Plant and the South Texas Project, with a combined installed
capacity of more than 5,000 megawatts of electricity; together,
they power nearly three million homes and employ some 2,200 Texans;
and
WHEREAS, In 2023, Governor Greg Abbott instructed the Public
Utility Commission of Texas to form a working group to study and
plan for the use of advanced nuclear reactors in Texas in order to
meet the growing need for electric power generation; the 100
experts and stakeholders of the Texas Nuclear Reactor Working Group
dedicated approximately 50,000 hours to researching and preparing
recommendations on strategies to position the state as the national
leader in the industry; and
WHEREAS, The November 2024 report of the working group notes
that the state's existing nuclear power plants produce 10 percent
of the energy on the ERCOT grid and that during extreme weather,
they have proven resilient as well as safe; and
WHEREAS, Texas benefits from existing facilities and
educational programs related to nuclear power; the state is home to
the Pantex Plant, near Amarillo, the nation's primary site for
maintaining the safety, security, and reliability of the
U.S. nuclear stockpile; two world-renowned nuclear degree and
research programs are based in Texas, and many other colleges and
universities in the state have top-tier programs focused on
specific attributes of nuclear plant operations; moreover, the
mining of uranium for the nuclear fuel supply chain is expanding in
Texas; and
WHEREAS, Over the past decade, Texas has been one of the
nation's fastest-growing states, both in population and gross
domestic product, and the nuclear power industry represents an
important resource for meeting the state's energy needs; now,
therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 89th Texas
Legislature hereby recognize April 10, 2025, as Texas Nuclear
Legislative Day at the State Capitol and extend to all those
participating sincere best wishes for an informative and enjoyable
visit to Austin.