Energy & Environment

Texas is the state that put a man on the moon. We’re the state that pioneered ranching, computers, and modern energy. If any state can figure out how to grow our economy, lower costs, and combat climate change, it’s Texas. 

We’re the energy leader of the world — and as Senator, I will work tirelessly to ensure our state not only maintains, but extends that innovative leadership for generations to come so that Texans always have access to reliable, affordable energy. 

If we invest in innovation, we can add to our hundreds of thousands of oil, gas, wind, solar, and battery jobs by creating new jobs in cutting-edge technologies like geothermal and hydrogen-fueled energy. We can pioneer innovative ways to streamline permitting processes without compromising the protection of our environment — so that Texas can lead in increasing energy supply and driving down costs.

And we can better prepare for climate disasters instead of constantly being caught flat-footed when they hit our state. Just in the last decade, Texans have faced historic droughts, devastating wildfires, multiple “500-year” floods, and one of the deadliest winter storms in our state’s history — which killed hundreds of our fellow Texans. That kind of incompetence in the face of increasingly frequent climate disasters is completely unacceptable — and I will do everything in my power to ensure Texans never face the consequences of that level of unpreparedness ever again.

This is not a comprehensive list! If you have policy ideas you want to see from your next U.S. Senator, please reach out HERE. We want to hear from you!

• Make energy more available, reliable, and affordable in Texas: Reinstate federal tax credits, loans, and other tools that diversify energy production and accelerate renewable energy development; streamline permitting processes for energy projects without compromising environmental protections; and make gasoline more affordable by investing in pipeline fortification and building supply chains for critical minerals and transformers.
• Provide emergency relief for Texas families struggling to pay their energy bills: Expand funding and eligibility for the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), which helps families pay their utility bills during times when energy costs are spiking.
• Protect Texans from future increases in energy costs: Require large energy users like AI data centers to cover the cost of the energy infrastructure updates they need so those costs aren’t passed onto consumers; crack down on energy price gouging during natural disasters and other emergencies; and modernize the LIHEAP disbursement formula to ensure that hot climate states — like Texas — receive equitable funds to help families with utility costs.
• Create jobs and grow our energy workforce: Add to Texas’ hundreds of thousands of oil, gas, wind, and solar jobs by creating good-paying jobs for cutting-edge projects like geothermal and hydrogen-fueled energy, as well as finishing the job of plugging abandoned oil and gas wells. Maintain Texas’ energy leadership by establishing more job training and Registered Apprenticeship programs focused on energy engineering, manufacturing, and construction.
• Protect the air we breathe and the water we drink: Prioritize strengthening the Clean Air Act and the Clean Water Act.
• Prepare for extreme weather events and support those impacted by them: Cut red tape so more Texans can benefit from the Department of Energy’s Weatherization Assistance Program, expand eligibility for FEMA’s Pre-Disaster Mitigation Program to help fortify at-risk homes and businesses, and more effectively provide assistance after disasters like Hurricane Harvey instead of leaving families in crisis.
• Strengthen the Texas energy grid: Dedicate greater federal resources to help Texas weatherproof our power grid and update aging infrastructure, without letting energy companies off the hook for contributing their fair share.

• Improved the reliability of the Texas power grid by requiring an annual independent audit of weaknesses in grid infrastructure.
• Responded to the climate crisis by authoring legislation to create the Texas Climate Action Act to marshal the resources of our state government to fight climate change.
• Strengthened Texas’ response to climate hazards by appropriating funds for disaster relief and preparedness.
• Advocated for safer environments for our kids by authoring legislation to remove lead from school water fountains and improve air filtration efficiency standards in schools.
• Improved every community’s access to water by appropriating up to $1 billion to provide stable, annual funding to support water infrastructure development and upkeep.