Real-time industry developments straight from the experts.
Upcoming Policy Briefings |
Upcoming Policy Briefings |
April 13, 2026
Geothermal Briefing: Concerns and Trends in the Texas Geothermal Industry and 90th Session Priorities
Under Secretary Chris Wright’s leadership, the Department of Energy (DOE) is focusing on accelerating the development of advanced technologies, especially Enhanced Geothermal Systems (EGS). However, Texas is lagging behind other states such as Utah and Nevada in geothermal deployment.
The purpose of the briefing is to explore the vast potential of the geothermal industry to create jobs, spur economic development, and reinforce national security. Questions we seek to answer in the briefing include:
What must Texas do now to ensure veteran talent helps the state outpace competitors in geothermal energy deployment?
Can Texas turn its oil & gas strength into leadership in a new type of energy?
What policies, investments, or regulatory actions would help Texas catch up in geothermal?
“Our goal is to allow our resources to do what they do best—develop.”
Chairman Drew Darby of the House Energy Resources Committee, Vice-Chair of the Caucus
Past briefings
Power Under Pressure: A Look at How the Texas Grid Performed This Winter
March 11, 2026
This virtual briefing was designed to equip attendees with a clearer understanding of what the recent Winter Storm Fern revealed about ERCOT grid resiliency in severe weather, as well as the upcoming legislative considerations to address remaining challenges.
In 2021, Winter Storm Uri exposed critical vulnerabilities in Texas’ electric grid and energy systems, prompting significant policy, infrastructure and regulatory reforms across Texas. To support informed policymaking by lawmakers, this briefing will provide a practical assessment of the recent winter season, focusing on Winter Storm Fern, and the system-wide reforms that allowed our state’s electric grid to perform reliably and avoid widespread outages.
Attendees received an objective overview of the Storm’s impacts, from local outages to statewide grid performance across generation capacity, utility systems and the ERCOT market. Our expert speakers outlined the post-Uri reforms that reinforced grid reliability, including operational improvements, weatherization efforts to the natural gas supply chain and local transmission & distribution infrastructure management.
Find a summary and policy takeaways of the briefing below.
Data Center Growth and State Policy: Understanding Water, Land, and Energy Impacts
January 14, 2026
To support informed policymaking, this briefing was co-hosted by the Texas Water Caucus and the Texas Energy & Climate Caucus to provide a grounded overview of the current and projected data center footprint in the state.
As data center development accelerates across Texas, lawmakers are increasingly navigating questions around economic opportunity alongside impacts on water resources, land use, energy demand, and local communities.
During this briefing, experts from the Bureau of Economic Geology, Houston Advanced Research Center, and Google shared practical insights on how data center development intersects with existing infrastructure, long-term planning, and resource stewardship. The discussion outlined considerations for siting, permitting, and mitigation strategies to help communities capture economic benefits while managing associated costs and risks.
Find a summary and policy takeaways of the briefing below.
How the One Beautiful Bill Act Will Affect Texas Energy
October 17, 2025
This virtual Policy Briefing provided clear insights into the One Big Beautiful Bill Act of 2025 and its implications for Texas’s energy future. Our panel of experts provided an overview of the bill’s provisions and explored opportunities and considerations for Texas across the energy landscape.
Topics included:
Key updates to federal tax credits across different energy technologies.
Potential impacts on affordability for consumers, investment opportunities and grid reliability.
How Texas companies and communities can leverage the bill to advance innovation, strengthen domestic energy production, and build resilient supply chains.
This briefing is designed to give Caucus members and staff a straightforward understanding of the legislation and how it may shape Texas’ energy strategy moving forward. The speaker lineup offered premier insights into these subjects, drawing on decades of experience in industry manufacturing investments, energy market analysis, and the economic impacts of energy policy.
Find a summary and policy takeaways of the briefing below.
