Texas is allocating big money to bolster the state's energy production. This year's Legislature passed House Bill 14, which creates a new $350 million fund for nuclear energy projects, along with a new state nuclear energy office. The nuclear industry initially sought $2 billion for the fund, but after much debate lawmakers settled on the $350 million amount as a more reasonable starting point. Still, that is the largest amount allocated by any single state to nuclear energy. Gov. Greg Abbott hailed the passage of HB14, after stating he wanted Texas to be "the global leader in advanced nuclear power."
The new fund comes as the state scrambles to find and develop energy sources, with demand for electricity skyrocketing due to population growth and new technology like artificial intelligence (AI). ERCOT has estimated total power demand in Texas could rise by 70% in the next decade. "This is kind of that always available power source that we need for AI, that we need to meet just basic energy demands," says David Holt, President of the Consumer Energy Alliance. "And it's clean, efficient energy."
Holt tells KTRH that many people still have an outdated view of nuclear energy, with concerns about plant meltdowns or waste storage. "This is not your father's nuclear energy industry anymore," he says. "This is advanced."
"There is really no waste in these new nuclear plants," he continues. "They can be scaled up or scaled down, depending on what your energy needs are, and they're really modern, efficient, and frankly, wonderful technology."
Ultimately, these projects may not only help Texas become the nation's nuclear hub, but the hub of other technology, like AI. "You cannot have an AI revolution without sufficient energy, and nuclear has got to be a part of that mix," says Holt.
Photo: AFP