We Need A National Energy Plan--And The 'Texas Model' Is A Good Place To Start
Texas’ energy plan is replicable across the country
As presidential candidates kick-off the debate season, voters have a right to ask: What is your plan to responsibly develop America’s energy potential? Texas provides a good model. As one of three elected Railroad Commissioners, I oversee an agency that regulates more than 265,000 active oil and gas wells, 270,000 pipeline miles and hydraulic fracturing. Through our day-to-day, on-the-ground regulation of the industry, the successful and safe production of oil and gas is achieved, allowing Texas to drive the American energy industry’s leading role in world markets. Texas’ energy success shines bright in the overall picture of our state’s strong economy.
Energy companies can conduct exploration and production anywhere in the world, but many choose Texas because we strike the balance between sensible, science-based regulation and basic free market principles. What some refer to as the “Texas Miracle” is actually the result of a deliberate framework built over decades to allow business to thrive within a strong, yet sound regulatory structure.
Texas is also home to an educated, trained and highly skilled workforce, as well as growing infrastructure that safely transport our minerals, all which provide greater support to our overall economy. And, instead of picking winners and losers, Texas leverages a wide variety of energy sources whose availability and cost are determined by the free market, providing the lowest cost of energy to our consumers. Employed beyond Texas, this same combination of entrepreneurship unleashed in a pro-jobs climate would not only transform the nation’s energy industry, but our country’s entire economy and global position. (by Christi Craddick, Railroad Commissioner of Texas, Forbes Magazine)
Texas is also home to an educated, trained and highly skilled workforce, as well as growing infrastructure that safely transport our minerals, all which provide greater support to our overall economy. And, instead of picking winners and losers, Texas leverages a wide variety of energy sources whose availability and cost are determined by the free market, providing the lowest cost of energy to our consumers. Employed beyond Texas, this same combination of entrepreneurship unleashed in a pro-jobs climate would not only transform the nation’s energy industry, but our country’s entire economy and global position. (by Christi Craddick, Railroad Commissioner of Texas, Forbes Magazine)