The Top Three Energy Stories For 2021: Texas, California, And Oil

The Top Three Energy Stories For 2021: Texas, California, And Oil

Share to Linkedin WASHINGTON, DC - MARCH 03: President Joe Biden holds a meeting on cancer with Vice President Kamala ... [+] Harris and other lawmakers in the Oval Office at the White House on March 3, 2021 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Samuel Corum/Getty Images) With natural gas accounting for 45-50% of the state's actual power generation, pipelines froze and Texas' gas production dropped 45% during the week. This left many gas plants unable to get fuel and forced Governor Abbott to halt exports out of the state. But we must realize - and other states and even countries that import gas from Texas should indeed be thankful for - that Texas has exhibited remarkable restraint when it comes to relying on more gas. For example, even though Texas' marketed gas production since 2010 has soared nearly 40% to 25. 3 Bcf/d, gas power capacity has stayed flat (Figure). Therefore, over that time, a wind and and solar build-out has lowered gas' share of Texas' power capacity from 62% to 53% today. In other words, despite being the largest gas producing state, gas' share of power generation in Texas is only on par with import-dependent and green-tinted California. For