Geothermal in Texas?! Texas is the top producer of oil and gas in the US and if it was a part of OPEC it would be the 4th or 5th largest producer. So why care about Geothermal? Texas wants to be the leader in energy, not just oil and gas and on the backs of winter storm Uri, one of the most competitive electricity markets in the country started looking for clean reliable energy sources. The recently formed TXGEA is a trade association aimed at educating both the public and legislators as well as advocacy for policy and the inclusion of Geothermal into the ERCOT grid. I speak with Matt Welch and Barry Smitherman on the new association and why it is such an important announcement for both Geothermal and Texas.
The newly formed TXGEA trade association aims at educating the public and legislators and advocating for Geothermal to be included in policy and the electric grid. Matt Welch and Barry Smitherman are looking to change the perception of this amazing resource and simply get it a seat at the table and really do what Texas has done for many decades, which is to be a leader in the energy space. Can Texas be a leader in the US for getting Geothermal, a baseload, flexible, dispatchable and sustainable resource to be a cost competitive option for major metropolitan areas?
TXGEA
Matt Welch
https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattwelchtx/
Barry Smitherman
https://www.linkedin.com/in/barry-smitherman-40375a63/
Matt and Barry's book recommendations
Unsettled - Steve Koonin, The Prize by Daniel Yergin
Geothermal Rising Conference
https://grc2022.mygeoenergynow.org/#
JRG Energy
CORE Knowledge
https://www.linkedin.com/company/core-geothermal
Nick Cestari