New Energy for a New Texas

"With our abundant wind, solar, and agricultural resources -- combined with our extraordinary human and financial capital -- we can position ourselves in Texas to be the world leader in renewable energy for the next hundred years, just as we were the world leader in oil and gas for the past hundred years."

-- Representative Mark Strama

In his second session in the Texas House of Representatives, Mark Strama championed the most significant legislation of the session to advance Texas' leadership in the renewable energy industry.

• Named "Legislator of the Year" by the Texas Renewable Energy Industries Association (TREIA)
• Received the Texas Wind Coalition's "Legacy Award"

Mark Strama values the extraordinary prosperity that oil and gas have generated for Texans in generations past and in the present. But in light of rising fuel prices, global warming, and the geopolitical consequences of our dependence on foreign oil, Mark believes the energy industry is on the brink of a major evolution, if not revolution, in the direction of clean, renewable, domestically produced energy sources. Because oil and gas account for nearly 15% of Texas' gross domestic product, it is vitally important that Texas lead - not fight - the evolution of this industry.

"While our natural resources provide Texas an excellent starting point in renewable energy, our greatest competitive advantage is that we are the headquarters of the energy industry as it exists today, with all its know-how and all its capital. The state must work in partnership with business to ensure that Texas protects its leadership in the energy industry by leading the inevitable changes that are about to occur." -- Representative Mark Strama

Representative Strama's agenda to make Texas the world leader in renewable energy:

• Make Texas public universities the premier institutions in the world for research, innovation, and learning in renewable energy fields. Just as for the past century Texas public universities boasted the best programs in the world for those seeking careers in oil and gas, Texas universities should be a magnet for the innovation and intellectual leadership required to meet the challenges posed by the evolution of energy away from fossil fuels. Royalty revenue derived from patents on renewable energy innovations developed by our public universities can replace the inevitable decline in royalty revenue to the Permanent University Fund from Texas' diminishing oil and gas reserves.
• Create financing incentives for homeowners and businesses to invest in rooftop solar power. Most consumers do not invest in rooftop solar due to the high capital investment required, in part because they may not own the property long enough to recover the investment through decreased utility bills. Appropriate financing mechanisms can reduce the up-front cost to consumers and allow the cost of the investment to transfer to the new property owner if the property is sold. This basic financing vehicle can fundamentally alter the economics of solar power for consumers looking for a hedge against future increases in fossil fuel prices.
• Continue and strengthen Texas' Renewable Portfolio Standard, which has made Texas the nation's leader in wind power generation, and invest in the transmission capacity to get renewable power from the areas of the state with the most wind and solar generation potential to the areas of the state with the greatest electricity consumption.
• Lead by example, by making sure state government operates at maximum energy efficiency and utilizes renewable energy sources to power state buildings.

Click here to sign up for campaign and policy updates from Rep. Mark Stama!

Other Key Issues for a New Texas

We must also ensure the legislature places the public interest above special interests in addressing our critical education, health care, transportation, and economic needs.

Make government more accountable to citizens

• Create an independent citizens' commission to handle redistricting
• Limit political contributions and spending
• Keep corporate money out of our political system
• Protect prosecutors who expose political corruption from retaliation by politicians

Ensure excellence in our schools

• Make public schools the state's top funding priority
• Treat teachers like the professionals they are
• Ensure that every Texan can afford to take advantage of our public universities, colleges, and technical schools

Address critical transportation needs

• Improve our transportation system so we can spend less time in traffic and more time with our families
• Prevent conversion of taxpayer-funded roadways to toll roads

Increase access to health care

• Restore funding for the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP)
• Encourage "portable" benefits that enable workers to take entrepreneurial risks without jeopardizing their families' access to medical care

Preserve our environment

• Protect Central Texas's natural environment and preserve ample open space for generations to come
• Address air pollution challenges before the federal government imposes restrictions on business growth

Click here to sign up for campaign and policy updates from Rep. Mark Stama!