Texas, most commonly known for their oil and gas production, has been investing big on clean energy generation, in fact the red state is leading the country in wind energy generation and second only to left leaning California.
San Angelo is a rural Texas community, rich in farmland, some of which has been converted to solar fields and wind turbine developments. Area farmers and landowners are receiving substantial income from leasing their land to renewable energy companies/developers.
The San Angelo Chamber of Commerce has had a hand in recruiting energy companies to develop at least nine solar and wind farms near their small town. “They’re providing a really strong revenue source,” said Michael Looney, head of economic development for the San Angelo Chamber. The San Angelo community seemed open to the new projects, despite clean energy not always being well received in other communities across the country. “They (renewable energy projects) have some political pushback in certain communities that find them to be not a really good fit, but in Tom Green County we found that it was a perfect fit.”
In Texas, clean energy can be political and polarizing. In reality, it’s generating new jobs and investments for communities across the state that are projected to do so for decades to come. In fact, red states like Texas, more so than blue states, are projected to see billions of dollars of investment thanks to the clean energy provisions of the Inflation Reduction Act
The San Angelo Chamber of Commerce is a great example of a chamber being the voice of business. Without making it political, clean energy can benefit the entire country with new, high paying jobs, manufacturing opportunities, and billions of dollars in investments.
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