The Texas energy industry is rebounding back with the help of the Department of Energy.
July 10, 2020
minute read time
By Dan Brouillette, U.S. Secretary of Energy
It’s no secret that Coronavirus dealt a heavy blow to America’s energy industry. The pandemic hit Texas particularly hard, a state that is not only vital to our nation’s economic health and security, but my former home of 13 years. As Secretary, Texas’s oil and gas industry is never far from my mind. But as I saw last week, in true Texas fashion, the state’s energy industry is already rebounding back with the help of the Department of Energy (DOE).
During my trip, I met with DOE’s public and private sector energy partners in San Antonio and Houston to review DOE efforts in the Lone Star State. With Texas energy leaders, I talked about strategic policies and investments that DOE can facilitate so Texas will continue enriching the American people as our nation’s energy hub.
On Friday, I discussed with industry leaders at a roundtable of Independent Oil Producers how DOE developed a suite of field laboratories in the state. These laboratories are collaboratively working with industry and universities to promote more efficient oil production and improve the recovery of unconventional oil and gas resources via Basin-specific research.
Not only will these field sites create jobs, but the research will be critical for solving key technical and scientific challenges that prevent more efficient production and the use of hydrocarbons from shales and other unconventional formations.
I also would like to thank the Houston Chronicle, for publishing my column entitled “COVID-19 brought oil and gas down, but Trump is powering a comeback.”
As I told Houston readers, DOE is investing in Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Storage (CCUS) projects, as well as other energy technologies throughout Texas. These projects will promote economic growth, protect the environment, and enhance our energy security.
Our oil and gas industry may be down, but it is never out of the fight. DOE and the Trump Administration plan to unleash American energy dominance in Texas, which will in turn help power the post-COVID economic comeback for the entire nation.
