Your Vote Counts 2023: Proposition 7

BRYAN, Texas (KBTX) – Proposition 7 would create an amendment to the Texas State Constitution and establish the Texas Energy Fund, which would fund loans and grants to build, maintain, and modernize electric generating facilities.

The bill was born out of the failures of the Winter Storm in February 2021.

State Sen. Charles Schwertner (R-District 5) sponsored the bill and said with the growing population more generation needs to happen.

“Texas is growing and we need the electricity to power Texas into the future,” Schwertner said. “We need that dependability and reliability and resiliency of our electric grid to make sure our homes are heated and our industries thrive.”

Luke Metzger, the Executive Director of Environment Texas, opposes the bill, saying while Texas needs to upgrade the grid, it needs to include renewable resources.

“The plants, basically every segment of the gas infrastructure supply chain failed during the storm and that was the primary reason for the blackouts,” Metzger said. “Now certainly every form of energy struggled during those extremely low temperatures, including clean energy. But you know, it’s clear that gas was far from what its proponents say, which is 100% reliable.”

Sen. Schwertner said generators relying on solar or wind are too inconsistent and come with their own environmental problems.

“What we need to balance out our grid is dispatchable generation that we can call upon at any time, and quite frankly that type of generation here in Texas with abundant natural gas is natural gas generation that can be called upon and utilized at a moment’s notice,” Schwertner said.

Metzger believes this constitutional amendment would move Texas away from the work already being done to support clean energy products.

“Texas is already building huge amounts of clean energy, like wind and solar and battery storage. Let’s continue investing in clean energy, move away from the dirty, you know, energy from the 20th Century and that will help us, you know, have a reliable grid, help us reduce pollution and help make our electric bills affordable. So voting on Prop. 7 is a wrong move for Texas right now,” Metzger said.

Early voting for the 2023 election begins Oct. 23. Election day is Nov. 7.