WESTON LAKES, Texas (Covering Katy News) — A Fort Bend County commissioner who served on Gov. Greg Abbott’s nuclear advisory group says Texas must rapidly develop advanced nuclear technology to prevent widespread electricity shortages.
Fort Bend County Precinct 3 Commissioner Andy Meyers told the Brazos River Rotary Club, on Friday, that Texas faces unprecedented growth in power needs, with ERCOT projecting energy demand to “double by 2030 and double again by 2050.”
Race for Advanced Nuclear Leadership
The state currently ranks “sixth or seventh” in advanced nuclear development, Meyers said, but he noted that Gov. Abbott wants to change that. The governor’s vision extends beyond development, aiming to make Texas “the manufacturing supplier of small modular advanced reactors, not just to Texas, not just to the United States, but globally.”
Meyers noted that China has already connected a “high temperature gas cool reactor” to their power grid.
Multi-Billion Dollar Investment Needed
As of January 2025, Texas had a budget surplus of nearly $24 billion. This surplus was left over from the previous budget cycle and was available for lawmakers to spend on policy priorities. Meyers believes now is the time to invest in advanced nuclear power and manufacturing. He believes if the state invests in this new technology it will draw additional private sector investments…