Report: Texas Can Get to Net-Zero by 2050 and Simultaneously Bolster the Economy

The world is decarbonizing.

And CGMF is confident that Texas is uniquely positioned to lead the world in the transition to a carbon-neutral energy economy. If Texas ignores the challenge to decarbonize its economy, it may eventually face the more difficult challenge of selling carbon-intensive products to customers around the world who do not want them. Proactive net-zero emissions strategies present the opportunity for Texas to maintain its energy leadership and grow the economy within a rapidly decarbonizing global marketplace.

Texas could eliminate its carbon pollution in fewer than 30 years, and decarbonizing would actually strengthen the state’s economy, according to new research from energy scientists at The University of Texas at Austin.

The report warns that global markets are already casting a wary eye on goods and services that rely on fossil fuels. Those shifting consumer preferences could mean trouble for Texas, which built an economy larger than those of most countries on the strength of its oil and natural gas industries. Texas risks losing its economic footing unless it embraces new approaches to energy production, the report says.

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The report was funded by the Cynthia and George Mitchell Foundation, the Energy Foundation, The Meadows Foundation and Catena Foundation. The authors are from the University of Texas at Austin, Colorado-based Vibrant Clean Energy, and the University of Colorado, Boulder.