By Rebekah Chenelle, Vice President of Public Policy
On Friday, March 21, I had the opportunity to represent the Dallas Regional Chamber at the Texas Association of Business Foundation’s lunch-and-learn session for legislative staffers at the Texas Capitol. The event focused on powering business growth through innovation, specifically in energy infrastructure.
Here are the key points I shared with our lawmakers’ teams.
DFW leads the way in Texas’ growth story
Our state’s economic success isn’t happening by accident. The Dallas-Fort Worth region continues to punch above its weight in contributions to the Texas economy. We have a 26.6% share of the state population, but we boast 28.7% of the state’s economy.
Our region is projected to become the nation’s third-largest metro area by 2028. Our economic prowess and explosive growth create opportunities and challenges that require thoughtful policy solutions.
Infrastructure is the foundation for continued success
With this unprecedented growth comes increased pressure on our infrastructure systems. I emphasized three areas top of mind for the business community:
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- Water infrastructure
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We can’t discuss energy or infrastructure without also discussing Texas’s water needs. Without dependable water infrastructure, Texas risks up to $100 billion in economic losses and hundreds of thousands of jobs.
At the DRC, we’re glad to see the Legislature has taken action on this critical priority, working to secure a dedicated funding source for our state’s water infrastructure. Both the House and the Senate have taken action, with joint resolutions and complementary bills moving through the legislative process, which are to be reconciled to send one joint resolution to voters this November and one bill to Gov. Greg Abbott’s desk for signature.
2. Energy reliability
As Texas continues to lead the nation in energy production, we must ensure our grid can meet growing demands while supporting our competitive business environment. The DRC supports an “all of the above and below” approach to energy needs and encourages innovative solutions to efficient energy uses.
We want crucial industries like tech and manufacturing to continue to move to Texas, but to sustain our growth, we need to utilize all the tools in our toolbox. Many of our member companies are leveraging technologies to make the grid more efficient and we encourage the legislature to spur these innovations—and not stifle them.
3. Building an ecosystem that supports innovation
Texas’ ability to innovate to solve our challenges and capitalize on opportunities depends on our workforce. Our workforce now spans four generations, with diverse education levels and skill sets. Upskilling and reskilling to help build experts in ever-growing technologies and to fill in-demand roles in innovative spaces is essential to keeping Texas on the leading edge—and it helps our people earn good wages that, in turn, fuel our economy.
Additionally, we need to make sure our companies have the ability to foster innovation and grow new ideas and solutions to maintain our competitive advantage. To secure this, our lawmakers can extend Texas’ R&D tax credit—a vital tool set to expire in 2026 that could generate more than 113,000 jobs and $13.8 billion in additional Gross State Product over the next decade.
Call to action for lawmakers
I ended my time at the lectern with a direct message to our legislators: When companies decide to come to Texas, they’re betting on their future. Meaning they’re watching Texas to see how we are securing our future. The DRC hopes to see lawmakers work with our members and in-house experts to pass pro-growth, pro-business policies that contribute to growth and innovation.
Thank you to our friends at the Texas Association of Business Foundation for giving us this audience with our partners in the Capitol. This is one of the many ways the DRC gets to represent our members’ interests in Austin, ensuring our region’s voice is heard as critical policy decisions are made.
Is the ability to grow and innovate top of your mind for your company? Send us a note to join our advocacy efforts.