Texas Engine initiative focuses on five economic sectors

The Texas General Land Office (GLO) has announced a new initiative that will highlight and propel Texas’ efforts to use resources, production and manufacturing to strengthen the state’s standing on the local, state and national levels. 

The vision – called “The Texas Engine: Fueled, Fed and Fortified” – details five core pillars contributing to Texas’ current and future economic success: 

• Energy. 
• Production. 
• Manufacturing. 
• Agriculture. 
• Security. 

These industries act as cornerstones for both Texas and the nation at large. Texas makes up around 9.5 percent of the nation’s total Gross Domestic Product (GDP), contributing $2.9 trillion to the American economy. Texas industries are responsible for a bulk of critical resource production and distribution that keeps the lights on and food on the table for millions of residents. The Texas Engine serves to both recognize the state’s current standing and harness its greatest strengths to secure long-term prosperity. 

“American strength requires energy, land, natural resources, workers, farmers and leaders with the determination and grit to protect them – Texas can provide that strength,” said GLO Commissioner Dawn Buckingham. “… [I]t is my duty to ensure the GLO keeps these essential resources working for Texas. This responsibility is what the Texas Engine is all about. Over the next several months, the GLO will be announcing important projects aimed at keeping our state strong which also helps bolster the power of the country and globe.” 

While these projects are forthcoming, they will gravitate around optimizing dependable energy, unlocking revenue streams, bolstering domestic manufacturing, securing food production and protecting the state’s land, water and other essential resources. GLO will spearhead implementation of the vision, building on its historic land stewardship efforts that have resulted in wide-ranging positive impacts at both a domestic and global scale. 

GLO oversees more than 13 million acres of state land and mineral interests, manages more than 3,400 miles of shoreline, contributes billions of dollars for public education and administers major disaster recovery programs. Going forward, the office will prioritize investments that build the state’s core industrial and economic standing. 

Texas currently operates as one of the largest energy producers in the nation, capitalizing on sources ranging from renewable resources to fossil fuels to promote reliable, consistent power distribution and usage. GLO will continue ensuring that Texas produces abundant and affordable energy for the nation, removing the need to rely on foreign energy imports to meet energy demands.  

The vision also calls for elevating Texas’ production efforts, further limiting reliance on foreign countries to meet resource demand. Like the energy sector, Texas will entrench its production initiatives to draw on the state’s vast resource availability – notably targeting critical rare earth minerals needed to power everyday technologies. 

GLO plans to continue investing in manufacturing and construction efforts, leveraging the state’s energy, resources and workforce to support industrial sustainability and growth. These generational investments will largely prioritize critical infrastructure, directly supporting state efforts to build the nation’s manufacturing sector, workforce development and job creation for years to come. 

Food security ranks as one of GLO’s most prominent goals. Texas agricultural commodities dominate the national market. As of 2022, Texas farms sold $32.2 billion in agricultural products, with $15.5 billion of that being contributed to cattle alone. Agricultural strength depends on the reliability of available infrastructure, affordable energy and responsible resource management practices implemented to sustain it. 

The final pillar centers around the state’s efforts to protect itself on a broader national and international level. Texas will continue investing in critical security measures, targeting border crossings and threats to its land, water, coastline and natural resources. These efforts extend beyond military-based national security, relying on Texas’ capacity to defend its borders, infrastructure, supply chains, strategic assets, domestic energy production and cybersecurity. 

The Texas Engine intersects each of these pillars, ensuring each responsibly reciprocates support to secure Texas’ resources, people and land.

GLO will reveal specific project details for engine initiatives over the next several months. 

Photo by Péter Borkó from Pexels