Page 12 - JUNE 2022

Seizing the economic
opportunities of clean energy
3 generates quality jobs.
Texas continues to boom with activi-
ty across its diverse economy, including
the energy, advanced manufacturing,
and information technology sectors. In
addition to a burgeoning start-up scene,
Texas has a strong industry footprint.
Texas’s business-friendly environment
and public-private cooperation model
have recently attracted a string of
Fortune 500 companies to the state.
The energy sector, which has historically
been very strong, continues to evolve.
The Gulf Coast is currently among
the world’s leading areas in hydrogen
generation capacity and is also home
Valuing the benefits provided by Texas’s to a growing electric transportation
uniquely biodiverse and vastly productive industry. A blossoming renewable energy industry also
2 natural ecosystems can bolster community includes manufacturing of wind turbines and solar
resilience. panels right here.
Many Texans know and value the benefits that come The transition to low-carbon energy systems provides
with protecting or restoring nature: providing clean huge opportunities for new jobs and business ventures,
water, clean air, critical habitat, and recreation areas. Few where we have only just begun to scratch the surface of
of us may realize that these ecosystems also buffer against what is possible. Clean energy could create more than 1.1
the worst impacts of climate change. Coastal wetlands, for million jobs in Texas over the next twenty-five years,
example, offer excellent storm protection at no cost with including wind turbine service technicians, solar panel
avoided property damage losses estimated at $23 billion installers, and building retrofitters for energy efficiency.
each year nationwide. Ecosystem protection and resto- The national Bureau for Labor Statistics finds that some of
ration can also off-set about one-fifth of carbon emissions the fastest growing occupations are in renewable energy.
nationwide, which goes a long way towards achieving Net-zero studies show that these renewable energy jobs
national climate goals. In Texas, adopting natural climate are needed along with transmission, construction, and
solutions has the potential to reduce atmospheric carbon manufacturing positions. As the “Energy Capital of the
by 52 million tons/year – more than any other state. World” and one of the fastest-growing cities in the nation,
Empowering communities through information on how, Houston can and should lead in needed climate-friendly
when, and where to implement nature-based solutions is industry and jobs.
key to tackling climate change. Several
regional and local governments are
diligently shaping coastal resilience
strategies. Landowners and communi-
ties are working to protect and restore
ecosystems, such as Texas’s wetlands
that play a unique role in the carbon
cycle, including marshes, seagrass,
and mangrove habitats. Cutting-edge
technologies are paving the way to
analyze the contribution of nature-based
solutions to climate resilience, including
the role of urban greenspace to provide
shade and reduce heat in the city. Better
data available in a transparent, accessi-
ble manner will empower communities
to understand the value of ecosystem
services that are critical to bolstering
natural climate solutions that equitably
benefit the whole community.

12 NBIZ ■ June 2022