Texas’ extraordinary energy production growth
The volume of Texas’ energy production continues to surge into record-breaking territory as the state makes outsized contributions to the nation’s overall production. According to U.S. Energy Information Administration data from 2023, Texas accounts for 42% of U.S. oil production, 27% of natural gas production, 22% of wind energy generation, and 17% of solar energy production.
While the sheer volumes of energy production generated by Texas make for a compelling story, another, equally compelling, narrative can be found when looking at the rate of the state’s energy production and generation growth when compared to peer states. In every major energy generation category — including oil, natural gas, wind and solar — the rate of Texas’ production growth over the past decade surpasses that of nearly every other peer state.
Here’s what Texas 2036’s analysis of the data reveals.
1. Texas is the king of oil production and growth.
Despite a brief setback during the COVID-19 pandemic, Texas’ oil production grew between 2013 and 2023 from 928,000 million barrels to 2,011,000 million barrels, a 117% increase. During that same period, U.S. oil production increased by 1,983,000 million barrels. Texas’ increased oil production accounts for nearly 55% of the nation’s total oil production growth.
When compared to the top 10 oil producing states in the country, Texas produces not only the greatest volume of oil but also the greatest increase in production, contributing to the nation’s overall production increase. Moreover, between 2013 and 2023, three of the nation’s top 10 oil producing states — Louisiana, Alaska, and California — saw overall production declines.
2. Texas leads in overall natural gas production but comes in second with production growth.
Thanks to the prolific capacity of the Permian Basin, Eagle Ford Shale and the Barnett Shale, Texas leads the nation in overall natural gas production. Over the past decade, Texas’ natural gas production increased by just over 4,065,000 million cubic feet (MCF) as the total amount of U.S. gas production grew by 16,110,000 MCF. Texas’ natural gas production growth accounts for nearly 25% of the total domestic production increase between 2013 and 2023.
Interestingly, while Texas produces the most natural gas when compared to the top 10 producing states, Pennsylvania has seen the highest rate of natural gas production growth. Situated over the Marcellus Shale, Pennsylvania’s natural gas production grew by 4,361,000 MCF between 2013 and 2023, accounting for just over 27% of the nation’s increase in gas production.
3. Texas is blowing away the competition with wind generation.
The famous winds of West Texas, combined with those along the coastal plains, have amplified the state’s wind generation. In 2013, wind power provided just under 36,000 thousand megawatt hours (MWh). Ten years later, Texas’ wind generation grew to nearly 120,000 thousand MWh, an 84,000 thousand MWh increase from 2013.
Currently, Texas generates more wind power than any other top 10 wind generating state. Moreover, as domestic wind generation expanded by 425,000 thousand MWh between 2013 and 2023, Texas’ wind generation growth accounted for nearly 33% of the nation’s increase. The rate of Texas’ wind generation growth substantially surpasses that of the other nine top wind generating states.
4. Texas wins silver for solar.
The story of Texas’ solar generation growth is nothing short of explosive. In 2013, utility-scale solar power generation delivered just 162 thousand MWh to the state’s electric grid. Last year, solar generation provided 27,401 thousand MWh.
While Texas’ solar power boom has been remarkable, the Lone Star State’s star power here is eclipsed by California. Last year, the Golden State generated 40,714 thousand MHw in utility-scale solar power, the most of any of the top 10 solar generating states. Moreover, California accounts for nearly 24% of the nation’s increase in solar generation between 2013 and 2023.
The Takeaway
Texas is in many, if not most, respects, the nation’s leader in energy expansion. These data conclude that the state’s enormous volumes of net energy production are the result of an aggressive, if not unprecedented, growth path over the past decade. Looking at the decades ahead, data from Texas 2036’s “Future of Texas Energy” scenario models suggests that this trend has an opportunity to continue.