Texas
Texas is the nation’s largest industrial emitter. Three sectors are responsible for the bulk of emissions: petroleum and natural gas systems, non-fluorinated chemicals, and refineries. Texas refines approximately one third of the nation’s oil. Large industrial facilities, including the chemical sector, are located primarily in the eastern part of the state. Petrochemicals and hydrogen account for most chemical production. The industrial footprint in West Texas consists primarily of petroleum and natural gas extraction.
- This map shows the top 20 emitters, coded by industrial sector. The size of the circles corresponds to emissions: the larger the circle, the higher the emissions.
- Disadvantaged communities (as determined by the federal government) are shaded blue.
- The inner circle provides a visual representation of the share of emissions generated by each industrial sector.
- The outer circle also indicates the share of a sector’s emissions generated in disadvantaged communities.
Legislative context and opportunity
If you are aware of recently enacted legislation in Texas that is advancing industrial decarbonization, please let us know. The high-level context below is intended to serve as an indicator of where there may be future legislative opportunities.
In a 2023 fact sheet, the Renewable Thermal Collaborative identified key actions that policy makers and other stakeholders can take to move closer to industrial targets by electrifying subsectors in Texas, particularly ammonia and methanol production. A project selected to receive a grant from DOE’s Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations (OCED) aims to put some of these recommendations into action on the Texas Gulf Coast.
The e-methanol project, led by a US subsidiary of Orsted, plans to use captured carbon dioxide from a local industrial facility to produce e-methanol and expects to prove both the supply and demand for clean hydrogen-derived alternative fuels for the marine shipping and transportation sector.
Explore more recent legislation in Texas and all 50 states by clicking here.