“Nuclear plants contributed 10 percent of our state’s total energy generation in 2022, proving it's an important energy source for Texas.”
Texas Insider Report: AUSTIN, Texas – (BAY CITY) — On his Good for Texas Tour: Energy Edition, Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar today visited the South Texas Project Nuclear Operating Company (STPNOC), which manages one of the newest and largest nuclear power facilities in the nation, providing energy to about 2 million Texas homes.
“Nuclear plants contributed 10 percent of our state’s total energy generation in 2022, proving it's an important energy source for Texas,” Hegar said. “And the future is strong for energy in Texas, as there are plans to develop more uranium mining sites and power plants, including a new nuclear power complex coming online in Seadrift, Texas, in the next few years. Nuclear power is dispatchable and reliable regardless of the weather conditions, making it a critical component of a dependable grid infrastructure. This growing industry will help us safeguard energy production from foreign interests and increase the already robust economic activity in this great state.”
During his Good for Texas Tour: Energy Edition, Hegar is spotlighting information his office has gathered about Texas’ energy sectors. He is touring some of the state’s key power entities, meeting with company officials and local community members to hear more about the challenges and successes in energy generation, management and planning.
Texas’ two nuclear power plants — the South Texas Project and the Comanche Peak Nuclear Power Plant — have a combined installed capacity of more than 5,000 megawatts of electricity. Nuclear power is the fourth-most-used energy source in Texas, behind gas, wind and coal. In Texas, there are about 3,000 nuclear energy jobs, which pay an average annual salary of $175,140. The industry contributes an estimated $1.4 billion per year to gross domestic product.
The STPNOC manages the South Texas Project Electric Generation Station, a nuclear power plant spanning 12,220 acres in Matagorda County. It has two nuclear reactors that have been online since the late 1980s. It is owned by the city of Austin (Austin Energy), the city of San Antonio (CPS Energy) and NRG Energy, based in Houston. STPNOC has about 1,200 employees.
For more information on the tour, including in-depth data on Texas energy, visit the Comptroller's website
