Texas summers keep getting hotter, and communities most affected by rising electricity costs, polluted air, and failing infrastructure say they want a role in shaping the state’s energy future.

Grid operator ERCOT plans a $33 billion expansion of the Texas power grid to accommodate extreme weather, data centers, and electric vehicle charging centers. Latino and low-income neighborhoods are often located closest to refineries and already face higher rates of asthma and other health impacts.

Rogelio Meixueiro, Texas community advocate with GreenLatinos, said the state needs a diverse mix of energy sources, including more wind and solar.

“Those who are leading this fight should be also the ones who are seeing the most benefit,” Meixueiro said. “In this case, we continue to see players in the energy industry in the state of Texas partnering too much with the industry they’re supposed to regulate.”

Members of GreenLatinos are preparing for next year’s legislative session in Texas by meeting with residents across the state. Those conversations focus on ways to transition to cleaner energy and on who should make key decisions.

Meixueiro said there is a lack of accountability among key agencies that influence energy policy. As a result, he said, Texans are forced to pay higher energy prices and put their health at risk.

The state’s population grew by more than 390,000 people between 2024 and 2025. Meixueiro said that growth puts more stress on the power grid and should compel lawmakers to prioritize renewables.

“We are really focusing on the energy sources as well as the energy that a community continues to bring,” Meixueiro said. “That is centering the voices of Latino leaders across the state, as well as the solutions that they’re already experimenting with.”

Meixueiro pointed to the deadly winter storm of 2021 as proof that the system needs to be overhauled.

“Many communities were impacted when they lack access to good quality services, electricity, water, and really economic support that our families, working families need,” he said.

ERCOT estimates the load on the Texas power grid will quadruple by 2032.

Source: Public News Service