TED Health How Texas became America’s biggest producer of wind energy | Speed & Scale
Oct 10, 2025
Pat Wood, former chair of the Texas Public Utility Commission, shares how Texas transformed from an oil giant to a wind energy leader. He recounts how innovative energy policies and bipartisan support propelled renewable sources. Wood discusses the significant public backing for wind energy, the creation of the Renewable Portfolio Standard, and a massive $7 billion investment in transmission infrastructure that unlocked vast wind capacity. His pragmatic approach sheds light on how market dynamics, not just climate goals, drove this clean energy revolution.
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Gulf Oil Roots Shaped Perspective
- Pat Wood grew up around Gulf Oil refineries in Port Arthur and internalized the energy industry from childhood.
- His personal background shaped his pragmatic, non-ideological approach to energy policy.
Public Deliberation Boosted Renewables
- Deliberative polling revealed Texans across regions supported conservation and renewables once informed.
- Pat Wood used that public mandate to build policy instead of relying on partisan assumptions.
Smoking Jim's Straightforward Demand
- Pat recalls a smoking Beaumont man, Jim, pressing him to 'clean up the goddamn air' and support renewables.
- That moment captured grassroots support for renewables across unexpected demographics.
