Mar
18
Recently I did research on a little family history from 1923. I read the front page news for 5 months in 4 daily Texas newspapers in the spring of 1923. I found what I was looking for, but I was also struck by the daily headlines – they covered the beginning years of the Texas oil industry. Discord, risk and suspicion about the uncertainty of this speculative industry were major stories in the daily news circa 1923… policy fights in the legislature and business competition on the street.
Texans were used to relying on coal oil and whale oil and expecting very little from energy in their daily lives but pretty soon the oil glut began to affect ordinary Texans – at home, on the farm, transportation by land and sea, and motorized conveniences that were just imaginary 5 years prior. All this new energy activity was taxed – By 1919, the revenue from the oil-production tax was more than $1 million; by 1929, it was almost $6 million. And who were these nutty wildcatters? Names like Sid Richardson, Haroldson Lafayette Hunt, Clint Murchison and Hugh Cullen were suspect…until 20 years later when they became the philanthropist millionaires of the 1940”s and 1950”s.
Texas remains at the forefront of the energy industry as the 21st century energy revolution eclipses our recent past. The total renewable energy “resources” in Texas, outstrip every other State. Energy from sunshine falling on a single acre of land in West Texas is capable of producing the energy equivalent of 800 barrels of oil – each year. Today, Texas in the midst of a revolution the echoes of 1923 are with us…
Pioneers and entrepreneurs are developing clean renewable energy – Like their 1920’s counterparts, wind wildcatters in west Texas have already proved Texas can be a leader in this industry; Thirty-five (35%) percent of the power Abilene Christian University purchases is generated from West Texas wind turbines-. Recent community college programs are offering all women workforce training in solar installation skills.
Energy moves in next door - thank goodness today’s energy innovations don’t bring black oil gushers into the neighborhood, but Barnett Shale natural gas drilling is now in churchyards, in parking lots and returning handsomely in urban neighborhoods; encouraged by Economic Development Councils in Texas, wind energy equipment is now manufactured in at least 3 Texas towns…more to come. In towns where a rebate policy is an incentive, churches, homes and businesses are installing solar collectors – one church installed it’s panels in the form of a giant cross. A 10 percent goal for solar energy can make a significant difference as the US transitions to a diverse energy future.
Odd sounding ideas and speculative endeavors hold promise of new industries – oil production changed the barrel from wooden spokes to steel drums – unheard of at the time. Solar collector and battery innovation is taking on every shape imaginable including inflatables, film, fabric, tiles, roof shingles and myriad forms of tempered glass. Randy Hill is the owner of a company that manufactures equipment that dries agricultural products; he has turned his moneymaking attention to drying mesquite beans for biomass within the alternative energy industry. Off shore towers that create energy from constant wave motion – tidal power – are a part of the energy portfolio in the North Sea.
Agricultural and urban Texas changes as energy changes – not every rancher or landowner of the 1920’s welcomed oil derricks, pumps and equipment. However, priorities in agriculture, forestry and energy research are yielding a productive focus on renewable energy. North American Colleges and Teachers of Agriculture are retraining and advising. Resistance in the Texas Hill Country has been strong in response to a plan to put transmission lines across central Texas counties. The fact remains that wind turbines in sparsely populated West Texas, can supply needed energy to Texas populated quadrants, but transmission is a necessity.
New energy will mean new policies, encouragement to new leaders, incentives and business models that track our Texas ingenuity and get ‘er done mentality. Agricultural and manufacturing opportunities are emerging and the world beyond our borders will once again look to a Lone Star for guidance. We have a chance to act in the interest of our future. Welcome to 1923? Wow! Does history ever repeat itself.
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