2025 Legislative Agenda

Environment Texas is a non-profit advocate for clean air, clean water and open spaces. We believe there’s something special about Texas — something worth protecting and preserving for future generations. Whether it’s swimming in the Gulf of Mexico on a hot day, paddling down the Trinity River or hiking through Big Bend National Park, Texas’ natural wonders enrich our lives in countless ways. Yet the places we love and the environmental values so many of us share are often at risk. Many of our environmental problems have solutions; we need leadership to put those solutions to work to build a greener and healthier Texas. 

More nature

People need nature. Whether it’s visiting a state or national park to hike, camp, fish and hunt or hitting a neighborhood park to walk the dog or throw a frisbee around, spending time outdoors makes us happier and healthier. Our open spaces also provide wildlife habitat and are often the source of precious drinking water. As Texas continues to grow, our natural areas are increasingly at risk of being lost to development. We support:

• Implementation of the Centennial Parks Conservation Fund, an endowment which funds the acquisition and development of land for new state parks. We support the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department’s (TPWD) request for clarifications on the new law, including whether an approval process is required to use funds for park improvements. 
• Reducing animal-vehicle collisions – saving the lives of people and wildlife alike – by identifying opportunities to connect parks and other conservation lands for safe migratory passages. Texas ranks first in the nation for such collisions, with 10,000 vehicles involved in crashes caused by animals in 2022, and 26 deaths.  
• TPWD’s Legislative Appropriations Request, including $30 million for the Farm and Ranch Lands Conservation Program and $45 million for the Local Parks Grants program.   
• Action to protect and create habitat on state roads and lands for pollinators such as bees and butterflies.

Clean energy

According to ERCOT, demand for electricity could almost double by 2030 to accommodate new data centers, bitcoin operations, and other new loads, straining our fragile electric grid. New solar, battery, wind and gas plants are under development to meet this demand, and Texas has an opportunity to make sure we keep the lights on with as little impact to public health and the environment as possible. We support: 

• Growing solar, wind and battery storage capacity to help reduce air pollution and water use from the electricity sector, while adopting balanced policies to protect natural areas
• Ending subsidies and setting energy efficiency and on-site generation requirements for data centers and bitcoin mines
• Streamlined permitting to allow Texans to install backup generation, such as solar and batteries, in their homes and businesses
• Appropriating $1.8 billion to fund the voter-approved Texas Backup Power Package Program, a Texas Energy Fund program that assists nursing homes, hospitals and other vulnerable populations with backup power for use during power outages 
• Raising energy efficiency goals for Texas electric utilities and allowing the State Energy Conservation Office to adopt stronger statewide energy codes for new buildings 
• Stronger consumer protections for purchasers of rooftop solar installations and fair compensation for surplus power put onto grid

Clean Water 

From taking a dip in the local swimming hole to the water we drink from the faucet, we all want our water to be safe, healthy and plentiful. But microplastics are polluting our beaches, abandoned oil and gas wells are contaminating groundwater, lead, PFAS and other toxins are in too many Texans’ drinking water or farmers’ soil, and drought and waste continue to strain our drinking water supplies and habitat for fish and other wildlife. We support:

• Efforts to get plastics manufacturers to end the dumping and spills of plastic pellets into our waters
• Funding to help school districts install filters and hydration stations in schools to protect our kids from lead in the drinking water. Recent testing data submitted to TCEQ shows that 78% of Texas schools which have tested have found lead in the water from at least one tap 
• The Railroad Commission’s request for $100 million to plug orphan wells and legislation requiring oil and gas companies, not taxpayers, to pay the full cost of plugging abandoned oil wells 
• Requiring wastewater treatment plants to test biosolids for PFAS contamination to protect farmers 
• Funding to reduce leaking municipal water mains and sewage overflows 
• Appropriating $15 million to the Agricultural Water Conservation Fund, as requested by the Texas Water Development Board
  

Don’t Mess With Texas

As the old expression goes, “waste not, want not.” Unfortunately, as a society we’re pretty darn wasteful. We’re buying more and more stuff, much of which gets thrown out after just one use, filling up our landfills or littering our waterways and beaches. Many of us want to do more to reduce waste and reuse, repair and recycle, but it’s often a challenge to do so. We support:

• Creating the State Recycling Fund and awarding matching grants from it to local governments and organizations that advance consumer education, curbside recycling, and other waste reduction efforts
• Giving Texans the freedom to fix their own stuff, including consumer electronics, by ensuring manufacturers provide consumers and independent repair shops the information, tools and parts needed to repair a product
• Creating a bottle deposit program, that creates a financial incentive to recycle, while conserving critical resources such as aluminum

Clean Air

We look forward to the day where all Texans can breathe safe and clean air, especially vulnerable populations like children and senior citizens. Despite progress in recent years, smog and soot from cement and concrete plants, outdoor power equipment, petrochemical facilities, and other polluting sources are triggering asthma and heart attacks and shortening lives. We support:

• Improved regulations and siting of concrete batch plants, permanent cement facilities, and rock quarries to protect neighboring communities from pollution 
• Financial incentives for Texans to replace polluting lawn equipment and other non-road engines with clean electric models
• Expanded and improved air quality monitoring, including for hydrogen sulfide, methane, ozone and speciated monitors for PM 2.5

Walkable Neighborhoods 

Giving Texans the freedom to live in neighborhoods where they can walk, bike or take transit to where they need to go helps all of us by reducing sprawl, traffic and air pollution. We support:

• Local efforts in communities to encourage a variety of housing types, such as row homes, accessory dwelling units and office-to-housing conversions, especially near shops, schools and transit. The elimination of the “tyrant’s veto,” which gives a small minority the right to block housing, would help cities grow responsibly. 
• Increasing funding for TxDOT’s sidewalk program to $160 million a year
• Protecting funding for Austin’s Project Connect, Dallas Area Rapid Transit, and other transit programs