Texas Railroad Commission (TRC) Chairman Victor Carrillo has called on the state’s governor to help create a Texas Energy Plan, which he said will strengthen not only the economy but its energy industry.

Carrillo, who joined the commission last February and was elected its chairman in September, said the plan, if enacted, would promote energy conservation and renewable energy sources, and find ways to reduce U.S. dependence on foreign oil and energy sources. The commissioner now is touring the state to promote the plan’s creation, and recently sent a letter to Gov. Rick Perry requesting an executive order to create a Texas Energy Planning Council, which would include legislators, policymakers, industry representatives and academia.

Carrillo said there is an abundance of natural resources in Texas, but “we continue to face declining oil and gas production from our peak production of the early 1970s. Although we still have plenty of reserves, it is crucial that we initiate a comprehensive and coordinated effort to ensure our state’s future energy security. We must seek cost-effective and responsible ways to continue to produce our existing reserves and encourage future domestic exploration and production through new technologies, lowering unnecessary regulatory burdens and maintaining or expanding existing incentives.”

If Perry approves the planning council, Carrillo said the TRC would be “well suited and willing” to staff and house the working group to formulate a state plan. According to Carrillo, the plan would examine state and federal laws and policies that encourage domestic energy production and removable obstacles to energy independence, as well as new technologies and tactics to encourage Texas energy production and energy independence.

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