ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
With the current state of extreme drought and problems with the power grid, the main topics discussed at the 2025 Infrastructure Summit, hosted by the San Marcos Area Chamber of Commerce and the Hays Caldwell Economic Development Partnership, were water and energy.
Summer Lawton, HNTB South Central Texas office leader and senior vice president, said HNTB is proud of its longstanding partnership with Hays County.
“Our region has been experiencing a significant period of growth, resulting in increased job opportunities, economic development and upgrades to our transportation systems to support our rising population and provide better connectivity,” Lawton said. “With this growth comes higher demands for energy, water supply, distribution and flood control, placing a substantial strain on our aging and depleted water and energy systems. A robust infrastructure is the background of thriving communities, providing solutions that meet the evolving demands of our residents is a top priority and a shared responsibility that requires collective action.”
Lawton said HNTB is asking for support from the Texas Legislature to meet these growing demands.
“We are advocating for a permanent, annual funding source of $2.5 billion dedicated to our infrastructure from the Texas Legislature,” she said. “This funding is essential to support the development and maintenance of critical water systems that will serve the communities we call home for generations to come.”
Phil Wilson, Lower Colorado River Authority CEO, said in addition to more people increasing the need for power, so too do increases in data centers, artificial intelligence, crypto mining and oil and gas production.
“ERCOT’s peak load last year … was 85,500 megawatts; that’s on the hottest and the coldest day. That’s the power ERCOT needed for the state of Texas to operate,” Wilson said. “That number is important because, by 2030, ERCOT’s in demand could reach 150,000 megawatts [peak load].”
Wilson said the LCRA is looking at solutions to this energy crisis.
“We’re looking at a diversity of solutions, including transmission infrastructure, generation additions, batteries and buying additional power; we’re also looking at landing a power plant in Caldwell County, called the turbine power plant. We’re building not one but two units there. This power plant will include two natural gas filled units that will provide about 80 megawatts of power to the grid,” Wilson said. “That 360 plus megawatts will provide enough power for 100,000 homes or one data center.”
Wilson added that the LCRA is also a transmission company, sending electricity from one place to another.
“It’s a function of time and transmission to plan, design and build that new infrastructure for the state and for the region,” Wilson said. “At LCRA, we’re planning to spend more than $784 million this year alone. Over the next five years, we’ll be doing a billion dollars a year in transmission infrastructure and capital projects to support the safety, reliability and resilience of the grid.”
Wilson said LCRA is also working to add water supplies to the region.
“Our biggest body of water is the Arbuckle Reservoir in Wharton County. It’s the first significant new water supply reservoir developed in the LCRA in decades. … This reservoir would add to 90,000 acre feet per year the region’s water supply. An acre foot of water is enough water to cover one acre, one foot deep, or about 325,000 gallons,” Wilson said. “In addition, we’re going to spend about $174 million over the next five years on the development of other new water supply projects.”
Learn more about the LCRA at lcra.org and HNTB at hntb.com.
Above, Phil Wilson, Lower Colorado River Authority CEO, was the keynote speaker for the event. Daily Record photo by Shannon West