The Texas General Land Office is inviting industry input on developing geothermal energy, small modular nuclear reactors, and natural gas plants on state-owned land, Commissioner Dawn Buckingham announced on Tuesday.
The agency is opening a Request for Information process to companies, developers, technology providers, energy producers, and other interested parties as it studies opportunities to expand next-generation power sources in the state, the GLO announced.
The GLO manages more than 13 million acres of state land and minerals, using resource development to produce revenue for the Permanent School Fund that supports Texas public education. Respondents interested in geothermal or nuclear exploration and development can submit interest for projects on Permanent School Fund lands. A separate RFI focused on natural gas plant opportunities on state-owned land is expected to be released later, according to the agency.
“Texas built its economy by putting our natural resources to work, and we cannot afford to stop innovation now. Our state needs dependable energy to power homes, businesses, manufacturing, and the next generation of American industries. We have an opportunity to look beyond traditional energy sources and develop the resources and technologies that can keep Texas powered for decades to come,” Buckingham said.
“Geothermal, advanced nuclear technology and natural gas plants represent very different approaches to the same challenge: producing dependable power right here at home. The GLO is going to explore every responsible opportunity to make Texas energy stronger, more reliable, and more secure.”
The agency described the effort as the first pillar of what it called the Texas Engine: Fueled, Fed and Fortified Initiative, a broader push to examine how state lands can support economic growth, energy security, and national security.
The GLO has also recently advanced critical mineral development on state land, including work tied to USA Rare Earth’s Round Top Mountain project in Hudspeth County. That project is expected to begin commercial production in 2028 and is intended to strengthen the domestic supply chain for rare earth elements and critical minerals, the agency said.
