“Every Texan matters,” says Todd Staples as he recounts his journey of visiting all 254 counties in Texas in his successful run for Texas Agriculture Commissioner in 2006.
“It’s a lot easier to say you’re going to do it than to really do it,” he says. “But I’m proud to report that mission was accomplished.”
Before that, Staples was elected to the Texas Senate and the Texas House of Representatives serving a combined 12 years.
“I’ve been fortunate to serve my community and our great state in various capacities,” he says. “In the heart of every community [in Texas], there is a call for jobs, growth, and economic development.”
Now, Staples is President of the Texas Oil & Gas Association (TXOGA), where he represents the engine of the Texas economy: energy.
With over 100 years of history, TXOGA represents 90% of the state’s crude oil and natural gas producers who play a vital role in Texas’s economy.
“We represent companies that are responsible for a vast majority of our state’s pipelines, refining capacity, and LNG facilities,” Staples says.
The impact of oil and gas on Texas, although sometimes controversial according to Staples, reaches well beyond just the oil fields and into every community in Texas.
“Every Texan has a strong opinion about our state, about the direction that we should go,” Staples says. “You don’t have to be in the middle of the oil patch to benefit from oil and gas.”
2024 was no different for the oil and gas sector in Texas as it contributed $27.3 billion in state and local taxes and royalties, a record according to Staples. “That’s about $74.8 million a day,” he says, highlighting the impact that has for education, roads, and first responders. “It was a record-breaking year, phenomenal.”
“For every $1 spent, it creates ripple effects that enhance our state’s economy,” Staples says. The Texas oil and gas industry’s economic output is larger than 34 states combined.
For schools, independent school districts in Texas received $2.9 billion directly from oil and gas activities last year, and, according to Staples, “the permanent school fund in Texas is now the largest endowment in the nation, thanks to Texas oil and gas, bigger than Harvard.”
As the conversation turns to the impact on employment and jobs, Staples provides some statistics of industry jobs. “This industry employed about 492,000 Texans last year” with an average salary of over $128,000 per year, which is “substantially higher than other private sector jobs,” he says. The figures he cited only pertain to direct jobs and do not take into account indirect employment from the activities of the industry.
“Those impacts in families’ lives benefit the community in remarkable ways,” says Staples. “The impacts of these earnings are not just local; they have statewide implications.”
While the Texas oil and gas industry’s economic impact is indisputable, some groups in Texas argue that the state should move away from oil and gas, maybe even eliminate it, in favor of renewable energy.
“That expectation is punitive to every American family,” Staples says. “We need more oil, more gas.”
Staples points out that “many oil and gas companies are actually investing in other forms of energy.” He believes this reflects an adaptation by the industry to shifting market demands.
However, Staples does not think that a major transition away from fossil fuels is warranted. “We need energy that shows up all the time,” he says, defending the stability and reliability of fossil fuels as an energy source when compared to intermittent sources like wind and solar. “Having a reliable energy source is vital.”
On the environmental impacts of the industry, Staples says, “our members embrace accountability… They recognize they have a fiduciary responsibility to take care of our air and take care of our water.”
To keep up with the growing Texas economy and population, Staples stands firm that oil and gas will play a pivotal role in years to come. “We need more oil, more gas, and more other forms of the right kinds of energy.”
