Texas has more roadway miles than any other state. Over a quarter of Texas’ 302,000 miles of public roads is state owned. From 1990 to 2003, the demand for roads in Texas increased 13 times faster than the state’s road system increased in capacity. As a result, travel delay due to congestion in Texas increased from 750 million hours per year in 1982 to 3.6 billion hours in 2000. Combine these road-demand statistics with the fact that over half the state’s population lives in ozone nonattainment pollution zones, and it becomes clear that Texas faces serious transportation problems needing solutions.
Dr. Brent Bennett’s Testimony Before the House State Affairs Committee: Data Centers & 765-kV Transmission Lines
Testimony of Brent Bennett, Ph.D. Policy Director, Life:Powered Texas Public Policy Foundation Before the House State Affairs Committee August 19, 2026 Chairman King and Members of the Committee: Thank you for this opportunity to testify about the important challenges facing the Texas electric grid and specifically the challenges and opportunities being presented by data centers....