New Study Shows Texans Embrace Sustainability
Drs. Jenna Lamphere and Elizabeth Nyman – and as their research shows, a majority of Texans – want a more sustainable future through the use of offshore wind energy. The researchers, both professors in the College of Marine Sciences and Maritime Studies at Texas A&M University at Galveston, paired up to explore Texans’ opinions on offshore wind energy, hoping to support decision-making for legislators and other policymakers as well as nonprofit organizations working toward sustainable energy solutions.
Lamphere and Nyman’s findings show that 71% of Texas residents support the development of offshore wind on the Texas coast, and that over half of Texans are optimistic about its potential impacts on the state energy system, believing that it would support the state economy and natural environment.
“We found that offshore wind is a very popular potential energy source,” said Nyman. “And thanks to Texas’s long shoreline, we have about half of the Gulf’s technical capacity for offshore wind, which is enough to meet 166% of our current energy needs. We also hold 20% of the country’s technical potential, creating an opportunity for impact on a national scale.”
For Lamphere and Nyman, the conversation started in the summer of 2023, when the U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) opened the door for offshore wind energy on the Texas coast. BOEM held the region’s first offshore wind energy auction, an opportunity for companies to submit bids to secure the rights to develop offshore wind farms in designated locations. Two of the lease sites from that auction are located off the coast of Galveston, with BOEM indicating that additional lease sales are possible. This sparked an interest in offshore wind with Lamphere, who soon teamed up with Nyman for the study with the support of a grant from the Texas Comprehensive Research Fund.
“Texas is already a national leader in renewable energy,” said Lamphere. “We rank first in wind and second in solar energy generation, and we are well poised to become a leader in offshore wind energy, especially with the support from Texans shown in this survey.”
As the Texas summers continue to heat up to record-breaking temperatures and with more and more Texans each year, the demand for electricity in Texas is expected to almost double in the next five years. With the state anticipated to add 5 million residents over the next decade, Texas must expand its power generation capacity. Experts say that by diversifying the electricity supply, Texas can increase energy availability and reliability.
The study also surveyed Texans’ attitudes towards other energy sources, finding that 72% of Texans want to expand the use of solar energy, 71% want to expand the use of wind power, 52% want more offshore drilling and 51% support expanded use of nuclear energy. Of the 600 survey respondents, more than three-quarters identified on- and offshore wind production among the top five energy sources they’d like the state to incentivize.
Per Lamphere and Nyman, Texas has the skilled labor and infrastructure, including ports, vessels and manufacturing facilities, necessary to support offshore wind development, and Texas companies are already integrated into the offshore wind supply chain. Offshore wind advocates say as the industry grows, it will particularly benefit coastal communities with new employment opportunities and additional investment in infrastructure.
“While offshore wind in the Gulf is likely still years away, Texans support its responsible development and think it would have many benefits for the state, including more jobs and a stronger electric grid,” said Lamphere. “When it comes time to expand our energy infrastructure, we should remember that offshore wind farms are a popular, safe form of electricity.”
Lamphere and Nyman presented their findings at the Texas Sea Grant’s Coastal Adaptation and Resilience Conference and the inaugural meeting of the National Sustainability Society, as well as at the annual Sustainability Conference hosted by the University of Akureyri in Akureyri, Iceland, where they were joined by undergraduate students April Garza and Lauren Bothwell.
The researchers now look forward to working with local and national organizations to get the word out to policymakers about Texans’ opinions. Lamphere and Nyman, in collaboration with the National Wildlife Federation, Environment Texas and others, are planning a forum on offshore wind potential in the Gulf for September 15, 2025 at Texas A&M-Galveston. The event will be open to the public. Please visit the website for more information.