Texas’s Dependence on Imported Coal

In 2008, Texas imported 63 percent of the coal used for its electricity generation, primarily from Wyoming, resulting in $1.91 billion leaving the state. While Texas leads the US in wind energy capacity, the document argues that its energy efficiency targets remain modest compared to other states and that the state possesses significant untapped renewable energy potential.

• In 2008, Texas imported 63 percent of the coal used for its electricity generation, with the vast majority originating from Wyoming. This resulted in $1.91 billion being sent out of state to pay for these imports.
• Texas had the highest net weight of coal imports compared to other US states at 64.6 million tons and ranked third in total spending on net imports.
• Coal accounted for 36.3 percent of Texas's electricity sources in 2008, while natural gas was the largest source at 47.7 percent.
• Texas's investment in ratepayer-funded electricity efficiency programs in 2007 was 3.33 cents per person, which is approximately 23 times less than the state's spending on imported coal.
• Texas is the national leader in wind energy with over 9,400 megawatts of installed capacity and has the technical potential to generate more than 17 times its 2008 electricity needs from renewables, including solar and bioenergy.

APA

Union of Concerned Scientists (2010). Texas’s Dependence on Imported Coal. https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/2019-09/UCS-BCBC-factsheet-Texas.pdf

Chicago

Union of Concerned Scientists. Texas’s Dependence on Imported Coal. 2010. https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/2019-09/UCS-BCBC-factsheet-Texas.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Union of Concerned Scientists |title=Texas’s Dependence on Imported Coal |date=May 2010 |url=https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/2019-09/UCS-BCBC-factsheet-Texas.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{unionofconcernedscientists2010texass, author = {{Union of Concerned Scientists}}, title = {{Texas’s Dependence on Imported Coal}}, institution = {Union of Concerned Scientists}, year = {2010}, month = may, url = {https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/2019-09/UCS-BCBC-factsheet-Texas.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }