Following the conclusion of the 2026 Texas GOP convention, Republican delegates have made securing the state’s grid and resources a legislative priority for 2027.
The Reports of the Permanent Rules, Platform and Resolutions, and Legislative Priorities Committees directs officials to secure the Texas grid, safeguard resources such as water and agriculture, and reinforce property sovereignty.
Securing the grid has long been a concern, with the devastating outcome of Winter Storm Uri in 2021 inspiring several reforms for the state’s grid over the past few years. Now, Republicans are pushing to harden the grid against direct attacks, including electromagnetic pulses and cyberwarfare.
Additionally, the priority calls for “preserving grid independence” through conventional power generation, such as natural gas and other reliable energy sources.
Water has also risen to the forefront of concern recently, with the new GOP priority advocating for banning large-scale groundwater exports to any single private entity.
With resource-intensive infrastructure such as data centers being built in Texas, water usage has come under scrutiny. One way to regulate AI data centers suggested in the report is by restricting water usage to nonpotable sources only, including runoff from oil and natural gas operations.
The party is also advocating for expediting the construction of more water treatment plants and desalination facilities to increase Texas’ potable water supply.
Another part of the priority focuses on the continued concerns with hostile foreign nations owning critical land and infrastructure in Texas. Notable examples include a Chinese general purchasing land near an Air Force base in South Texas and Chinese corporations building wind and solar projects that connect directly to the Texas power grid.
GOP delegates to the party convention want to expand prohibitions against certain foreign l ownership of Texas land to strengthen property sovereignty. Senate Bill 17, passed into law in 2025, banned certain hostile foreign nationals and entities from owning land in Texas. The party report calls for expanding the law’s reach and requiring beneficial-ownership disclosures to prevent shell-company evasion.
Eminent domain reform is another section of the priority, with the GOP advocating for laws in the 2027 legislative session that require “proof of immediate public necessity for all eminent domain actions, with transparent hearings.” The focus on eminent domain comes as the state’s grid operator ERCOT, Public Utility Commission, and electricity delivery company Oncor are under fire for a statewide transmission plan that would see 765-kilovolt lines built across the state. Recent hearings revealed that some landowners did not learn of the imposed threat until the condemnation authority notified them, underscoring the party’s concerns.
The party’s focus on agriculture comes as the state attempts to combat the New World screwworm, a flesh-eating parasite that recently returned to Texas after being pushed back to Panama decades ago.
Calling for “strong biosecurity measures and rapid-response eradication,” the priority also noted the need for “full respect” of farmers’ and ranchers’ rights.
As the party prepares for the 90th Legislative Session next year, Texans can direct concerns to their state representatives and senators.
