Texas as a Net Energy Importer: Does it Matter?

By some calculations, Texas became a new energy importer in 1991. In that year, the BTU (or heat) value of Texas consumption of petroleum products, natural gas, propane, and renewable energy (wood, wind, and solar) exceeded the BTU value of production of these materials for the first time since oil became the fuel of choice early in this century. This marked a historic moment in some sense because of the state’s traditional role as the leading oil and gas exporter to the rest of the nation. But just how important was this event?