Texans for Responsible Infrastructure Investment announced that three local economic development organizations — the Copperas Cove Economic Development Corporation, Forward Wichita Falls and the Sherman Economic Development Corporation — have joined the statewide coalition advocating for major electric transmission investments, according to a July 14 news release.
The additions bring city-level economic development voices to the campaign supporting the 765-kilovolt transmission backbone advanced under the Texas Strategic Transmission Expansion Plan, or STEP. The coalition said the three organizations represent fast-growing communities across North and Central Texas where landing new employers, jobs and investment depends on a grid that can keep pace with rising demand.
According to the release, the Copperas Cove Economic Development Corporation leads business recruitment and expansion in Copperas Cove, a Central Texas community along the I-14 and I-35 corridor near Fort Hood with a growing base in advanced manufacturing, healthcare, defense and logistics. Forward Wichita Falls serves as the economic development engine for Wichita Falls in North Texas, positioned near Dallas-Fort Worth and Oklahoma City and focused on business attraction, workforce development and long-term community investment. The Sherman Economic Development Corporation drives growth in Sherman, a North Texas city the coalition described as one of the nation’s fastest-emerging manufacturing hubs.
“Economic developers are where Texas’s growth becomes real — they’re the ones bringing jobs and investments home to their communities,” said Bill Lauderback, executive chair of TRII. “Leaders from Sherman, Copperas Cove, and Wichita Falls joining this coalition is a clear signal that reliable, affordable power is more than an abstract policy debate — it’s the foundation of every project they’re working to land. We’re proud to welcome them, and we expect many more communities to follow.”
The coalition pointed to rapid growth in electricity demand, saying ERCOT now forecasts that peak demand will soon be roughly double what the system was carrying just a few years ago. TRII describes itself as a non-partisan, statewide coalition of business leaders, agricultural organizations, chambers of commerce, civic groups and community stakeholders, with work grounded in independent research and third-party expertise. The group is authorized and paid for by the Texas Energy Delivery Alliance, according to the release.
In the months ahead, the coalition said it will continue building a cross-sector membership reflecting statewide support for infrastructure investment, commission independent economic and engineering research, and work to counter misinformation in the grid debate.