By Paul Cobler, The Texas TribuneJuly 29, 2026The demand on Texas’ energy grid by 2032 will be nearly double a record that was set last week, and state regulators say they will need more varied electrical generation to meet that demand. The grid seamlessly met the demand because of solar and battery generation that has been added to the grid in recent years. Texas’ deregulated energy market pays power generators only for actual power supplied to the grid based on pricing that goes up when demand is high. In 2023, the Legislature created the Texas Energy Fund, a $10 billion program that provides low-interest loans to companies to develop new natural gas power plants in Texas. Legislators on the committee said they were considering further legislative efforts to spur the development of natural gas power plants in Texas.