Texas Talks

Can Texas' electric grid keep up with the explosive growth of AI, data centers, and a rapidly expanding population?

On this episode of Texas Talks, host Brad Swail sits down with Mark Bell, President and CEO of the Association of Electric Companies of Texas (AECT), to discuss the future of the Texas electric grid, the unprecedented demand for electricity, and how the state is preparing for the next generation of economic growth.

Bell explains why Texas has become one of the nation's leading destinations for new industry, how AI-driven data centers are changing long-term electricity planning, and what lawmakers, regulators, and utilities are doing to ensure the grid remains reliable and affordable.

The conversation covers:

Texas' rapid electricity demand and population growth

AI data centers and their impact on the electric grid

ERCOT's long-term planning and transmission expansion

Senate Bill 6 and new rules for large energy users

Who pays for new grid infrastructure?

Nuclear energy, batteries, renewables, and natural gas

Why Texas remains one of the nation's most affordable electricity markets

The discussion also explores how competitive electricity markets work, why new transmission lines are needed regardless of data center growth, and how Texas utilities are preparing to meet future demand while protecting residential ratepayers.

00:00 — Texas' exploding electricity demand

00:22 — Intro & Meet Mark Bell

03:22 — Why the grid conversation has changed

06:04 — AI data centers and future demand

11:16 — ERCOT's interconnection queue explained

16:15 — Building the next generation of power

20:11 — Who pays for grid expansion?

28:22 — Senate Bill 6 and new grid rules

30:55 — Local concerns about data centers

34:03 — What comes next for the Texas grid?

38:03 — Closing thoughts

Watch Full-Length Interviews: https://www.youtube.com/@TexasTalks

Follow us on social media
X: @Texas_Dispatch
Instagram: thetexasdispatch
LinkedIn: The Texas Dispatch
TikTok: texas_talks_podcast

Find more at The Texas Dispatch
Your source for state news, policy, and investigative journalism.
https://thetexasdispatch.com

How should Texas prepare for rapid growth, extreme weather, and increasing demands on its infrastructure?

On this episode of Texas Talks, host Brad Swail sits down with Texas State Sen. Sarah Eckhardt to discuss the state's response to flooding, water infrastructure, data centers, public education funding, property taxes, and redistricting.

Sen. Eckhardt reflects on the aftermath of the devastating Central Texas floods, arguing that while progress has been made, key recommendations on emergency communications and floodplain regulations remain unaddressed. She also explains why long-term investments in water infrastructure and disaster preparedness are becoming increasingly important as Texas continues to grow.

The conversation covers:

Lessons learned from recent Texas flooding

Emergency response and radio interoperability

Water infrastructure, drought, and desalination

Data centers, energy demand, and water consumption

Public education funding and property taxes

Education Savings Accounts (ESAs) and school finance

Texas redistricting and the state's political future

The discussion also explores balancing state and local authority, managing Texas' continued population growth, and how policymakers can prepare for future infrastructure challenges while maintaining affordability for Texans.

00:00 — Intro & Sen. Sarah Eckhardt joins the show

01:51 — Texas flood preparedness one year later

09:47 — Building standards and floodplain development

16:14 — Water infrastructure and drought concerns

21:05 — Data centers and Texas growth

27:00 — Public education funding and ESAs

38:44 — Redistricting and Texas politics

43:26 — Final thoughts

Watch Full-Length Interviews: https://www.youtube.com/@TexasTalks

Follow us on social media
X: @Texas_Dispatch
Instagram: thetexasdispatch
LinkedIn: The Texas Dispatch
TikTok: texas_talks_podcast

Find more at The Texas Dispatch
Your source for state news, policy, and investigative journalism.
https://thetexasdispatch.com

Can artificial intelligence help make government more efficient while saving taxpayers and businesses billions of dollars?

On this episode of Texas Talks, host Brad Swail sits down with Reeve Bull, Policy Director at the Fulcrum Foundation and former Director of the Office of Regulatory Management under Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin, to discuss one of the nation's most successful state regulatory reform efforts—and how Texas is building on that success with artificial intelligence.

Bull explains how Virginia eliminated or streamlined more than 35% of its regulatory requirements, reduced nearly half the words in agency guidance documents, and generated an estimated $1.4 billion in annual savings for residents and businesses—all while maintaining protections for public health and safety.

The conversation covers:

How Virginia reduced regulatory burdens and saved taxpayers billions

Using AI to review regulations, permits, and government guidance

Why transparency is just as important as cutting regulations

Texas' new Regulatory Efficiency Office (TRIO) and what comes next

Occupational licensing reform and reducing unnecessary barriers to work

How states can compare regulations and learn from one another

The future of AI in modernizing state government

Bull also discusses how AI can rapidly identify outdated regulations, duplicate rules across agencies, and compare state regulatory codes—tasks that would traditionally require thousands of hours of manual review.

Throughout the discussion, he argues that smarter regulation isn't about eliminating necessary protections, but ensuring government rules are effective, transparent, and no more burdensome than they need to be.

00:00 — Virginia's $1.4 billion regulatory reform

00:29 — Intro + Meet Reeve Bull

02:08 — Why regulations matter

04:12 — The cosmetology licensing example

08:32 — The goals behind Virginia's reforms

09:29 — Cost-benefit analysis explained

14:48 — Reviewing every regulation

16:31 — How AI changed the process

21:58 — AI's biggest advantages

27:17 — Did Virginia meet its goals?

30:37 — Texas' TRIO initiative

35:07 — How reforms actually get approved

37:22 — Building support for regulatory reform

40:14 — Why now is the right time for AI

42:25 — The Fulcrum Foundation

43:30 — Closing thoughts

Watch Full-Length Interviews: https://www.youtube.com/@TexasTalks

Follow us on social media
X: @Texas_Dispatch
Instagram: thetexasdispatch
LinkedIn: The Texas Dispatch
TikTok: texas_talks_podcast

Find more at The Texas Dispatch
Your source for state news, policy, and investigative journalism.
https://thetexasdispatch.com

What happens when a livestock threat once thought eradicated begins moving north toward Texas?

On this episode of Texas Talks, host Brad Swail sits down with Dr. Lori Teller, licensed veterinarian and Executive Director of the Texas Veterinary Medical Association (TVMA), to discuss the growing concern surrounding New World screwworm, the state of veterinary medicine in Texas, rural veterinarian shortages, telemedicine, and the future of animal health.

Dr. Teller explains how New World screwworm infestations threaten livestock, wildlife, pets, and even humans, and why state and federal agencies are working urgently to prevent its spread throughout Texas and the United States.

The conversation covers:

• What New World screwworm is and how it spreads

• Why the threat has returned after decades of containment

• Sterile fly programs and eradication efforts

• The potential impact on Texas agriculture and food production

• How pet owners should respond to suspicious wounds

• State and federal coordination to contain outbreaks

• Rural veterinarian shortages across Texas

• Student debt and workforce challenges in veterinary medicine

• The Rural Veterinarian Incentive Program

• Veterinary telemedicine and its limitations

• Artificial intelligence in veterinary practice

• Priorities for the upcoming Texas legislative session

Dr. Teller also discusses how veterinary medicine extends far beyond dogs and cats, encompassing livestock, wildlife, public health, food safety, and emergency response efforts that are critical to Texas' economy and agricultural sector.

The discussion explores the challenges of attracting veterinarians to rural communities, where shortages can impact ranchers, farmers, and animal owners across large geographic regions.

The episode concludes with a look at how technology, telemedicine, and artificial intelligence are beginning to transform veterinary care while reinforcing the importance of maintaining strong veterinary networks throughout Texas.

00:00 — Intro + Meet Dr. Lori Teller

01:44 — Veterinary specialties and career paths

03:44 — What is New World screwworm?

06:50 — Why screw worm has returned

09:52 — Sterile fly facilities and containment efforts

11:30 — Worst-case scenarios for Texas agriculture

14:00 — State and federal response efforts

16:13 — Current screwworm cases in Texas

17:52 — What pet owners should do

20:15 — Rural veterinarian shortages

24:18 — The Rural Veterinarian Incentive Program

29:16 — Veterinary telemedicine explained

37:58 — Artificial intelligence in veterinary medicine

41:11 — Priorities for the next legislative session

41:48 — Closing thoughts

Watch Full-Length Interviews: https://www.youtube.com/@TexasTalks

Follow us on social media
X: @Texas_Dispatch
Instagram: thetexasdispatch
LinkedIn: The Texas Dispatch
TikTok: texas_talks_podcast

Find more at The Texas Dispatch
Your source for state news, policy, and investigative journalism.
https://thetexasdispatch.com

How should Texas address rising property taxes, growing concerns about public safety, and the challenges facing the state's criminal justice system?

On this episode of Texas Talks, host Brad Swail sits down with State Representative Mitch Little, who represents Texas House District 65 in southern Denton County, for a wide-ranging discussion on criminal justice policy, government regulation, property tax reform, and the priorities shaping the next legislative session.

Little, an attorney and member of the Texas House Committee on Criminal Jurisprudence, shares insights from recent interim hearings and discusses how lawmakers are evaluating issues ranging from rural attorney shortages and elder fraud to prosecutorial accountability and public safety.

The conversation covers:

• Rural attorney shortages and the concept of “legal deserts”

• Law school debt, workforce incentives, and market-based solutions

• Elder fraud and cryptocurrency kiosk scams targeting seniors

• Regulatory challenges surrounding cryptocurrency transactions

• Public safety and criminal justice reform priorities

• Rogue district attorneys and prosecutorial accountability

• Governor Abbott’s proposal for a statewide prosecutor

• Judicial discretion, bail policy, and repeat offenders

• Property tax reform and school finance

• Government spending and affordability concerns

• Priorities for the 90th Texas Legislature

Little also explains why he believes many public policy debates should focus on underlying market realities rather than government subsidies, particularly when addressing workforce shortages in rural communities.

The discussion explores broader concerns about law enforcement, prosecutorial discretion, judicial accountability, and the balance between local control and state oversight in Texas’ criminal justice system.

Looking ahead, Little identifies property tax relief as one of the most significant issues facing Texas families and outlines his perspective on how lawmakers can reduce the burden on homeowners while maintaining essential public services.

00:00 — Intro + Meet Rep. Mitch Little

01:50 — Representing Texas House District 65

03:00 — What interim hearings accomplish

06:00 — Rural attorney shortages and legal deserts

08:39 — Law school debt and workforce incentives

12:15 — Are rural legal shortages really a crisis?

14:01 — Comparing attorney and physician shortages

19:20 — Market solutions versus government subsidies

20:24 — Elder fraud and cryptocurrency scams

23:07 — Why crypto kiosks are being scrutinized

25:33 — Should Texas regulate or ban crypto kiosks?

29:13 — Rogue district attorneys and lawlessness concerns

32:42 — Governor Abbott’s statewide prosecutor proposal

34:02 — Elections, appointments, and accountability

37:42 — Property taxes and legislative priorities

39:26 — How Texas could fund property tax relief

41:00 — Final thoughts and where to follow Mitch Little

Watch Full-Length Interviews: https://www.youtube.com/@TexasTalks

Follow us on social media
X: @Texas_Dispatch
Instagram: thetexasdispatch
LinkedIn: The Texas Dispatch
TikTok: texas_talks_podcast

Find more at The Texas Dispatch
Your source for state news, policy, and investigative journalism.
https://thetexasdispatch.com