The Texas General Land Office is seeking industry proposals for geothermal energy and small modular nuclear reactor projects on state-owned land, an exploratory step that could shape future development of public assets tied to school funding.
The Dallas Express reported that Land Commissioner Dawn Buckingham announced separate requests for information Tuesday covering geothermal and nuclear projects. A natural-gas power-plant request is expected later. The notices invite companies to describe potential projects on land and mineral interests managed for the Permanent School Fund.
The GLO manages more than 13 million acres of state land and mineral rights. Revenue from leases and resource development contributes to the Permanent School Fund, which supports public education. That connection makes the proposal both an energy-policy matter and a public-finance issue: agreements involving these lands could affect long-term school-fund revenue and the state's stewardship obligations.
The requests for information do not award contracts, approve construction, or select project locations. They are a market-sounding process intended to help the agency evaluate technology, commercial interest, land requirements, timelines, and possible business structures before it decides whether to pursue specific transactions.
According to the report, the agency describes the effort as part of its Texas Engine initiative, which links economic development, energy production, and national security. Small modular reactors remain an emerging nuclear technology, while geothermal projects use underground heat to produce energy. Any eventual project would still face applicable contracting, technical, environmental, safety, and regulatory reviews.
The GLO has also pointed to recent work on critical minerals at the Round Top Mountain project in Hudspeth County. The agency says commercial production there is expected in 2028. That separate project illustrates the broader push to use state land for energy and strategic-mineral development, but it does not determine whether the new geothermal or nuclear proposals will proceed.
For taxpayers and school communities, the key questions will be how the state values land and mineral rights, allocates project risk, protects public ownership interests, and discloses the terms of any future agreements. The current RFI stage gives the GLO information from potential partners. Public accountability will become more important if the agency advances to leases, development contracts, or site-specific approvals.