Reinventing the global oil capital: The sociotechnical dynamics of industrial net-zero megaprojects in Texas

Abstract

Texas, the “energy capital of the world,” is undergoing a widescale technological transition in response to recent climate policies in the United States. There is immense potential for industrial decarbonization in Texas—which already has extensive experience with carbon capture and enhanced oil recovery—and thousands of miles of hydrogen and CO2 transport pipelines. Successful reorientation of its industry towards net-zero could provide a blueprint to industrial regions elsewhere. This article investigates industrial decarbonization megaprojects using the Triple-Embeddedness Framework (TEF), which emphasizes the region as a sociotechnical and industrial regime. Through a longitudinal analysis of five temporal TEF phases, we uncover significant reorientation as new constellations of industrial actors coalesce and consolidate. Nevertheless, some technological dimensions of the industry regime are resistant to systematic, whole systems change, such as blue hydrogen and CO2 capture hubs—which are tethered to fossil fuel production.