COLUMBUS — What do economic development, energy, and technology have to do with each other? An important question was discussed at the Columbus Chamber of Commerce’s 2025 Regional Business Summit on June 23.
Notable speakers on Energy were Clif Lange-South Texas Electric Coop., Inc.; Kenan Ogleman – LCRA ( sponsor), Reed Clay-Texas Nuclear Alliance, and John Speiss-San Bernard Electric Cooperative (main sponsor). They discussed how energy is its own sector with technical, regulatory, and industrial components. But also how energy depends on technology for smarter grids, renewable innovations, and efficiency. Energy also depends on economic development to create demand, investment, and infrastructure for energy systems.
Notable speakers on Economic Development included Larry McManus - Office of the Governor of Economic Development & Tourism, Betty Russo - Gulf Coast/East Texas Regional Repre sentative, Shalor Townzen - Columbus’ EDC (CCIDC), and Vince Yokom Waller County EDP. Economic development focuses on jobs, business growth, infrastructure, quality of life, and tax base expansion. It relies on energy to power industry, infrastructure, housing, and services. It relies on technology to drive productivity, innovation, workforce skills, and competitive advantage.
Notable technology speakers included Bailey Marshall - The Security Rex, George Pate-SP33D Computers (sponsor), Sam Crumpton-Cereal Entrepreneur, and Jerry Rogers - Voss Alan.
Technology is a broad field encompass ing software, hardware, digital services, AI, manufacturing, and innovative ecosystems. It requires energy to function and grow. It requires economic development as a platform for deployment, growth of capacity, performance, and talent growth.
The panel discussion highlighted the interdependent, interconnected, and interrelated nature of economic development, energy, and technology, as well as their co-evolving relationship—when one advances, it becomes a catalyst that triggers growth or change in the others. Yet, each of them stands as an independent sector with its own goals, actors, and dynamics.
As the region grows, each of these industries will grow.
Do we have the plans in place to meet the need? The Columbus Chamber of Commerce stands ready to help create those plans.
