If you’re an energy executive thinking about your next move, you’ve probably noticed something: Dallas-Fort Worth keeps coming up. And there’s a reason for that. The region has become one of the most dynamic energy corridors in the country—maybe the most dynamic—with this fascinating mix of old-school oil and gas infrastructure, exploding renewable development, and a data center boom that’s changing everything.
“We’re witnessing a fundamental transformation in what energy companies need from their executive leadership,” said Jim Hickey, President and Managing Partner at Perpetual Talent Solutions, a Dallas-Fort Worth executive search firm. “The executives who thrive here understand that the future of energy isn’t about choosing between traditional and renewable—it’s about integrating both to meet unprecedented demand.”
Texas Just Dominates Energy Employment
Look, the numbers here are kind of staggering. According to the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, Texas accounted for 34% of national petroleum fuels employment and 38% of natural gas jobs in 2023. The state produced 43% of the nation’s crude oil and 27% of its natural gas while refining over a third of all crude processed nationally. No other state comes close.
What does that mean for executives? Opportunities. Lots of them. Across exploration, production, refining, and distribution—and a huge concentration of those roles sits right in the DFW metroplex. The 2025 U.S. Energy and Employment Report from the Department of Energy shows the energy sector employed 8.5 million workers in 2024, with Texas leading the pack. And here’s a detail worth noting: the median wage for energy positions is $58,810—that’s 18.8% higher than the national median across all sectors. Leadership roles pay even better.
Executive Hiring Has Gone Through the Roof
The demand for senior leadership in energy and cleantech? It’s hit historic levels. Research from executive search firm ON Partners found a 111% increase in executive hiring within energy and cleantech over three years. Compensation packages climbed 9% year over year. They saw an 18% hiring spike in just the second half of 2023. Companies are scrambling for strategic leadership.
“What makes DFW particularly compelling for energy executives is the concentration of decision-making power here,” Hickey explained. “Major integrated energy companies, independent producers, midstream operators, and renewable developers all maintain significant headquarters or regional leadership presence in this market. That density creates a network effect that accelerates career trajectories for the right leaders.”
The broader employment picture backs this up. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that the Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington metro area added 56,100 jobs in the year ending May 2025. Texas overall is projected to add up to 71,200 jobs in 2025, according to workforce analysts. Energy remains central to that growth.
Data Centers Are Changing Everything
Here’s where things get really interesting. Maybe nothing is transforming the Texas energy market more than the data center explosion—and it’s being driven by AI. According to the Pew Research Center, data centers consumed 183 terawatt-hours of electricity in 2024. That’s more than 4% of total U.S. electricity consumption—roughly equivalent to Pakistan’s entire annual electricity demand. By 2030? That number is projected to grow by 133% to 426 TWh.
And Texas is ground zero for this transformation. The Texas Comptroller reports 279 data centers operating statewide, with 141 of them in the DFW area alone. ERCOT projects total state electricity load to grow from 87 gigawatts in 2025 to 145 GW by 2031, with data centers accounting for 46% of that growth. Think about that for a second. Projects like the Stargate campus in Abilene will consume 1.2 GW when fully operational—enough power for over a million homes.
“The data center boom has fundamentally changed the executive skill set we seek for energy leadership positions,” Hickey noted. “Companies need leaders who can navigate complex grid interconnection processes, negotiate large-load agreements, and develop innovative power procurement strategies. Traditional oil and gas experience remains valuable, but it must be complemented by an understanding of how AI-driven demand is reshaping the entire energy ecosystem.”
Renewables Are Creating Entirely New Career Paths
Texas has become the undisputed leader in wind energy. We’re talking 42,000 megawatts of installed capacity as of late 2024 and more than 15,300 wind turbines spinning across the state, according to industry analysts. The DFW metroplex hosts a bunch of clean energy innovators—Leeward Renewable Energy, Tri Global Energy, CLS Sustainable—creating executive opportunities in development, operations, and corporate leadership.
The Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas reports that zero-emission energy sources—wind, solar, hydroelectric, and nuclear—now account for more than 40% of U.S. electricity output, up from 28% nearly two decades ago. That shift has created entire categories of executive positions that simply didn’t exist ten years ago. Renewable development. Grid integration. Sustainability strategy. These are real leadership tracks now.
Wind-generation jobs in Texas hit 27,381 in 2023—that’s 20.8% of all U.S. wind-energy employment, with 12.5% growth from the previous year. Solar employment nationally reached 364,544 workers in 2023, the highest growth percentage among all generation categories at 5.3%.
The Talent Market Isn’t Easy
But here’s the catch. Despite all this demand, finding and hiring executive talent is genuinely hard. Workforce analysts report that Texas talent acquisition leaders met only 47.9% of their hiring goals in 2024. Retention difficulties and inadequate hiring technology were the main culprits. In response, 93% of talent acquisition leaders are planning to invest in additional technology—recruitment automation, data-driven workforce planning, that kind of thing.
“The competition for top energy executives has never been more intense,” Hickey observed. “Successful candidates bring a rare combination of operational expertise, strategic vision, and adaptability. They understand that leading an energy company today means managing a portfolio that might include Permian Basin production, wind farms in West Texas, and power purchase agreements with hyperscale data centers—often simultaneously.”
For executives eyeing opportunities in the DFW energy hub, the convergence of traditional energy strength, renewable expansion, and technology-driven demand creates something unique. Add in the business-friendly climate, no state income tax, and a central geographic location… it’s not hard to see why leadership talent keeps gravitating here.
“Dallas-Fort Worth isn’t just participating in the energy transition,” Hickey concluded. “It’s driving it. The executives who recognize this moment and position themselves accordingly will define the next generation of energy leadership in America.”
