This article is Part 1 of a four-part series demonstrating how the money in a lobby sector can impact state politics and legislation. We’ve selected the Green Energy sector due to a resurgence of interest in a behind-the-scenes look at renewables following the 2021 snowstorms, but you can follow the money in any industry of interest that is spending lobbying dollars in Austin.

“Everything’s bigger in Texas.” This year the famous quip may apply not only to Texas cowboy hats, ranches, and our “taller-than-the-one-in-DC” capitol building, but also to Texas’ outsized impact on American politics. Indeed, U.S. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi recently told a crowd in Houston that Texas is “ground zero” for the 2020 elections. 

The Mostyns apparently realized that hurricanes don’t happen regularly, so they expanded their focus to a more frequent weather event – hail. Largely thanks to the Mostyn Law Firm, hail-damage related law suits against insurance companies and insurance adjusters have skyrocketed in recent years from 2% to 22% of all damage claims.