98th Meridian Foundation

The 98th Meridian Foundation is a Texas nonprofit focused on developing practical, long-term solutions for a healthier and more sustainable future. Named for the longitude line that divides the state’s drier western landscape from its wetter east, the Foundation uses the interconnected issues of water, energy and land as a framework for its work. It aims to preserve and strengthen the qualities that make Texas distinctive, with particular attention to the resilience of rural communities and small towns.

Founded by David J. Porter, who served as a Texas Railroad Commissioner from 2011 to 2017, the organization studies important challenges, educates the public and encourages high-level dialogue. Its approach considers how proposed solutions affect water resources, energy production and land use both individually and together. The Foundation favors a long-term perspective and a free-market-oriented lens, seeking reasonable, fact-based solutions that support Texas communities, its economy and quality of life. Through reports, blog content and opportunities to contribute or share interests, it invites Texans to engage with these issues and consider the state’s future.