Several proposals from Texas legislators whose purpose was to restrict the use and development of renewable energy in the State did not pass the state legislature that ended the session on June 2, allowing numerous solar, wind and active and planned batteries to continue unrestricted.
The bills, all of which were approved by the Senate of the State of Texas, but then stopped in the House of Representatives, were supported by interests contrary to the development of continuous renewable energy in the State, even at a time when the demand for electricity increases. One of the measures would have imposed specific requirements of permits and mishaps for new wind and solar projects, while another would have limited growth of the state of the new renewable energy capacity to that of natural gas power, which is currently reduced by a global shortage of turbine components.
The bill that attracted the most criticism would have forced the backup systems of batteries or natural gases for all existing and future winding and solar plants when they were not in operation, a requirement that commercial and commercial groups found too expensive for comfort, especially because Texas competes for energy -hungry industries such as artificial intelligence and semiconductor production.
These concerns were amplified by a study commissioned by the Texas Business Association and was published during the legislative session, which provides for a 14% increase in power prices in the state, if renewable energy expansion was reduced. In addition, the report found that the loss of the new renewable capacity would further charge the power grid in most of the state, which has been proven vulnerable to failure during extreme weather events.
Judd Messer, The Vice President of Texas of the Armès Power Alliance, a commercial association of the renewable industry, accredits the eventual breach of invoices by members of the House that the maintenance of the current economic boom of the State requires that all affordable megawatts be available, regardless of how to generate.
“These legislators recognized the renewable power for what it is: a vital part of the Texas economy, particularly in rural communities,” he adds.
The new projects turn on
The last two decades have seen Texas evolve to a renewable energy development center. Last year, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, Texas wind and solar farms were combined to generate more than 169,000 GWH, more than any other state.
The growth rate continues to accelerate. The renewable market monitor CleanView informs that by 2025, Texas energy developers expect to add 11.5 and 2.6 GW of new solar and wind capacity, respectively. Texas is also a more important market for battery projects, with 2.8 MW already online and another GW that will be added this year.
The projects carried out recently or running is the 600 MW Hornet plot in Swisher County, and the 284 MW solar plot, developed by Renewables and Solvenary Matrix in Bell County. At the end of this year, the RWE developer plans to start the construction of a 200 MW solar project in the Bastrop County.
Hybrid projects that combine renewable generation with battery storage in Texas include the 300 MW solar farm of Clearway Energy Group and an autonomous storage installation of 200 MW in Hopkins County and the Azure sky of Entel Green Power in the county of Throckmorton, which will combine a 350 Into Park. MW with 180 MWh of battery storage.
Despite the capacity provided by these and other projects currently in the renewable pipeline, Messer is concerned that political efforts to undermine the competitiveness of these resources can resurface when the Texas legislature convenes in 2027, if not sooner.
“Net energy has become such a political point of view that a small band of legislators is ready to abandon their own principles that normally champion – protection of private property rights and free business – not by sentence, but by political antagonism,” he says.
Messer adds: “Opposites have changed the debate to peripheral concerns such as aesthetics or non -foundation statements on the impacts on wildlife and habitat, a tendency that, unfortunately, for all jeans, is likely to persist.”
This threat, combined with the possibility of completing federal incentives on net energy tax, could ennorate the long -term renewable energy perspectives in the state.
“This is not just developers who pay attention to legislative activity,” says Messer. “ So are financiers, ophtatakers and other project partners.The recent regulatory uncertainty has ruined many of them, and understandably, we approached dangerously to see that harmful invoices become law.This uncertainty can only refresh the investment and delay or delay projects, affecting not only development, but also engineering and the activity of the construction of the sector. ”
