by Patrice 'Pete' Parsons, TXSES Executive Director
Another week and another round of local, state and national news articles about how the Texas grid is trying to handle the relentless heat, and keep up with increasing electricity demand. According to ERCOT, so far, so good. But it’s only July and we have more heat coming. But, as so many of you know, more and more Texans are part of a critical solution with rooftop solar and batteries.
Home solar and batteries have provided thousands of Texans peace of mind when their power goes out. And now some of those systems are being harnessed together and provide even more resilient power to the state’s strained grid.
Called virtual power plants (VPPs), this solution can help ERCOT continue to provide power as heat waves push traditional power plants to their max. Virtual power plants are created by aggregating resources such as consumer solar paired with batteries, smart thermostats, efficient appliances and even EVs. When those devices are connected with software that measures, manages, and dispatches power – you’ve got a mini power plant.
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For 30 years, under the skilled leadership of Dr. Lehman Marks, the Solar Car Challenge has motivated students in science, engineering and alternative energy awareness. The Challenge teaches high school students around the world how to build and race roadworthy solar cars. Of this year’s 20 teams, 10 are from Texas. This year's 925-mile race, the 30th, starts in Fort Worth on July 16 and ends July 23 in Palmdale, California. |
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Breaking state and national clean energy headlines |
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Texas customers and companies run and charge their electric appliances, cars and devices when energy is plentiful and cheap — and if policymakers incentivize them to do so, as they do with big manufacturers and crypto miners — then the state can tap electricity from standalone batteries and EVs when power is scarce and make the grid far more resilient.
Clean energy’s economic potential is particularly impressive in Texas. Energy Innovation modeling forecasts IRA clean energy tax credits could create more than 100,000 jobs and increase GDP $15 billion by 2030, while cutting household energy spending a cumulative $21 billion through 2050. Clean energy is also protecting Texans from extreme weather – during last week’s historic heat wave, solar and wind provided 35% of statewide power which more than made up for natural gas and coal plants knocked offline by record heat.
Solar and wind input is setting records, but the state’s inefficient grid is unable to handle the full load it could deliver in the ongoing heat wave. Consumers are paying the price.
The perfect meteorological conditions have allowed renewable energy generated by wind turbines and solar panels to supply the grids with enough power to meet demand, experts told ABC News.
The U.S. Department of Energy announced nine states and three Tribal Nations would get money to shore up their systems and make them more resilient. Of President Joe Biden's Investing in America agenda, Texas got the highest money allotment of $60.6 million.
New funding from the Environmental Protection Agency will make solar panels, efficient lighting and air conditioning, insulation and other upgrades realistic options for low- and moderate-income Texans. New funding in the Inflation Reduction Act will let home and business owners borrow money at very low rates to pay for solar panels and use the energy cost savings to pay back the loans.
Despite Texas' reputation and historical reliance on fossil fuels, the resilience of renewable energy during extreme weather events is leading the state to become an unintentional leader in the clean energy transition.
Texas' renewable energy production climbed to new highs amid outages from a large number of fossil-fuel plants. The Texas grid was producing a record 31 gigawatts of renewable power on June 28.
On June 28, solar and wind provided 35% of statewide power and generated a record 31,500 MW on June 29, which more than covered the 9,600 MW of electricity lost when extreme heat knocked several natural gas and coal plants offline.
Michael Webber, professor of energy resources at the University of Texas at Austin, author of several books on this topic, and also chief technology officer at the venture fund called Energy Impact Partners was interviewed by William Brangham, correspondent and producer for PBS NewsHour in Washington about the Texas heat wave and the future of its grid.
Clean energy’s economic potential is particularly impressive in Texas. Energy Innovation modeling forecasts IRA clean energy tax credits could create more than 100,000 jobs and increase GDP $15 billion by 2030, while cutting household energy spending a cumulative $21 billion through 2050. Clean energy is also protecting Texans from extreme weather – during last week’s historic heat wave, solar and wind provided 35% of statewide power which more than made up for natural gas and coal plants knocked offline by record heat.
According to ERCOT, demand on June 27, 2023 set a new all-time record of 80,828 megawatts. The record comes after ERCOT issued a weather alert for June 25-30 as temperatures soared across the state. The previous all-time record of 80,148 MW occurred on July 20, 2022.
If policymakers act now, they can prevent blackouts even in those extremes. It’s time to act, because extreme weather like this heat wave isn’t an aberration; it’s the new normal.
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The full SOLAR 2023 speaker lineup is live on the online conference platform! Check out the impressive list of speakers who will be presenting at the conference on the Whova Speaker Webpage. Register TODAY!
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Mark your calendars for the 4th Texas Clean Energy Summit (formerly Texas Renewable Energy Summit). Check out the stellar list of speakers. Reserve your spot TODAY! As a proud supporting organization, TXSES members receive a 15% discount on registration. Register
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Since 1974, TXSES has been the pre-eminent statewide organization that creates and disseminates quality, fact-based solar information for every Texas community. TXSES reaches and teaches thousands of Texans annually through multi-faceted education and outreach strategies that include traditional and social media, events and one-on-one engagement with decision-makers.
Public and private funds are needed to continue doing what we've done for more than four decades, delivering the kinds of resources and successes you've come to expect from us. Truth is, you make what we do possible.
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About TXSES: A membership-based non-profit 501(c)(3) organization for nearly 40 years, TXSES’s unique niche is exemplified in our well-established local chapters in Austin, Dallas, El Paso, Houston and San Antonio. Having boots on the ground in these major metropolitan cities, which represent nearly a quarter of Texas’s 29 million citizens, enables our gifted, dedicated members to disseminate fact-based, relevant solar information to all Texans. www.txses.org
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