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Sharing the Solar Love
by Patrice 'Pete' Parsons, TXSES Executive Director
Last weekend, I had the privilege of sharing our work at the annual/monthly meeting of the North Texas Renewable Energy Group (NTREG), one of our sister state chapters. As I began to put a presentation together to share what we’re doing, I quickly realized just how busy we are. And it’s only February!
To give you an idea of what’s keeping us busy, take a peek:
The promotion of Infinite Power: Take Your Share of the Texas Sun, our statewide educational campaign to raise awareness and double the amount of distributed solar in Texas by 2030 via media, events, and advocacy for distributed solar by one-on-one engagements with decision-makers.
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We’re spreading the word to municipalities’ permitting departments about Solar APP+ (Solar Automated Permit Processing), a free, innovative software that speeds up compliance checks and building permit approvals for eligible solar rooftop systems.
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Working with the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs (TDHCA) last year, TXSES along with TEPRI and Frontier Energy, we were successful in adding distributed solar power as a fundable energy benefit to the Statewide Plan for income-qualified homeowners and renters using WAP or LIHEAP funds. This year, we'll be working with Austin Energy, Austin's municipal utility, to prove the energy savings on 10 homes so we can take the program statewide.
- With a grant from the State Energy Conservation Office (SECO), we’re partnering with Green Careers Texas on solar training and education for low-income Dallas, Austin and Houston individuals and high school students in rooftop and ground mount solar PV installations.
- To address unethical and discriminatory business practices from solar sales and solar installation companies, we’re working with different partners to develop possible legislative language to educate decision-makers at the state and local levels prior to the 2025 legislative session.
- Tracking regulatory bodies like the PUC to provide relevant comments on targeted dockets.
It’s an ambitious list, but we love what we do. If any of these issues are of interest to you and you want to know more or get involved, there’s plenty of room for you! Reach out to me at pparsons@txses.org. Thanks, as always, for your support.
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We're excited to welcome Mohammad Alkhatib to the TXSES team! Currently working on an MBA at Concordia University Texas in Austin, Mo has a bachelor's degree in energy engineering from the German Jordanian University. Before joining TXSES, Mo was an assistant city manager and business analyst for the City of Pflugerville where he conducted comprehensive research and data analyses on utility rate trends and drought management.
"My academic journey has cultivated strong analytical and critical thinking skills, essential for addressing research challenges and proposing innovative solutions."
Welcome aboard, Mo!
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by Steven Ùgalde, Marketing & Membership Coordinator
As a benefit of being a TXSES Platinum Business Member, we highlight the member’s company in our newsletter. This month, we sat down with Nicholas Manto, founder/CEO of The Solar Scouts, an electrical contracting firm specializing in installing photovoltaic solar arrays serving the North Texas, Dallas and Fort Worth communities. MORE
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The report, jointly published by the Environment Texas Research & Policy Center and Frontier Group, tracked an increase in solar power over the last decade. Small-scale solar generation in Texas went from 76GWh in 2012 to 2995 GWh of electricity in 2022, a 3,840% increase! READ the report. | |  |
Public Citizen’s new research into customer-sited solar rate policies at the 141 noncompetitive electric utilities that serve Texas customers sheds light on one reason that Texas is lagging behind other states on utilization of rooftop solar, even as it captures the number one spot for utility-scale solar. READ the report. | | |
For nearly 50 years, 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. Won't you join us in our mission to make clean energy more inclusive, accessible and affordable by making a tax-deductible contribution to TXSES. Thank you. | |
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Ohm Analytics is a TXSES Platinum Business Member
Ohm Analytics’ solar market intelligence platform is a powerful tool for the industry that is used by leading installers, OEMs, distributors and financial firms. In Texas, Ohm aggregates data from dozens of sources and, as a TXSES member, you can access the platform and abridged research for free by signing up here. The chart below includes the most recent data for Texas permit trends through December 2023.
Ohm offers free base access, as well as paid premium access with expanded geographic, competitor-level detail and reporting coverage. This premium access can also be obtained at no cost with participation in Ohm's data partner program. You can set up a time to learn more about the initiative here.
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👉Like what you see? Have suggestions, ideas? We'll keep you updated with the latest TXSES happenings, plus important statewide clean energy headlines affecting you! BTW, feel free to share this with friends, family and neighbors. Remember, you have a voice 👍 Subscribe to The TXSES Report today!
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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 30 million+ citizens, enables our gifted, dedicated members to disseminate fact-based, relevant solar information to all Texans. www.txses.org | | | | |
