by Patrice 'Pete' Parsons, TXSES Executive Director
I don’t know about you, but I grew up with parents who were relentless with sanctions if we didn’t turn the lights off when we left a room. “You’re wasting electricity,” they’d complain. And while we’d roll our eyes and grouse, ultimately, they were right. We assumed power would magically appear each and every time we flipped the light switch.
Being resource reckless was soo mid-20th Century.
Never before has wasteful energy consumption and the potential for grid failure caused by extreme climate events reached this level of heightened awareness. We know now that being energy efficient is one the best ways to save money, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, create good-paying jobs and meet our incessant energy demand.
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by Steven Ùgalde, TXSES Marketing and Membership Coordinator
Houston is propelling itself towards a more sustainable and eco-friendly future with a game-changing initiative - the new SolarApp+. This trailblazing platform has been embraced by Houston to accelerate the adoption of solar energy and pave the way for a greener tomorrow. Intrigued by its visionary approach, TXSES Executive Director Patrice Parsons and I embarked on a visit to the Houston Permitting Center (HPC), keen to experience the transformative influence of SolarApp+ on driving solar energy adoption throughout the city.
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In each issue of The TXSES Report, we’ll feature a member of our esteemed Board of Directors. Meet Dr. Ariane Beck, research fellow in Energy Systems Transformation at the University of Texas at Austin, and Chair of the TXSES Board of Directors.
Beck joined the board in 2021, then became vice-chair in 2022 before becoming chair in January 2023. Ariane studies how interactions between the underlying social, behavioral, economic and technological components of the energy system impact the diffusion of residential clean energy technologies and how information channels can accelerate the diffusion process.
The TXSES board of directors plays a critical role in our success, including setting our strategic direction, ensuring that we have the necessary resources to achieve our goals and that we are operating within legal and ethical guidelines. TXSES board members act as trustees of our assets and must exercise due diligence and oversight to ensure that TXSES is well-managed and that our financial status remains sound.
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Countdown to the 4th Texas Clean Energy Summit (formerly Texas Renewable Energy Summit)! An impressive list of heavy hitters is on the agenda, including our very own Pete Parsons who will moderate the panel discussion on distributed energy resources and virtual power plants on Thursday, 8/31/23 from 10:45-11:30am CDT. Here's the full agenda.
Reserve your spot TODAY! As a proud supporting organization, TXSES members receive a 15% discount on registration. Register
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Breaking state and national clean energy headlines |
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In fact, prices have been so low, there's concern there's no financial incentive for companies to build new power plants, said Michael Webber, a mechanical engineering professor at UT Austin.
Texas has managed its own grid for decades, but that could change: Federal regulators are now considering a rule that would force the state to connect to other grids.
The state’s main grid operator is reviewing a plan that would require renewable energy resources to upgrade technology to avoid going offline, or “tripping,” during a disturbance on the grid. The ERCOT proposal, which would not affect traditional fossil fuel plants, comes as federal regulators and industry officials weigh the complications of shifting the grid to clean energy.
From May 2022 to May 2023, solar energy produced by utilities and small-scale facilities in Texas increased by an estimated 29.4%, according to the EIA. Residential generation from solar energy alone increased by an estimated 43% from May of last year, according to the same data.
CPS Energy will launch a request for proposals for up to 50 megawatts of additional community solar arrays by the end of August, allowing San Antonio residents who live in rented homes, apartments, duplexes or other multifamily housing units — or others for whom rooftop solar isn’t feasible — to have access to solar benefits, aiming to support low- to moderate-income customers.
Clean energy groups also highlighted that Federal Energy Regulatory Commission action on interconnection, while much needed, is only the first step in a much wider-ranging set of reforms required to break the logjam on clean energy growth. Simply put, there’s only so much that interconnection reforms can do to make room on increasingly crowded and constrained U.S.
As we reach the one-year anniversary of passage of the Inflation Reduction Act, it’s a good time to reflect on the progress that’s been made toward implementing this historic investment to combat climate change and transform our nation’s buildings – and the work that is yet to come.
As temperatures soared into the triple-digits on July 26, renewable energy was providing 30 to 40% of the power the state needed, according to analysis of state data from Texas energy expert Doug Lewin.
Spurred by regulatory certainty and quickly approaching sustainability targets, despite supply chain constraints and Texas legislation.
Texas grid operator ERCOT does have some demand response programs for big industrial and commercial customers. But residential customers in the majority of Texas have few opportunities to earn payments for responding to requests to curtail energy usage.
In October, Austin Energy (AE) will present a new program to Council called "standard offer," requesting proposals from any commercial property owner to install solar on their property, fully funded by AE, which will then add that power to its local grid. "The idea behind this program is that we can start to use those rooftops, regardless of what the financial situation of the occupant is," says Kaiba White of Public Citizen.
While Freedom and other solar installers say residential rooftop installations are slowing, commercial installations remain strong, thanks in large part to the Inflation Reduction Act passed by Congress in 2022.
San Antonio Report July 20, 2023
Over reliance on a few resources increases the fragility of the electric system; like putting all your eggs into one basket. To strengthen the grid, we need diversity of supply and demand.
In 2022, ERCOT, the grid manager for most of Texas, curtailed 5% of its total available wind generation and 9% of total available utility-scale solar generation. By 2035, EIA projects wind curtailments in ERCOT could increase to 13% of total available wind generation, and solar curtailments could reach 19% without upgrades to the state’s transmission system.
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.
The state’s ample renewable energy production capacity is already a draw for energy storage investors, and that attention has only grown thanks to increased tax incentives for battery storage included in the Inflation Reduction Act, introduced last year.
A large swath of the U.S. power grid is decades old and powered by fossil fuel plants. Upgrading facilities would include shifting toward renewable energy sources like wind and solar, building storage facilities to house them, and running hundreds of thousands of miles of transmission lines which will take years, says Joshua Rhodes, a research scientist at the University of Texas at Austin.
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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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