On Thursday, a bill sponsored by a Texas senator was approved, which could lead to increased costs and potential blackouts due to its provisions.
Should it pass the House, State Bill 715 would require existing renewable energy projects to obtain backup power primarily from coal or gas facilities.
This is particularly relevant for solar energy plants, as they would need to align their production with nighttime energy demands—a time when, frankly, there is usually less demand for energy, and, well, not much solar energy is generated. I reflected on this issue in my earlier analysis in April.
The Texas Public Policy Foundation, a conservative think tank and one of the main advocates for this bill, suggests that this change is essential to counteract the unpredictability associated with wind and solar energy.
However, the state’s business community has a different view. Research by the Texas Association of Business indicates that this law could cost the state around $5.2 billion annually, with individual consumers facing an increase of about $225 on their electric bills.
Alongside higher electricity costs, the findings also indicate that Texans could be at a greater risk of facing blackouts during the summer heat and even ice storms in the future.
As electricity needs surge—predictions show Texas’s electrical demand might nearly double by the decade’s end—most of the new power over the last five years has come from renewable sources. Gas plants typically take about half the time to integrate into the grid compared to renewable options.
This bill follows two other recent legislative actions targeting the state’s renewable energy sector. SB 388 mandates that any new renewable energy developments must match the power output of newly established gas plants, effectively regulating the growth of energy production in favor of gas options.
Additionally, SB 819, backed by suburban Republican Senator Royce Kolhorst, seeks to restrict landowners from leasing their land to wind and solar companies, invoking what some have called “national police force” tactics.
The outcome of these three bills now rests in Texas, where discussions within the GOP have shifted recently, especially as Governor Greg Abbott focuses on opposing rural dissent regarding educational vouchers and Attorney General Ken Paxton confronts fellow party members.
Overall, this legislation marks a retreat from the previously growing Republican support for renewable energy in Texas. Recent polls indicate that nearly 80% of GOP voters in the state believe in the benefits of renewable energy, suggesting a disconnect between public opinion and legislative action.
