“Rural communities didn’t get into renewables for politics. They did it because it worked. They need stability, not sudden rollbacks.”
By Raina Tillman Hornaday, TXSES Board Member
Austin American-Statesman Guest Columnist
Aug 8, 2025
Read article in full in the Austin American-Statesman.
The recently passed “big, beautiful bill” was marketed as a cost-cutting win. While that may be true for some parts of the U.S. economy, the immediate impact for rural America’s energy — and for those of us building the future of energy from the ground up — is bleak.
By rolling back key parts of the Inflation Reduction Act, including the clean energy tax incentives and U.S. Department of Agriculture’s REAP grant funding, President Donald Trump’s “big beautiful bill” has made it harder for farmers, ranchers and landowners to access the tools they need for energy independence and economic resilience.
These policy changes aren’t just about spreadsheets in Washington. They have real consequences on the ground. In Texas, more than 35 gigawatts of new solar power are expected by 2028, much of it on private land in rural counties. These are not speculative ventures. They’re practical decisions by landowners who’ve seen firsthand how clean energy can stabilize income, lower costs and keep the land in productive use.
Continue reading in the Austin American-Statesman.