Mar 28, 2024 | Txses Impact, News
PRESS RELEASE – For Immediate Release
CONTACT INFORMATION
Texas Solar Energy Society (TXSES)
Patrice ‘Pete’ Parsons
210.722.7270
[AUSTIN, Texas, March 28, 2024] The Texas Solar Energy Society (TXSES) is pleased to announce the addition of Tamara Kowalski as its new Director of Communications.
Tamara joins TXSES with more 15 years of experience working with environmental nonprofits—much of which has been in communications. Before TXSES, Tamara worked as communications and program manager at another membership-based EarthShare Texas member organization, State of Texas Alliance for Recycling (STAR).
“As someone who is passionate about solar energy, with solar panels on my home, my experience in communications and outreach, writing and editing, working on grants, and collaborating with regional chapters will make me a valuable asset to TXSES,” said Tamara.
“We are thrilled to have Tamara join the TXSES team,” said Executive Director Pete Parsons.“ “Her skill and experience with non-profits and personal commitment to solar energy will enhance our operations, help meet our goals for growth and customer satisfaction and provide our customers with the exemplary service they have come to expect from TXSES.”
Tamara will replace Jane Pulaski who has been TXSES’ communications director since 2020.
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
Apr 11, 2023 | Txses Impact
There are a number of clean energy bills making their way through the current Texas legislative session. Here are three that TXSES is keeping an eye on.
HB 3010 by Rep. Zwiener, relating to the building code process to help reduce solar’s soft costs. PDF.
HB 4455 by Rep. DeAyala, relating to the regulation by a property owner’s homeowner’s association (HOA) of the installation of solar energy devices and certain roofing materials on the property. PDF
SB 2257 by Sen. Blanco, relating to the net metering compensation of a distributed renewable generation owner in certain areas outside of ERCOT. PDF
The Texas Legislature meets in odd-numbered years for 140 days. To understand how the legislature works, click here.
Mar 24, 2023 | Txses Impact
By Patrice ‘Pete’ Parsons
Executive Director
Following the nearly complete failure of the ERCOT energy grid during Winter Storm Uri, Texans have been awaiting legislation to protect the stability of the grid. Unfortunately, the actions of the Texas Senate reflect the desires of corporate insiders more than everyday Texans. Despite research that points to the failure of natural gas producers to weatherize their facilities as the most significant factor in ERCOT’s 2021 failure, a raft of punitive, anti-renewable bills has been filed in the 88th Legislative Session, while bills that subsidize fossil fuels while failing to address grid resilience are making their way to hearings.
Among the plans to prop up the fossil fuel industry, proposals would create new taxes to subsidize upwards of $10 billion in expenditures towards the subsidization of natural gas plants. Further, the legislature has promoted the PUC’s recommendation of a performance credit mechanism, a strategy that experts say is untested, fails to address the underlying causes of grid instability, and radically increases the energy costs borne by consumers.
Texas’ renewable energy numbers are nothing short of eye-popping and enviable: over the past decade, Texas has more than tripled the amount of solar and wind generated. We’re #1 in the U.S. in wind installations, with 30.46 GW, and #2 in solar energy, with 8.6 GW as of August 2022. For 2023, Texas has 7.7 GW of capacity additions planned, nearly double California’s 4.2 GW queue, moving Texas into the #1 position.
On the dispatchable side, developers are building separate storage facilities to take advantage of new tax credits for stand-alone storage in the Inflation Reduction Act. Total planned storage capacity is estimated at 28.5 GW, twice as large as California.
In addition, renewable energy now accounts for more than 36% of total electricity production. If that isn’t cause for enthusiastic thumbs-ups and high-fives, the price of renewable energy has never been cheaper. Over the past dozen years, consumers have saved more than $28 billion on their electric bills.
Cheaper power. More resilient grid. Massive emissions reductions prevent the worst effects of climate change. National bragging rights for clean energy leadership. What’s the issue here?
While renewables have proven overwhelmingly instrumental in strengthening the energy grid through diversification and reduced consumer prices, Texas legislators are actively hindering the clean energy market.
What can you do? Ask your electric utility about its renewable energy programs. Remember: you have a voice. Let your elected officials know how you feel about these anti-solar policies and the effects they will have on local jobs, economic development, your utility bill and climate change.
“Renewables are the only path to real energy security, stable power prices and sustainable employment opportunities.” UN Secretary-General António Guterres.
Mar 7, 2023 | Txses Impact
Austin, TX – The Texas Solar Energy Society (TXSES) today announced it is part of a team that has received a contract from the Texas Comptroller’s State Energy Conservation Office (SECO) to prepare current and future students and individuals for careers in clean energy. These funds will support TXSES’s mission to ensure equitable access to solar energy for every Texan.
“We’re excited to be partnering with the Houston Advanced Research Center (HARC) and Green Careers Dallas to develop curriculum guidelines, identify career pathways, share labor market data and resolve issues relating to solar training and workforce development,” said Patrice ‘Pete’ Parsons, TXSES executive director.
Through a dynamic approach to curriculum development and outreach to low- to moderate (LMI) communities, From Classroom to Career: Building the Pipeline for Texas’ Clean Energy Workforce will engage with students, trainers and teachers to define the future of clean energy education and training. Using innovative approaches to training, including distance learning courses and mobile laboratory training modules, the training will allow students to gain access to entry and mid-level positions with solar and other clean energy businesses.
“These state funds will enable TXSES to leverage its renown educational and outreach expertise to build a statewide training and education framework that will result in a well-trained, highly-qualified solar energy workforce of sufficient size and diversity to meet the projected needs of high penetrations of distributed solar energy in Texas,” said Parsons.
About TXSES
For more than four decades, TXSES has been the pre-eminent statewide non-profit organization developing free, fact-based information and quality clean energy educational materials that inspire innovation, and share best practices for decision-makers that will lay the foundation for energy independence. A membership-based organization, TXSES’s unique niche is its well-established local chapters in Austin, Dallas, El Paso, Houston and San Antonio. https://txses.org
About Green Careers Dallas
Green Careers Dallas (GCD) is a non-profit organization that provides solar installation training to residents of South Dallas. GCD aims to empower and energize the people of South Dallas by creating innovative economic opportunities in underserved neighborhoods. https://greencareersdallas.org/
About SECO
The State Energy Conservation Office (SECO) partners with Texas local governments, county governments, public K-12 schools, public institutions of higher education and state agencies to reduce utility costs and maximize efficiency. SECO also adopts energy codes for single-family residential, commercial and state-funded buildings. https://comptroller.texas.gov/programs/seco
About HARC
HARC engages in research that helps people thrive and nature flourish. Our expertise is focused on the science and engineering needed to understand and address issues related to air quality, clean energy, water resources, and climate risk. https://harcresearch.org
Dec 19, 2022 | Txses Impact
Austin, TX – Tool, Texas and Waco, Texas have been selected by the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory as one of 12 communities nationwide to adopt the innovative solar permitting platform SolarAPP+. Through the program, Tool and Waco are eligible to receive $15,000 if SolarAPP+ is adopted successfully.
“We’re excited to see NREL’s announcement and the fact that residential solar is receiving its time in the spotlight here in the cities of Tool and Waco,” said Patrice Parsons, Executive Director of Texas Solar Energy Society (TXSES). “Texas is a leader in the burgeoning residential solar industry, and this platform will make it easier for local governments to slash red tape and remove another barrier for Texans to access clean, affordable and resilient energy. This latest development underscores all the hard work that TXSES and our partners continue to do.”
SolarAPP+ is an online platform that instantly issues permits for code-compliant residential rooftop photovoltaic (PV) and battery systems. As many consumers and local jurisdictions know, permitting can often slow the process for residential solar and battery installations. Current permitting delays are estimated to increase solar cost by $7,000 per project. With the convergence of increased consumer interest in solar installation and federal legislative momentum, clearing this potential bottleneck of long review timelines and complicated permitting applications is imperative. SolarAPP+ provides local governments, installers and homeowners with a streamlined process to more quickly achieve clean power generation from the sun.
SolarAPP+ has already approved more than 10,000 permits across jurisdictions, including successful programs in Arizona, California, Illinois and Texas. Earlier this year, Houston announced a Solar APP+ pilot program. Since SolarAPP+ provides an immediate permit for those communities vetted and determined to be eligible, projects have been installed about two weeks faster under the program.
“In cities like Tool and Waco and across the state, TXSES continues to work tirelessly to ensure programs like SolarAPP+ and others are helping both new and existing solar customers reap benefits from their rooftop PV systems,” said Parsons.
About The Texas Solar Energy Society
For more than four decades, TXSES has been the pre-eminent statewide non-profit organization developing free, fact-based information and quality educational materials that inspire innovation, share best practices and inform decision-makers on the critical importance of sound, favorable solar policies that will grow the industry equitably, build healthy, resilient communities, support local, well-paying jobs and lay the foundation for energy independence. A membership-based organization, TXSES’s unique niche is its well-established local chapters in Austin, Dallas, El Paso, Houston and San Antonio. www.txses.org
