Legislation Update
We’ve been following three solar-related bills this session. For the most current information about any legislation, visit LegiScan. HB 3010 by Rep. Zwiener (D-45) requiring municipal/county governments to use SolarApp+ (or another online program with similar capabilities) to streamline the solar permitting process. Never had a hearing in State Affairs Committee. HB 4455 by Rep. […]
Houses of worship go solar
TXSES and Environment America hosted a panel discussion about houses of worship going solar.
Wind and solar energy saved Texans $11 billion in 2022
A detailed examination of the Texas wholesale electricity market showed wind and solar power generation saved the state approximately $11 billion in 2022. The report, led by Dr. Joshua Rhodes and produced by Ideasmiths, projects that expanding wind and solar capacity could save Texans between $6.1 billion and $15.2 billion per year. This figure marks […]
Connecting to the Texas grid
By Patrice ‘Pete’ Parsons, TXSES Executive Director On May 4, 2023, I attended the Public Utility Commission’s (PUCT) distributed energy resources (DER) workshop Docket 54233 as it considers updating DER interconnection standards and DER technical standards. The goal of the workshop was to get feedback from interested parties like TXSES, other non-profits and utilities. Currently, […]
How is distributed solar permitting doing in Texas?
Platinum Business Member Ohm Analytics recently shared select data for Texas permits issued for distributed solar installations for 2022-Q1 2023. Tracking market volume, growth, pricing and equipment trends in over 50 major metro areas in the U.S., Ohm Analytics’ platform aggregates a proprietary database of solar projects in the U.S. based on permit and interconnection […]
Clean Energy Legislation Update
Automated Permitting Speeds U.S. Solar Adoption
NREL 5/3/23 Most rooftop photovoltaic (PV) systems are required to go through a permitting process implemented by local authorities having jurisdiction (AHJs), such as community or county governments. But, as rooftop PV becomes more efficient and accessible, it is straining the capacity of AHJs nationwide to issue permits. The Solar Automated Permit Processing Plus (SolarAPP+) […]
Educating and Training the Texas Solar Workforce
Since 2016, the not-for-profit Green Careers Dallas (GCD) has been helping those in greatest need of access become part of Texas’ rapidly growing solar workforce. Under the visionary leadership of Tracy Wallace, disadvantaged communities in Dallas now have opportunities for social, environmental and economic justice through renewable energy. “The inspiration to recruit hard-to-employ yet highly-motivated […]
Clean Energy Legislation Making Its Way Through the 88th Texas Legislature
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 […]
Cheaper power, more resilient grid, climate change panacea: Texas reality or fantasy?
By Patrice ‘Pete’ ParsonsExecutive 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 […]