New bills being considered in the Texas legislature that would shift the state’s power generation away from renewable energy and back toward natural gas could also drive up energy costs for consumers living in the state.
The bills, which were approved by the Texas Senate last week, seek to increase the amount of so-called dispatchable sources of energy, such as natural gas, on the state's power grid that can be quickly brought online in emergencies.They would add combined billions of dollars in public funds to finance operations and repairs of fossil fuel plants in a bid to"firm up" the grid, or increase guaranteed sources of power that can be brought online in an emergency.
"The Senate’s grid reform package levels the playing field between dispatchable and renewable energy sources by elevating dispatchable energy sources to put ratepayers first," Patrick said in a statement last week. Texas generated a whopping 180,145 gigawatt-hours of electricity from carbon-free sources last year, by far the highest in the country, according to Energy Information Administration data. It also leads the United States with the highest rate of oil production, at 43%, and natural gas, at 25%, according to the EIA. California, by comparison, had just 124,055 gigawatt-hours of carbon-free generation, which includes nuclear and renewable sources.
Texas has also benefited from the federal incentives for wind and solar power, which would go away if these renewable energy projects are taken down, noted Jewell, who has worked in the Texas legislature in various capacities since 1985.
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