Texas wind, solar industries bruised, not broken, by Legislature | Opinion
The 2021 winter storm claimed hundreds of lives and left millions without power during a historic statewide deep freeze. Swiftly, lawmakers and regulators vowed to make Texas’ power grid more reliable and less vulnerable to extreme weather events. Two years later, it’s troublingly unclear whether they accomplished that this session.
Lawmakers passed bills to subsidize companies to build more natural gas-fueled electricity plants that would operate when power reserves are low. The Legislature also created a state-funded, low-interest loan program, pending voter approval, and bonuses to companies that bring new gas-powered electricity plants online faster. Additional costs would be passed to consumers.
But lawmakers also picked an unnecessary fight with solar and wind energy interests with numerous bills designed to handcuff wind and solar power investments. Some last-minute maneuvering allowed renewable energy to emerge from the session with a mild bruising instead of a death blow fromto curtail renewable energy.
The Legislature’s crafting of energy policy hasn’t been an open book this year, and industry experts seriously question whether grid reliability improved this session. New plants are not going to come online soon and older plants will be retired in the coming years. The actual cost of this plan has not been fully calculated, and energy experts suggest that lawmakers missed an opportunity to increase reliability by adopting efficiency measures to reduce the strain on the power grid.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Texas CPS making progress in reducing number of unplaced youthUnlicensed placement of Texas youths hit crisis levels in 2021.
Read more »
Texas Monthly names Montrose hotspot one of the 'Best New Hotels'For Texas Monthly's round-up of 'Best New Hotels in Texas,' one Bayou City destination...
Read more »
Man sentenced to 50 years in prison for fatal 2021 shootingThe Marion County Prosecutor’s Office announced that Corey Mirabal, 23, will serve 50 years in the Indiana Department of Correction for fatally shooting Kane Baca, 24, in July 2021.
Read more »
Suspect in Amber Guyger trial witness slaying was arrested as a fugitive in 2021Thaddeous Green faces capital murder in connection with the death of Joshua Brown, who lived across the hall from Botham Jean and testified in the murder...
Read more »
Jury finds man guilty, faces life sentence, for 2021 first-degree murder in JacksonvilleState Attorney Melissa Nelson announced Friday that a Duval County jury has delivered a verdict of guilty for Greggory James, who has been charged with First-Degree Murder and Possession of a Firearm by a Juvenile Delinquent for a 2021 crime.
Read more »