Texas Solar Advocates Hope for Legislative Boost
Advocates of solar power are urging passage of a bill that would add a dollar per month to homeowners' electric bills to fund solar projects.
The House State Affairs Committee heard testimony on the bill late last night. Its sponsor, state Rep. Drew Darby, R-San Angelo, told the committee that solar was a good complement for Texas' existing energy resources, and that its costs had dropped dramatically in recent years.
"Texas should be a leader in building the domestic solar industry," he said. Solar installations could make use of the new transmission lines being built to aid wind power, he ...
Comments (11)
Austin Adams via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Interesting the Walmart and TAB are in favor.
Daniel Day via Texas Tribune on Facebook
I wonder why Walmart is in Favor of it? Me smellith something in the hot air and It ain't bad breath, but it is bad.
Ben Martinez via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Follow the money for the reason behind this.
Sonora Hartley via Texas Tribune on Facebook
The companies that build wind and solar farms get considerable tax breaks. How about instead of adding $1 - $250 to monthly bills they just step up to the plate and pay their fair share? I am not completely against solar and wind but no sun and no wind = no power. There is still no way to store electricity so until someone solves that problem, fossil, nuclear and hydro are our only reliable generators - and not much hydro in dry Texas, either. Everyone who thinks the wind and sun are constant in West Texas or even the coast needs to go live there for a year to get their story straight.
Scott Chase via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Has the Texas Public Policy Foundation ever supported any pro-environment issue?
Andy Cates via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Sonora: I have lived out in West Texas and I can tell you that no one says that it is always sunny or always windy, though it is almost always one or the other (usually both). The argument instead is that they are complementary to each other as sources of electricity generation. Solar is at its best generation capacity during peak load times - during the mid afternoon. And when the sun goes down, that is historically when the wind blows the most.
Austin Adams via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Along the coast, wind blows strongest during peak.
Andy Cates via Texas Tribune on Facebook
also true. And also Sonora, there are beginning to be ways to store electricity. Check out the giant battery, biggest in the U.S. actually, that is located in Presidio. West Texas and the Panhandle stands to gain big with solar.
Stephen Pollard via Texas Tribune on Facebook
It sounds like a dollar well spent. After all more of our tax dollars go to subsidize Big Oil! Who cares what that ignorantly conservative think tank says. Conservatives retard progress wherever they can.
Michael B Openshaw
Nobody complaining about the regressive nature of this social engineering TAX? That it hits the small user and those whose electric bill is a bigger part of their overall expenses just as hard as the rich? That this is government favoring am industry ofver the people?
(Sorry, just could pass this point up: goose/gander thing.)
T D
It will be interesting to see how this plays out.