TEXANS SQUANDERING SUN

Texas languishes in shade on solar power development
Elizabeth Souder, November 21, 2010 (Dallas Morning News)

"Dallas renewable energy investor Panda Power Funds is developing one of the country's largest solar power plants in sunny New Jersey…Texas' second-largest power generator, NRG Energy, is investing in the world's largest solar thermal power plant in California…

"Texas is No. 9 among states when it comes to the amount of sunlight that could be used to make electricity. But the state ranks 16th in the amount of solar electric generating capacity actually installed. New Jersey is No. 2; California is No. 1…"

Texas has sun aplenty. (click to enlarge)

"Solar producers say Texas will fall behind economically without an aggressive push into solar energy. They blame state leaders for not providing the financial backing to attract the industry to Texas. And they hope a new legislative session beginning in January will create those incentives…Critics say incentives are unnecessary and wasteful. They say Texans benefit from lower prices for electricity generated with other fuels.

"During the last session of the Legislature in 2009, a solar incentive bill wound its way through committees and debates until it lacked only House approval. The bill, which called for charging electricity customers fees to pay for rebates to solar generators, represented a rare consensus among environmentalists and business leaders…[It was] killed…[by] parliamentary questions that stopped the legislation…"

Texas could get more than a third of its electricity from rooftop solar PV. (click to enlarge)

"Texas offers some incentives for small solar power installations. Oncor, the electricity delivery company for North Texas, offers rebates. And some municipal electric companies, such as Austin Energy and CPS Energy, are investing in solar power.

"Solar advocates acknowledge the technology is more costly than other types of power generation. But they see the extra cost as an investment in attracting the fledgling industry to Texas…[and say] the cost of solar power generators will drop to the level of other technology in a few years, and won't need government incentives…"