The heat is on in San Antonio and other parts of Texas, and state lawmakers should take note that renewable energy was pivotal in keeping the air conditioning running.
San Antonio broke a record May 13 with a high temperature of 103 degrees, and it has remained sweltering ever since.
While the heat waves have strained the Texas electrical grid, the power has stayed on in large part due to solar energy and battery storage.
That’s because while a number of natural gas power plants were offline for routine maintenance, solar generation surged.
Last Tuesday afternoon, as the mercury rose, about 18,000 megawatts of power generation from coal and natural gas plants were down. But Texans were able to stay comfortable in their homes and offices thanks to solar.
On May 12, for example, solar produced about 27,000 megawatts, which helped charge batteries.
We mention all this because the Texas Legislature continues to entertain the idea of undercutting renewable energy.
Lawmakers have been advancing legislation — Senate Bill 715 — that would require solar and wind producers to pay gas-fired power plants or battery systems to backstop their power supplies.
Electric Reliability Council of Texas CEO Pablo Vegas has raised concerns about the legislation.
“It could cause certain resources not to be able to operate,” Vegas said. “That’s a risk.”
Texas is a fast-growing state blessed with an abundance of solar and gas, and it has an economic development outlook that fosters innovation. It will need energy from all sources to meet demand.
Lawmakers should quit maligning renewable energy as a problem when it clearly should be part of Texas’ energy solution.
