Senator Eliot Shapleigh - El Paso, Texas

I love the Lone Star state nickname for Texas, but if we didn't already have such a great one, the “Solar State” wouldn't be inaccurate.

That's why solar makes so much sense. And, the Texas Legislature gets it.

Given that the entire local generating capacity of CPS Energy amounts to 4,200 megawatts, one would at first blush not think that any bill mandating that 3,000 megawatts for the entire state by 2020 would not be that big of a deal.

But I am told that the opening for solar energy this represents is a solid beginning.

As a solar advocate, I thought to brief you on a few critical bills and their status as of last week.

Senate Bill 545 by State Sen. Troy Fraser. Texas has been successful in establishing clean, efficient energy from renewable resources.

This success is due in part to the implementation of the Renewable Portfolio Standard and the Renewable Energy Credit program, which Texas expanded in 2005.

However, a much bigger driver was the relative size of the subsidies, including the federal production tax credit, which made our most abundant renewable resource, wind power, much more competitive with traditional resources.

While these federal and state subsidies have facilitated the development of relatively less expensive wind power resources, and small amounts of landfill gas, municipal solid waste, and biomass energy, other forms of renewable energy have been unable to gain a foothold in the energy market.

The lack of development of other renewable resources is mainly due to the extreme costs associated with other forms of renewable energy, such as solar energy.

As proposed, SB 545 provides for the establishment of a distributed solar generation incentive program by the Public Utility Commission of Texas. The bill passed the senate; and was referred to House Committee on Energy Resources.

Senate Bill 541 by State Sen. Kirk Watson. Currently, Texas is a world leader in wind energy production.

However, Texas has not realized manufacturing jobs from the production of wind turbines and other renewable energy equipment.

Additionally, current law provides no renewable energy credit incentive for electric generation equipment manufactured in Texas and sets the goals for renewable electricity generated from sources other than wind at 500 megawatts.

It was reported favorably with some changes.

House Bill 3405 by State representatives David Swinford andRafael Anchia. The bill states, “it is the goal of the legislature that electric utilities administer incentive programs for residential, commercial, and industrial customers to increase the amount of solar generation capacity installed in this state in a cost-effective, market-neutral, and nondiscriminatory manner, with a goal of installing at least 3,000 megawatts of solar generation capacity in this state by 2020, at least 1,000 of which must be distributed renewable generation.”

As of April 22, the Texas House of Representatives left the bill pending in committee.

Tommy Adkisson is Bexar County Commissioner for Precinct 4,, call or write to him at: Bexar County Courthouse, 100 Dolorosa, Suite 101, San Antonio, Texas 78205, or 335-2614, or e-mail tadkisson@bexar.org.