The Texas legislature has been passing bills to support gas-fueled power generators, with one offering low or zero-interest loans to modernize existing plants or build new ones, and another likely to raise electricity costs to send more money to plants that promise to be available when grid conditions are tight. Renewable energy advocates have expressed their disappointment because the state tax breaks, which are highly valuable, have not included wind and solar projects.
Nearly three decades ago, Texas decided to support the nascent wind power business, with the state surpassing its renewable energy goals by 2021. Wind and solar provided about a quarter of the state’s electricity production, nearly 80 times their share two decades earlier. The state has already achieved five times its 2025 goal of getting 10,000 megawatts of power from renewables, mostly from wind.
In West Texas, two new multimillion-dollar solar farms have been welcomed, providing income to the landowners leasing their land for the installations. Depending on the location and length of the contract, landowners could receive between $16 million and $33 million over the lifetime of a 100-megawatt wind farm.
Republican state Rep. Drew Darby, who represents San Angelo, has taken an all-of-the-above approach with energy policy, authoring bills that supported the developing geothermal energy and hydrogen industries. However, he also voted for bills that aim to help gas-powered plant construction and operation, alongside the tax benefit bill that left out renewables.
In the Rio Grande Valley, wind projects have provided a steady stream of income for the Lyford Consolidated Independent School District. The additional revenue, which accounted for more than 20% of the district’s budget, helped pay for new infrastructure and repairs to existing buildings1.