Dive Summary:
- Although Texas experiences lots of sunshine, is the second-largest state in the U.S. and has the "best potential in the country" according to Luke Metzger, the head of Environment Texas, the state only ranks 13th in total solar generation nationwide.
- Metzger's group, Environment Texas, discovered that San Antonio and Austin, the two biggest cities in Texas whose electricity markets are not deregulated, have four times more solar capacity than the rest of the state combined.
- Texas Public Utilities Commission Chairwoman Donna Nelson recently argued that 2005 legislation outlining solar targets did not mandate the state to reach them; as the state faces potential electricity shortages in the near future, the legislature is weighing several bills which aim to alternately facilitate solar or fully deregulate the market.
From the article:
"In such a sunny place as Texas, some people think it’s a real shame to waste all that solar energy. They point out the state ranks 13th in the nation for total solar power generation, behind such often gloomy places as New Jersey (#2) and New York (#11) according to the Solar Energy Industries Association.
What’s more, Shell just predicted that solar might be the top energy source globally by 2070. ..."