It’s no secret that Texas is leading the country in the expansion of renewable energy. Sunshine state durable and low-cost grid largely impervious to ex president Trump’s new attacks on solar and wind Texas still has residential and business electricity prices averaging well under ten cents per kilowatthour. This rate is a remarkable 24% lower than the national average! This remarkable pricing, combined with the state’s significant investments in battery storage, underscore the success of its renewable energy programs.
Since summer 2024, the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) has more than doubled its battery storage capacity. They’ve bumped up their cumulative installed capacity by nearly 5 gigawatts (GW) to more than 8 GW. ERCOT expects 174 GW more storage to interconnect in the next five years. These innovations are tangible evidence of the state’s ongoing commitment to improving efficiency and reliability in energy production and use.
Enhancements in Reliability and Cost-Effectiveness
ERCOT has already taken a big step in making sure that energy demand is met while maintaining reliability. Council forecast assumes only 0.30% chance of rolling blackouts during peak energy demand in August. In stark contrast to last year’s projection of a 12% chance, this is an amazing success. This improved reliability will be key as Texas continues to lean more heavily on renewable sources to fuel its burgeoning energy demands.
“ERCOT deserves credit for their actions,” said Joshua Rhodes, energy research scientist at the University of Texas in Austin. He said, “ERCOT has done a good job at realizing and defining the products that we need in energy and reliability. Based on his keen understanding, it’s clear that Texas can and should be a model for other states. They’ll learn to develop low-cost energy solutions decoupled from the need to maintain a stable power grid.
Impacts of Federal Policy on Renewable Energy
Recent federal actions have consumer advocates worried about the future of this success story, especially for renewable energy in Texas. Renewables under threat Meanwhile, Trump’s latest executive order is an attempt to eliminate or heavily abridge important tax credits for solar and wind projects. Critics have said this damaging shift will intensify electricity price inflation in Texas, counteracting much of the progress achieved through Texas’ clean renewable integration success.
US Energy Secretary Chris Wright emphasized the importance of reliable energy sources, urging for continued support of renewables: “We need to deliver more reliable energy for the American people!” As this debate continues, we can see clearly the clash between an ambitious federal policy agenda and local progress in renewable energy.
A Leader in Renewable Energy
Texas has become the state with the greatest amount of renewable energy – in this case, mostly wind – added to its grid. Despite ongoing criticisms about the intermittency of renewable resources, Texas has effectively addressed these challenges through large-scale battery storage solutions. The state accomplishes this by consistently keeping the price of electricity below the national average while increasing reliability. That’s a testament to the Empire State’s creative energy policy.