Solar in the Aftermath of Hurricane Beryl
by Patrice "Pete" Parsons, TXSES Executive Director
The devastation caused by Hurricane Beryl this summer left millions of Texans reeling, including nearly 3 million in the Houston area who went without power in 100+ degree temperatures, with many still out weeks later. Throughout the outage, one thing became clear: localized distributed energy resources (DER), particularly solar with storage, saved the day—for those who had it.
Several of our Business Members who work in the Houston area have shared the experiences of their customers with solar and storage post-Beryl in the media. They were able to keep the power on, including AC, for the entire time the rest of the city was out. Many were able to help their neighbors, to boot. (See Business Members in the News below.)
The severity of the storm’s aftermath led Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick to quickly announce the creation of a Senate Special Committee on Hurricane and Tropical Storm Preparedness, Recovery, and Electricity in mid-July. The City of Houston will soon add the new post of Resiliency Director to its Resilience & Sustainability Office in order to better focus on storm response. We hope that solar and DER will be given their due in these responses.
Although the federal Energy Information Administration ranks Texas third in the U.S. for small-scale solar electricity generation (less than 1 megawatt), after California and Arizona, Texas ranks 20th when considering per-capita. This means there is plenty of room for growth. As more homeowners consider adding energy backup services to their homes in response to weather-related grid instability, they may find that the upfront costs are vastly different. See our report on Solar + Storage vs. Generators in the United States for more details.
TXSES also just released the report, “Texas Grid Reliability: 2022 Interruption Cost Analysis,” analyzing the economic impact of grid service interruptions caused by extreme weather events in Texas. Our research found that in 2022, such interruptions cost the Texas economy an estimated $6.97 billion. Read more.
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Solar + Storage vs. Generators in the United States
Increasing power outages and natural disasters in the U.S. are increasing the need for reliable backup power solutions, with solar storage systems and traditional generators being the two most prominent options for ensuring continuous power supply during outages.
In this report we provide a comprehensive comparison of these two solutions, analyzing pros and cons, feasibility, and market trends to help homeowners and businesses make informed decisions.
Read more.
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Study Finds Solar Owners Shortchanged 78% of their Worth
According to a new study commissioned by TXSES, the value of solar (VoS) is experiencing externalities. Put simply, it’s when a good’s price does not reflect its true value.
In Texas, solar displays positive externalities, which means distributed solar producers are not being paid the full dollar value of the kWh(s) they put out. Texas produces less solar than it could or should be.
This report investigates what solar owners are actually being paid versus what they should be paid. Read more.
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TXSES Welcomes New Board Member
We are thrilled to announce that Alison Silverstein has joined the TXSES Board of Directors. She has worked for decades to advance the use of clean energy and advanced grid technologies as part of a reliable, resilient, affordable energy system. She was senior advisor to Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Chairman Pat Wood III, and worked at the Public Utility Commission of Texas and Pacific Gas & Electric Co.
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We offer our sincerest thanks to outgoing Board Member Karl Rábago for his three years of dedication, advice and service to TXSES.
See more about our Board of Directors. | |
TXSES SPECIAL REPORT
Texas Grid Reliability: 2022 Interruption Cost Analysis
In 2022, grid service interruptions cost the Texas economy an estimated $6.97 billion. This new report analyzes the economic impacts of these losses based on data from 68 Transmission and Distribution Utilities (TDUs), and utilizing refined methodologies and comprehensive data sources.
Read it Here.
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Solar Austin Hiring Opportunity: Executive Director
Solar Austin, a local chapter of TXSES, is a hiring for a full-time Executive Director to carry out Solar Austin’s vision through responsible fiscal management and oversight of the organization’s ongoing community programs. Learn more.
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Business Members in the News | |
Mayfield Renewables announces its inaugural Education Summit coming to The University of Texas at Austin, October 3rd, in Austin, Texas. | |
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Registration rates go up September 3rd!
The Summit will feature a full day of best-in-class training sessions and networking opportunities with notable education and technical training partners, including The University of Texas at Austin Energy Institute, NABCEP, Heatspring, Solar Energy International, Hammond, and more.
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National, State & Local
Clean Energy Headlines
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TXSES is proud to be a Supporting Organization for Infocast’s Texas Clean Energy Summit. TXSES Members can get a 15% discount off registration! | The Texas Clean Energy Summit is the best place to meet and learn from policy makers, as well as the state’s most active developers, asset owners, QSEs, offtakers, financiers, investors, and other key players. The booming opportunities and looming challenges in today’s renewables environment. | |
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Solar Permits Issued Through July 2024
Ohm Analytics is a TXSES Platinum Business Member
Ohm Analytics’ solar market intelligence platform is a powerful tool for the industry that is used by leading installers, OEMs, distributors and financial firms. In Texas, Ohm aggregates data from dozens of sources and, as a TXSES member, you can access the platform and abridged research for free by signing up here. The chart below includes the most recent data for Texas permit trends through December 2024.
Ohm is publishing AHJ and utility timelines to support advocacy efforts around automated / simplified permitting and interconnects and is looking for installers in TX to share their timeline data. You can learn more about this initiative here. In exchange for sharing their timelines, installers can get expanded access to the Ohm platform, market research reports, and premium tools (with zip-code level trends and the AHJ/Utility timelines). You can share your timeline data here.
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For nearly 50 years, TXSES has been the pre-eminent statewide organization that creates and disseminates quality, fact-based solar information for every Texas community.
Join us in our mission to make clean energy more inclusive, accessible and affordable by making a tax-deductible contribution to TXSES. Thank you.
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👉 Like what you see? We'll keep you updated with the latest TXSES happenings, plus important statewide clean energy headlines affecting you! Feel free to forward this to friends, family and neighbors. Subscribe to The TXSES Solar Report today! | |
About TXSES: A membership-based non-profit 501(c)(3) organization for nearly 50 years, TXSES’s unique niche is exemplified in our well-established local chapters in Austin, Dallas, El Paso, Houston and San Antonio. Having boots on the ground in these major metropolitan cities, which represent nearly a quarter of Texas’s 30 million+ citizens, provides fact-based, relevant solar information to all Texans. www.txses.org | | | | |
