House committee considers repeal of renewable energy law

Thursday, March 28, 2013
By | Luke Metzger
Director

Yesterday, the House State Affairs committee held a hearing to consider HB 2026 (Sanford), a bill which would repeal Texas' successful renewable electricity standard. Thankfully, it doesn’t look like the bill is going anywhere.

Report | Environment Texas Research and Policy Center

Wind Energy: Good for Texas’ Environment. Good for Texas Consumers.

Texas is a world leader in wind energy. Wind energy has brought new jobs, new revenue for land-owners, a cleaner environment, and lower electricity prices to Texas. Texas’ leadership in wind energy is no accident – it is the result of policies such as the state’s Renewable Electricity Standard. Some, however, are now calling for Texas to reverse its commitment to wind energy because wind is making wholesale electricity 
too cheap – reducing the financial incentive to build new power plants.

News Release | Environment Texas

Landmark Texas Renewable Energy Law Target of Industry-Backed Repeal Effort

“Rep. Sanford’s bill doesn’t make any sense,” said Luke Metzger, Director of Environment Texas. “Renewable energy has been a huge success story in Texas. We shouldn’t take the wind out of the sails of an industry that’s creating jobs, reducing pollution and saving water.”

Report | Environment Texas Research and Policy Center

Reaching for the Sun

Texas has the nation’s greatest potential for solar energy. “Going solar” is a smart solution for Texas—it reduces our reliance on fossil fuels, curbs air pollution, saves water, creates local jobs and keeps money in the local economy. Austin and San Antonio are showing how Texas can expand the use of solar energy and reap the benefits. The electric utilities in San Antonio and Austin have installed four times more solar photovoltaic (PV) capacity than the rest of Texas combined. The solar policies adopted by these cities and their municipal utilities provide a strong example for how the rest of Texas can reach its solar energy potential.

News Release | Environment Texas

San Antonio, Austin support 85 percent of Texas solar energy installations

AUSTIN – The municipally owned utilities in San Antonio and Austin have supported the installation of four times more solar photovoltaic (PV) capacity than the rest of Texas combined or 85 percent of the state total, according to a new Environment Texas Research and Policy Center report. The report release comes as the Legislature considers new programs to expand solar to the rest of the state.

Headline

San Antonio, Austin lead state in solar generation

"Dallas-Fort Worth is a world leader in energy, but when it comes to solar we are being eclipsed by other cities in Texas," Jennifer Rubiello, Environment Texas' Dallas-Fort Worth organizer, said at a Fort Worth news conference Thursday.

Headline

Skepticism, please, on 'trade secrets'

And, as Luke Metzger, director of Environment Texas, suggests, the state needs more definition for what constitutes such a secret.

News Release | Environment Texas

President Obama, Congress Save Wind Power in Fiscal Cliff Agreement

AUSTIN– Today President Obama will sign into law a bill that extends key tax credits for wind power and averts the ‘fiscal cliff.’ The main federal incentives for wind power – the renewable energy Production Tax Credit (PTC) and the offshore wind Investment Tax Credit (ITC) – expired on December 31, 2012, but with today’s new law will now be available for wind power projects that start construction over the next year, allowing for continued growth of Texas and American wind power.

News Release | Environment Texas

Houston Council Passes Stronger Energy Efficiency Standards

HOUSTON - New homes built in Houston will use less energy after the Houston City Council approved stronger energy efficiency standards for new residential properties this morning. Starting February 1, new residential properties will have to achieve 10% greater efficiency than the minimum required by the state of Texas. This fulfills part two of a commitment made by the Houston City Council a year ago to achieve a 15% stronger standard over three years (the final 5% will go to a vote at the end of the year).

Headline

Wind industry avoids a tax blow

Texas is the nation's No. 1 wind energy producer, and advocates say the extended production tax credits will encourage the state to continue building infrastructure - notably transmission lines to move wind energy from remote wind farm locations to more populated areas.

"We are poised to tap into even more wind power, and the tax credits are critical for making sure that happens," said Luke Metzger, director of Environment Texas.

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