In yet another reminder that our political wins are never set in stone, attempts are being made to block renewables in Texas, a national leader in the sector.
Texas Renewables Under Attack
The Texas Public Policy Foundation (TPPF) is a conservative group seeking to make “the moral case for fossil fuels”. Along with Republican lawmakers, they’ve been working on a bill in the Texas state legislature that will impose new costs on renewable energy.
This new bill will force renewable providers to pay extra transmission costs, but that’s not all. It’ll also make them find a “backup” source of fossil fuels, as insurance against weather conditions not being right.
It’s widely accepted that the sun not shining or the wind not blowing enough or at the right time, is a challenge renewable energy providers need to grapple with. What’s not widely accepted is how to do it. Some say investing in storage is a much needed route, very few preach using fossil fuels as a crutch.
This bill is just one part of a wider campaign by the TPPF and their Republican allies. Energy Analyst, Doug Lewin, described a series of bills they luckily failed to pass as having the potential to “shut down the renewable energy industry in Texas”.
The TPPF is a hugely powerful group in the region, with funding from fossil fuel interests and the support of governor Greg Abbott, a role he’s held since 2015. But unfortunately, it doesn’t end there. The group is working to block offshore wind in Massachusetts, strengthen the coal industry in the Navajo nation and in West Virginia they’re trying to stop ESG investment. At this incredibly critical time for the planet we can’t afford not to make positive climate action, let alone actively fight against it.
Renewables Powerhouse Up In Flames
Texas has been a renewables leader in recent years. In 2022 it led the country in wind generation with 129.6MWh. It also created 22.9MWh using solar power. More than 40% of electricity in the state came from low-carbon sources last year. This isn’t just great in an abstract way but actually benefits local people, including local farmers and businesses, financially, socially and environmentally. It’s feared that the campaigns of the TPPF and Republican lawmakers threaten to take back these gains.
Luke Metzger, executive director of Environment Texas said…
“We are seeing a rush of these bills attempting to wind the clock back on renewables and TPPF really are at the point of the spear on this”…“They are transparent advocates for the fossil fuel industry and I think they pose an incredible threat to renewables. TPPF have gained incredible traction, they really are shifting the narrative in Texas.”… “They’ve won over the top politicians in the state, which is very dangerous. Texas is going to be critical if the US is going to get to net zero emissions, so we should take this threat seriously.”
The US remains a global leader in renewables despite the in-fighting. Biden, just last month, announced $11 billion for rural clean energy and he’s been praised around the world for his green deal. No matter how much progress is made, it’s important to remain vigilant. There is always the risk that the incredibly powerful fossil fuel industry will keep their control. Do you think we’ll be able to rid ourselves of fossil fuels before it’s too late?
Read more about this story here: Alarm at rightwing push to reverse clean-energy success in Texas and beyond
