Texas energy production evokes images of sprawling oil fields, but that is about to change. As the Texas economy and population grow, so too does its appetite for energy. To meet demands, in a state where oil was king, solar farms and wind turbines are beginning to dot the sunny landscape.
What may seem unlikely locations for renewables, Texas and states with similar landscapes are prime candidates for renewable generation of energy. Land is cheap and sprawling, sunlight is plentiful, and recent investment in transmission across the West make for an ideal location for wind and solar. And local leaders are taking note.
Lower cost energy generation means lower bills for residents. Investments in construction bring industry jobs, putting constituents to work in well paying, quality careers. And clean energy reduces pollution, and mitigates future burdens that cities will face as a consequence of climate change. The economic, political, and environmental implications of renewable energy production are all political winners for Texas, and for states throughout the nation.
City and local government officials must continue to play a strong role in leading their residents towards sustainable climate solutions. To see how your community can lead the charge on climate solutions, visit Path to Positive Communities.
Next Texas Energy Boom: Solar
By Russell Gold | The Wall Street Journal | August 21, 2015
FORT STOCKTON, Texas—A new energy boom is taking shape in the oil fields of west Texas, but it’s not what you think. It’s solar.
Solar power has gotten so cheap to produce—and so competitively priced in the electricity market—that it is taking hold even in a state that, unlike California, doesn’t offer incentives to utilities to buy or build sun-powered generation.
Pecos County, about halfway between San Antonio and El Paso and on the southern edge of the prolific Permian Basin oil field, could soon play host to several large solar-energy farms responsible for about $1 billion in investments, according to state tax records.
