Solar capacity in Texas grew 45% in 2013

Media Contacts

Progress fueled by leadership by Texas cities

Environment Texas Research & Policy Center

HOUSTON Today, Environment Texas Research & Policy Center released Lighting the Way: The Top Ten States That Helped Drive America’s Solar Energy Boom in 2013, a new report which documents strong solar growth across the nation, including a 45% increase in Texas in 2013.   The report emphasizes that it is not availability of sunlight that makes states solar leaders, but the degree to which state and local governments have created effective public policy to help capture the virtually unlimited and pollution-free energy from the sun.

Texas’ progress on solar has helped fuel a tripling of solar energy nationwide between 2011 and 2013. In 2013, solar capacity in Texas grew from 139 megawatts (MW) to 201 MW, ranking the state 9th in the country for solar added last year. This includes the completion of the largest solar farm in Texas, a 41 MW facility south of San Antonio.                                             

“Solar energy is emerging as a go-to energy option here in Texas and across the country,” said Luke Metzger, Director with Environment Texas. “This pollution-free energy option is poised to play a major role in helping us meet carbon emission reduction requirements under the new EPA Clean Power Plan. 

Solar in the United States increased more than 120-fold in the last 10 years.  In the first quarter of 2014, solar energy accounted for 74 percent of all the new electric generation capacity installed in the United States.  Ten states with the most solar installed per/capita are driving 89% of the solar installed in the U.S, while representing only 26 percent of the population and 20 percent of the electricity consumption. 

And as the solar industry grows, the cost for installed solar decreases; making it more accessible. The price of installed solar systems fell 60 percent between the beginning of 2011 and the end of 2013.  According to the U.S. Department of Energy’s Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory, Texas has the lowest price for solar, at about $3.90 per watt. Jobs in the solar industry are also growing rapidly. In 2013, there were more than 140,000 solar jobs in the U.S., including 4,100 in Texas. 

Another major driver for solar energy is that it produces no pollution; including climate-altering carbon emissions.  According the report, solar power produces 96 percent less global warming pollution than coal-fired power plants over its entire life-cycle and 91 percent less global warming pollution than natural gas-fired power plants.

Several strong policies adopted by the top 10 solar states helped encourage homeowners and businesses to “go solar:”

  • 9 states have strong net metering policies. In nearly all of the leading states, consumers are compensated at the full retail rate for the excess electricity they supply to the grid.
  • 9 states have strong statewide interconnection policies. Good interconnection policies reduce the time and hassle required for individuals and companies to connect solar energy systems to the grid.
  • All 10 states have renewable electricity standards that set minimum requirements for the share of a utility’s electricity that must come from renewable sources, and 8 of them have solar carve-outs that set specific targets for solar or other forms of clean, distributed electricity.
  • 9 states allow for creative financing options such as third-party power purchase agreements, and 8 allow property assessed clean energy (PACE) financing.

Texas was credited for having policies to limit the ability of homeowner associations to block solar, to allow leasing of solar panels, and to enable PACE financing for businesses, but docked for failing to set a statewide solar goal or offer rebates. 

Environment Texas also highlighted the contribution of Texas cities in promoting solar energy. In absence of a statewide solar program, the vast majority of solar capacity installed in the state is due to solar goals and incentives established by the cities and municipal utilities of San Antonio and Austin. Houston, which doesn’t own its utility and thus has less control over the city’s solar future, has also helped promote solar, including by installing photovoltaics on municipal buildings like the Houston Permitting Center.  

“Texas cities deserve tremendous credit for recognizing the environmental and economic benefits of solar and taking action to make it a reality,” said Metzger. “As more people see the benefits of solar energy, we’re confident clean, limitless energy from the sun will be a growing part of Texas’ plan to reduce pollution from power plants.”