June was typically hot for Texas. The temperatures set records. Also, electricity usage.
However, for the majority of the time, Texans weathered it. The lights stayed on, and the air conditioners continued running. This is mainly due to the state’s growing solar power sources.
Or, as Texas Monthly put it, “Without Solar Power, This Texas Heat Wave Would Burn Much Worse”:
“Much as last summer solar power has been crucial in keeping the lights on across Texas in the last couple of days. It’s been a powerhouse in the afternoon and has provided more than 15 percent of Texas’ electricity needs during the most crucial times. Wind and natural gas continue to make up a large portion and solar cannot solely be blamed for saving our bacon during this initial summer heat wave. However, when it’s so hot that bacon will melt on the sidewalk, solar’s enormous power has played a crucial part in preventing brownouts. .”
It’s also true for large-scale solar farms, Of course. Since Texas’s first large-scale solar farm was inaugurated in 2010, solar power has created 126,000 megawatts of electricity in the state’s primary power grid. The amount of solar power generated on the grid has nearly tripled over the past three years.
The same is true for commercial and residential properties, more and more of which are installing solar panels on their roofs to ensure they are free from the dangers of high charges and blackouts. Every summer, solar panels will allow users to generate their electric power during the afternoon heat when they and their air conditioners are most in need of it.
Texans remain affected by Winter Storm Uri in 2021. Texas needs a broad energy portfolio to cope with this extreme weather.
However, solar has more than demonstrated its value. It’s kept lighting on. It’s also brought an abundance of electricity at a time when record-breaking demand is set. It has helped bring down the cost of electricity that would otherwise burden Texas consumers. It’s also safeguarded other types of Texas energy sources: as researcher Joshua Rhodes put it, “Having solar provide during the hottest parts of the day is allowing our thermal fleet not to run itself into the ground as fast.”
The timing is ironic. Two months ago, we were fighting the Texas Legislature much more than heat fighting a slew of bills designed to reduce solar electricity, making it more challenging to obtain and costly.
We won those battles in the majority of cases. The solar energy industry is growing. It’s not just creating the future of our country; it’s also fueling the economy and the life of Texas right now.
This summer has demonstrated to the world, more than any other time show, how solar energy is assisting Texans to live their lives more effectively. Similarly, Texas Monthly said it very well: “Texas is and remains a state dependent on fossil fuels, but, more and more, the lone star in our solar system is energizing the Lone Star State.”