Lawmakers want to explore sun, wind
By Anton Caputo - Express-News
January's legislative session could be a big one for renewable energy sources like solar, wind and geothermal.
That's the message state Sen. Leticia Van de Putte, Rep. Mike Villarreal and others brought to the Solar San Antonio Legislative Breakfast Thursday morning.
Lawmakers said they expect to build next session on the recent political momentum generated by the state's decision to spend $5 billion on transmission projects to move wind generated power from West Texas and the Panhandle to the state's larger cities. The results could mean several pieces of new legislation to help jumpstart a wide array of renewable energy sources. Texas already leads the nation in wind production.
The legislation will likely include a $250 million state bond for renewable energy projects, an expenditure that would also have to be approved by voter referendum. The bond nearly passed last session, said Van de Putte, but was dropped late in the session in favor of other spending priorities.
Renewable energy proponents are also eyeing a statewide requirement to produce a certain amount of energy, possibly 3,000 megawatts by 2020, by renewable energy other than wind.
Such requirements have been key in the state's wind energy success, which proponents like Van de Putte, D-San Antonio, are seeking to emulate with solar.
“Next session I think we're really going to be looking at solar in a different light,” she said. “It is no secret to anyone that we have the perfect weather conditions.”
The Texas Renewable Energy Industries Association will also lobby the legislature to boost the market for residential solar power by requiring that a certain amount of energy be produced by small-distributed power projects like home solar panels and small-scale windmills.
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