Renewable energy helped Texas’ grid survive summer heat, analyst says

Despite the efforts of Gov. Greg Abbott and other Texas Republicans to discredit renewable energy, solar and wind power helped the state avoid high-profile grid failures this summer, a top energy analyst told Houston Public Media.

Energy analyst Doug Lewin, publisher of the Texas Energy and Power Newsletter, gave props to solar and wind for keeping the lights on as a record heat wave strained the state’s power grid. With much of the state enduring a string of days above 100 degrees, the National Weather Service set an excessive heat warning Sunday for parts of Texas and several other states.

“They’ve helped contribute to reliability,” Lewin said to HPM of renewable energy sources. “They also have driven prices lower than they would have otherwise been. And I know that’s hard for Texans to understand because bills are looking really high right now. But that’s really a function of how much power we’re using because it’s so hot.”

The Electric Reliability Council of Texas, which operates the state’s grid, on Sunday asked consumers to rein in their power use between 7 and 10 p.m. as a result of the ongoing heat. It was ERCOT’s second such request in three days, according to the Texas Tribune.

Citing a University of Texas study, Lewin also told HPM solar power had saved Texas some $30 billion in energy costs over the past 10 years.

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This article appears in Aug 9-22, 2023.