Texas Solar Roundup
July 1, 2020
Welcome to the State of Texas Solar, where we discuss all things solar in the Lone Star State.
In the past year, the Texas solar market has experienced record-breaking growth. As they say, everything’s bigger in Texas, and that includes the demand for solar! In true Texas spirit, the charge for solar has created friendly competition in cities statewide.
Most recently, three major Texas cities have hit major milestones in just the past few months.
Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner Commits to Renewable Energy Goals
First, we’ll head down south to the energy capital of the world: Houston. In the past two months, we’ve seen bold action in an effort to increase the city’s sustainability.
On April 30, 2020, Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner made an announcement. He noted the city was committing to 100% renewable energy for all municipal operations beginning in July of this year. That’s well ahead of schedule and reinforces Houston’s leadership as the top U.S. municipal renewable energy user, per the EPA. This is the first initiative as part of the city’s recent Climate Action Plan. The plan’s a strategy for Houston to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050 and be a global energy transition leader.
“This announcement is a shining example of how the Houston Climate Action Plan is already in motion. Expanding our renewable energy investment through our partnership with NRG helps us build a more sustainable city and save over $9 million per year on our electric bill. Together, we are leading by example and showing how to reduce emissions in the Energy Capital of the World,” said Turner.
Turner also wants to develop one of the largest urban solar farms in the U.S. on a 300-acre dormant landfill, per Bloomberg. Environment Texas notes distributed solar installations for Houston homes and businesses have doubled over the past two years. “Houston is quickly moving up the ranks of American cities for solar,” Luke Metzger, the nonprofit’s executive director, said in an email to Bloomberg. “We’re seeing similar growth in the suburbs as well.”
San Antonio Is the No. 1 City in Texas for Solar Energy Production
Next on the Texas solar roundup is the Alamo City. In May, Environment Texas recognized San Antonio as a “shining city” for the seventh year in a row. The city achieved its highest ranking so far as the fifth-largest solar city in the U.S. and the largest in Texas.
San Antonio can attribute its success to the nearly 67.6 megawatts of solar capacity it’s installed within the past year. That’s a 36% increase over 2019, while U.S. capacity grew by 23%.
Austin Is the No. 1 City in the U.S. for Solar Power per Capita
Last but certainly not least, we have the Bat City, keepin’ it weird and keepin’ it solar.
In May, Austin ranked as the leading U.S. city for solar power available per person, beating out Los Angeles. The city ranked 14th in the nation for solar energy produced inside the city limits. This is positive progress toward Austin’s initiatives:
- Its community-wide goal to reach 100% carbon-free electricity generation by 2035
- Its citywide push to reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2050
While the solar revolution has been bright throughout many Texas cities, we still see areas that are lagging behind.
One of those is the Big D. After all, its solar streak tends to be comparable with that of the Cowboys (bless their hearts). Not much has changed since we reported that Dallas has been slower to embrace the solar revolution than most other major Texas cities. But we still have hope for you, DFW!
Here at Freedom Solar, we’ve been seeing more demand for solar on the western side of the Metroplex and in the outlying cities. Maybe the suburbs will save you!
It’s clear that the Texas grid is headed toward more renewable energy. This Texas solar trend is here to stay. Texans are clearly ready to come and take it. They understand the environmental and financial benefits and are choosing energy independence.
Learn More With Freedom Solar
Whether you’re Texas-born or not, we’d love to help you reach your energy goals! Call Freedom Solar at (800) 504-2337 or fill out our contact form to get in touch!
