Jack-Booted Socialism! Texas PUC Considering Tougher Efficiency Standards, Expanded Renewables

[hatrack]

Texas regulators may soon ramp up mandates requiring tougher energy-efficiency standards and development of renewable energy sources other than wind power. Earlier this year, the state’s Public Utility Commission proposed requiring utilities to offset 50 percent of their growth in electricity sales with energy-efficiency measures by 2014. That would be well above the current requirement of 20 percent. (Separately, another state agency last week proposed strengthening Texas’s building codes.)

The utility commission has also put forward an early-stage proposal that would require 500 new megawatts of power in Texas to come from renewable energy sources like biomass, geothermal, solar and hydro in 2014. That represents a substantial increase from current amounts, though it is still small compared to the amount of wind power already in the state.

Texas leads the nation in wind development, but under the proposal, 50 megawatts of nonwind renewables in 2014 would have to come from solar projects. Texas currently has less than seven megawatts of solar power, according to Michael Webber, the associate director of the Center for International Energy and Environmental Policy at the University of Texas.

Both proposals are still receiving comments, and must be approved by the three commissioners, who are appointed by the Texas governor. Environmentalists, however, are hopeful that the measures will go through relatively unscathed — and soon.

EDIT

http://greeninc.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/03/29/texas-weighs-efficiency-solar-mandates/

[tech9413]

1. Since Texass has such a high percentage of sunny days

Go for solar thermal installations. They are the most cost effective and cheapest to build. The only moving parts would be the steam turbine (located on the ground and easier to service)which are current technology. This technology could do the 500 MW and be in operation easily by 2014. It could also be updated with technological innovations that build on the original installation.

[Statistical]

2. They only need 50MW.

Not that they shouldn't build more but the mandate is pretty easy to meet.

500MW total (they have >500MW wind already).
50MW of that needs to be non-wind.