March 30: Ask Lt. Governor Dewhurst to Keep Solar Bills Moving

Solar power definitely has momentum this session, but we need to keep the heat on to make sure the Legislature adopts policies to make Texas a world leader in solar power.

Senate committees have heard a lot of great solar legislation, so now those bills need be voted out of committee and come to the Senate floor.

This week, please take a minute to call Lt. Governor Dewhurst and urge him to make solar power a priority for the 81st Legislature.

Call Toll-Free Monday-Wednesday!

1-888-327-2086

Here's a sample message you can leave:

"Hi, my name is ___________ and I'm calling from _________, Texas. I'm calling to urge Lt. Governor Dewhurst to make solar power a priority this session, including supporting SB 427 by Senator Shapiro."

There are several policies that will help make Texas a solar leader:

First, Texas should create a rebate program to make it easier for homes and businesses to install solar and other on-site renewable such as small wind and geothermal heat pumps. A few utilities in Texas already offer limited programs, including Austin Energy, Bryan Texas Utilities and most recently Oncor, which has launched a pilot program to help install about seven megawatts of solar. SB 427 by Senator Shapiro would set up a statewide rebate program that would lead to the installation of about 2000 megawatts of solar by the year 2020 -- that's the equivalent of putting solar panels on more than half a million rooftops.

Next, Texas should establish a program to support emerging renewable energy technologies at the utility-scale, such as large solar, biomass and geothermal power plants. For example, SB 541 by Senator Watson would set a goal for Texas to produce 3000 mW of electricity from these technologies by the year 2020.

Finally, we support SB 1420 by Senator Lucio which makes sure utilities pay a fair price for surplus electricity put back on to the grid by a solar homeowner.