The Texas state Senate overwhelmingly passed a bill this week that would create a $500 million solar rebate program.
Funds for the program will be raised by fees on consumer’s monthly electricity bills. The fees are expected to be abou 20 cents for homeowners, $2 for commercial users and $20 for industrial users.
The bill is expected to raised about $100 million annually over five years for solar, and 30% of that money would be for residential solar installations with the remaining 70% for utility-scale installations.
The rebates will cover 30% of production costs, adding to the 30% already offered by the federal government.
Jim Marston, head of the Texas chapter of Environmental Defense, said he expects the rebates would bring Texas about 250 to 500 megawatts (MW) of solar-power generation.
The bill must now go to the Texas House of Representatives, where it is expected to pass.
A Senate committee also advanced a bill that would mandate roughly a 60% increase in the state’s renewable energy supply from sources other than wind. Texas is currently the leading U.S. state for wind power production.
Read more coverage by the Wall Street Journal at the link below.
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