Texas Approaching 100 Gigawatts of Emission-Free Power

AI generated summary

The Texas State Auditor has raised concerns regarding the Railroad Commission's inspections of natural gas infrastructure, highlighting that deficiencies were not consistently documented or communicated. This issue is particularly critical given that frozen gas infrastructure contributed to the blackouts during Winter Storm Uri in 2021. The Commission has acknowledged the findings and stated they will improve their inspection processes, but skepticism remains regarding the effectiveness of their oversight, especially considering the low number of violations reported.

In a positive development for renewable energy, the Energy Information Administration (EIA) reports that Texas is set to lead the nation in solar and battery storage capacity additions, with 40% of the total expected in the U.S. this year. Texas has already surpassed California in utility-scale solar capacity and is projected to add significant amounts of solar and storage in the coming months. Additionally, the Commission plans to hold workshops to address the implementation of Senate Bill 6, focusing on load forecasting and the integration of data centers with existing energy generation.