New legislation in Texas would require most solar projects to back up their power with either natural gas or battery energy storage — or risk being fined.
Companion bills HB 3356 and SB 715 purport to address the “reliability” issues of resources such as solar and wind power, but could result in operating clean energy plants shutting down if adding backup power or paying the fines is not feasible, according to the Houston Chronicle.
The Chronicle reports that a similar bill was passed into law in 2023, but only targeted projects built in 2027 or later, giving developers time to plan for co-located solar and storage or find other ways to satisfy the requirements. The new bills in their current state would apply to existing solar projects too.
The Senate passed its version of the bill, but it remains to be seen whether the House version will get a vote before state lawmakers adjourn in June until 2027, the Chronicle said.
