Texas lawmakers want to use 'police power' of the state to halt renewable energy projects

Three Republican bills being advanced by the state legislature could halt Texas ' green energy progress and give fossil fuels a leg up in the state's energy market.

Senate Bill 388 would require at least 50 percent of power generation installed after January 1, 2026 , to come from "dispatchable" energy sources, which include natural gas, nuclear power, and coal.

Another bill would make it harder to permit renewable energy projects that generate over 10 megawatts .

Pablo Vegas , ERCOT 's CEO, recently told lawmakers, "The market as structured today is very well suited to support the growth trajectories that we're seeing increase in the state of Texas ." In the same testimony, Vegas said that ERCOT will need every energy source to meet the state's projected energy growth. Using the "police power" of the state ignores what regulators and the market are saying: Texas needs every energy source to meet future demand. That includes renewables..