The bills would allow the state to hire companies to build emergency gas-fueled power plants, among other ideas for swinging the state’s power balance away from wind and solar.
A Texas State University student walks down the stairs to his dorm room on campus during the February 2021 winter storm that left millions of Texans without power or heat for days., The Texas Tribune’s daily newsletter that keeps readers up to speed on the most essential Texas news.
The ideas are meant to get companies to build more of what’s known as “dispatchable power,” which is power that can turn on or off at any time. This typically means building gas-fueled power plants, which are more polluting and costly to operate than solar and wind power but don’t rely on sunny or windy weather to operate.
During the February 2021 storm, various power producers fell offline as the extreme cold caused equipment to freeze and fail. Renewable energy producers were not immune: Ice accumulated on the wind turbine blades and covered solar panels. Legislators have since required electricity generators to weatherize their facilities.
“Every part of these reforms represents a significant victory for Texas ratepayers,” Patrick said in the statement. “Once these bills become law, our grid will be stronger for our Texas future which is brighter than ever.”
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