“Since 2006, wind and solar generators in Texas have received about $19.4 billion from taxpayers and consumers,” Bill Peacock says. | James St. John/Wikimedia Commons
“Since 2006, wind and solar generators in Texas have received about $19.4 billion from taxpayers and consumers,” Bill Peacock says. | James St. John/Wikimedia Commons
Several Texas energy experts have addressed the alleged unreliability of renewable energy following February's historic winter storm, Texas Business Daily reported.
The Texas Public Policy Foundation (TPPF), which recently proposed a guaranteed fixed rate of energy produced by all power generators, found that a primary issue with energy supply in previous summers has been the "intermittency and unpredictability" of renewable energy sources, particularly in wind and solar.
“The Texas Public Policy Foundation is working on legislation to improve transparency and level the playing field in three ways," Jason Isaac, the director of Life: Powered at the Texas Public Policy Foundation said. “First, the state should eliminate waivers that allow renewable projects to create fewer jobs than legally required. It should also prohibit companies from donating to local education foundations in exchange for favorable consideration, a common practice that comes uncomfortably close to bribery. Finally, transparency should be improved to ensure taxpayers are aware of how their pocketbooks are impacted by these tax breaks.”
Energy Alliance's Bill Peacock
| Energy Alliance
Other analysts have focused on subsidies distributed to renewable energy producers.
“Since 2006, wind and solar generators in Texas have received about $19.4 billion from taxpayers and consumers,” Veteran energy analyst Bill Peacock of Austin wrote in a July 20 report for the Energy Alliance. “It is estimated they will receive another $15.9 billion over the next decade. Texas policymakers should eliminate subsidies for renewable energy in order to ensure an energy abundant future for Texans.”
The TPPF also claims that renewable energy supply problems will be exacerbated if energy producers are not held accountable for their failure, and that subsidies will continue to be provided to these unreliable energy sources haphazardly.
“It’s unlikely that subsidies will be eliminated entirely, although that would be the best solution for Texans,” Isaac said. “Hundreds of billions of our dollars are spent every year at the state and federal level on energy subsidies without meaningfully changing our energy landscape.”
Additionally, some analysts have claimed that intermittent energy sources wreak havoc on the energy grid's planning and day-to-day operations since their power output varies over time and isn't always reliable.
For example, cloud coverage variability only adds to the unpredictable and unreliable nature of solar energy sources.
More "challenges on device operation and planning" should emerge as the energy grid incorporates more intermittent renewables, according to MIT researchers.
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