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To: Deaf Smith
You wrote "We Texans did not vote for wind and solar power. It was forced upon us under the fed green agenda."

That is only partially true. The feds created the "Renewable Portfolio Standards" (RPS) which set renewable requirements. But how that gets implemented is left up to the states. The RPS puts a requirement on retail electric suppliers to supply a minimum percentage or amount of their retail load with eligible sources of renewable energy. The RPS are typically backed with penalties of some form; often are accompanied by a tradable renewable energy certificate (REC) program to facilitate compliance; and are never designed the same in any two states. Some states have voluntary renewable electricity goals that exceed the federal goals.

Today, RPS policies exist in 30 states and Washington DC that apply to 58% of total U.S. retail electricity sales. Texas was an early and ambitious adopter of RPS. It is interesting that a few states have not updated their RPS in some years: TX, WI, MT, and IA. Note that the gray states apparently do not have a RPS in place (I don't know how they get away with that). But Texas could have followed the path set by those gray states and ignored RPS; instead, TX decided to go along with the federal program.

In 1999, the Texas State Legislature passed Senate Bill No. 7, which requires that the state install an additional 2,000 megawatts (MW) of new renewable energy capacity by the year 2015 for a cumulative net capacity of 5,880 MW of energy. The RPS compliance schedule included the following cumulative renewable energy capacity deadlines:

Using its statutory authority to implement the bill, the Public Utility Commission of Texas in 1999 adopted a rule setting the state's RPS. The commission also set a voluntary target of generating 10,000 MW from renewable sources by the year 2025. Eligible sources of renewable energy include solar, wind, geothermal, hydroelectric, biomass, wave energy, and tidal energy. In 2009, Texas surpassed its 2025 renewable capacity target. In addition, Texas had approximately 13,359 MW of renewable energy capacity in 2013, 95 percent of which came from wind energy.

I've included the first page of the "Order Adopting New §25.173 as Approved at the December 16, 1999 Open Meeting and published in the Texas Register on January 7, 2000" below:

PUBLIC UTILITY COMMISSION OF TEXAS SUBSTANTIVE RULES. CHAPTER 25. ELECTRIC

The Public Utility Commission of Texas (commission) adopts new §25.173 relating to Goal for Renewable Energy with changes to the proposed text as published in the October 22, 1999 issue of the Texas Register (24 TexReg 9142). This section is adopted under Project Number 20944. Section 25.173 will implement the legislative goal for renewable energy development in the state of Texas as set forth in Senate Bill 7 (SB 7), Act of May 21, 1999, 76th Legislature, Regular Session, chapter 405, 1999 Texas Session Law Service 2543, 2561 (Vernon) (to be codified as an amendment to the Public Utility Regulatory Act (PURA), Texas Utilities Code Annotated §39.904).

In adopting this rule, the commission's objective is to establish a renewable energy credits trading program (trading program) and define the renewable energy purchase requirements for competitive retailers in Texas. This rule will (1) implement the statutory mandate in PURA §39.904 to promote the development of renewable energy technologies; (2) encourage the construction and operation of new renewable energy projects at those sites in Texas that have the greatest potential for capture and development of environmentally beneficial renewable resources; (3) reduce air pollution in Texas that is associated with the generation of electricity using fossil fuels; (4) respond to customer preferences that place a high value on environmental quality and reflect a willingness to pay a higher price for "clean" energy acquired from renewable resources; (5) increase the amount of renewable energy available to supply electricity to consumers in Texas; and (6) ensure that all customers have access to energy from renewable energy resources pursuant to PURA §39.101(b)(3).

Texas possesses a vast amount of untapped renewable resources, perhaps more than any other state. The Legislature recognized that economic and environmental benefits would accrue to Texas citizens from the development of those resources by enacting §39.904, which mandates that an additional 2,000 megawatts (MW) of generating capacity from renewable technologies be installed in Texas by January 1, 2009.

The Legislature's commitment to development of the state's abundant renewable resources is derived from the preferences expressed by Texas consumers in favor of renewable power. The integrated resource planning process required that utilities assess customer values and preferences and consider these preferences in their resource plans. In an effort to assess customer values and preferences, utilities across the state polled their customers. Statistically significant samples representing about two-thirds of retail electric customers in Texas indicated a willingness to purchase electricity that was generated by renewable energy resources to improve air quality in their communities and across the state.

Texas Eligible Renewable/Other Technologies are Solar Water Heat, Geothermal Electric, Solar Thermal Electric, Solar Photovoltaics, Wind (All), Biomass, Hydroelectric, Geothermal Heat Pumps, Landfill Gas, Tidal, Wave, Ocean Thermal, Wind (Small). The Texas RPS regulations apply to Investor-Owned Utility and Retail Suppliers. They set goals of 5,880 MW by 2015 and 10,000 MW by 2025. The 2025 goal has already been achieved. Texas uses the ERCOT Credit Trading and Tracking System.


58 posted on 08/20/2023 1:55:15 PM PDT by ProtectOurFreedom (We are proles, they are nobility.)
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To: ProtectOurFreedom; Deaf Smith

Seems I remember T Boon Pickens had a lot to do with building wind energy and made a little profit in the process


88 posted on 08/20/2023 6:18:24 PM PDT by itsahoot (Many Republicans are secretly Democrats, no Democrats are secretly Republicans. Dan Bongino.)
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