Although Texas is currently dependent on fossil fuels to meet its electricity needs, a new research at Houston’s Rice University says that the state is uniquely positioned to ditch coal entirely and shift towards solar and wind energy.
Texas geography is favorable for the generation of renewable energies:
Wind energy and solar energy is abundant, thanks to the wind coming out of west Texas and the southern Gulf Coast combining with the abundant potential for solar energy throughout the state.
Report’s co-author Dan Cohan, a professor of civil and environmental engineering at Rice University, said, “There is nowhere else in the world better positioned to operate without coal than Texas is,” “Wind and solar are easily capable of picking up the slack.”
Not only this, there is no need of extensive battery storage. Since solar power is generated during the day and the wind farms generate power at night. So their coordination could help in replacing the production from coal-fired plants.
Texas-based solar companies are now excited to demonstrate the potential.
John B. Billingsley, CEO of Sunfinity Renewable Energy, said, “We’ve only begun to scratch the surface in terms of truly harnessing our clean, renewable resources,” “Texans will be the real winners, realizing both the environmental and economic benefits of renewables. The next several years will see amazing strides forward.”
