As the second-largest state and one of the hottest. Texas leads the US in solar energy potential, reports The Texas Tribune. But up to now, Texas has squandered that opportunity as lawmakers provided few incentives to encourage solar expansion. Solar energy still makes up a tiny percentage of the state’s power supply.
But all of that is changing. Though the Lone Star State is still a long way from matching California and many smaller states, Texas’s solar use has grown sixfold since 2010.
And policymakers have enacted legislation that would encourage further solar expansion. The new legislation takes effect in September. As improving technologies continue to decrease the cost of harnessing the sun’s power, this law reflects changing attitudes in Austin regarding solar energy.