By Jessica Lillian
Solar Industry magazine
Could solar be less expensive than natural gas in Texas? According to new analysis from the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT), cost-competitive renewable energy is a reality under updated cost models that reflect current prices and performance data for solar and wind.
The ERCOT study could send powerful signals to unleash new interest in solar deployment in Texas – often considered a promising but underdeveloped solar market. Major utility-scale PV projects have begun to spring up, but the state is home to a heavy fossil-fuel industry presence and significant wind power deployment that has often crowded out solar as utilities fulfill renewable energy mandates.
The most recent edition of ERCOT’s Long-Term System Assessment, which is designed to help policymakers, utilities and regulators make decisions on power generation and grid issues, uses updated metrics for the cost calculations of solar and wind power.
Previous studies had used outdated 2006 numbers for power output assumptions and costs, explains Colin Meehan, a clean energy analyst at the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF), in a recent blog post.
