Latest news with #SenateBill819
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Bill adding regulations to Texas renewable energy misses key deadline
This story is supported by the Pulitzer Center and is part of the 'Texas Energy Crossroads' project, a partnership between The Hill and Nexstar Texas stations examining the oil and gas industry and the politics surrounding it following President Trump's second inauguration. AUSTIN (KXAN) – Legislation that would have added several layers of regulation to new wind and solar power facilities – rules opposed by renewable energy producers and environmentalists – missed a key deadline Saturday and is unlikely to pass this year. Senate Bill 819, authored by Sen. Lois Kolkhorst, R-Brenham, would require new utility-scale wind and solar plants to undergo Public Utility Commission approval and public notice. In addition, new wind turbines would have to be set back from neighboring property lines by twice the height of the turbine and blade unless a waiver was signed, according to the most recent version of the measure. EXPLORE: Texas Energy Crossroads The bill passed the Senate but the House State Affairs Committee didn't pass it by Saturday, the last day for House committees to report senate bills, according to legislative schedules. Kolkhorst described the new rules as necessary to 'help balance the need for these structures with the state's responsibility to protect nature.' At a Senate committee hearing on the bill in March, Kolkhorst said her bill was not about stopping renewable energy production, but she was critical of the environmental and visual impact of wind and solar and their intermittent electricity production. As political winds shift, Austin braces for renewable energy impact Kolkhorst filed similar legislation in 2023 that didn't pass. Back then, and now, the bill faced opposition from environmental groups, renewable energy producers and landowners profiting from wind and solar plants located mostly in rural counties. Jeff Clark, CEO of Advanced Power Alliance, said the bill would 'kill' the state's renewable energy industry. Clark, who previously gave KXAN a tour of a South Texas wind and solar farm, noted Texas leads the country in renewable power production. Wind and solar, he said, keep Texans' energy bills lower and reduce strain on the Texas grid during extreme summer heat and demand. Adrian Shelley, Texas director of consumer advocacy group Public Citizen, applauded the likely failure of Senate bill 819 as a 'victory' for Texas electricity ratepayers, and he described it as a recognition that 'renewable energy sources are an indispensable part of powering the state.' Kolkhorst did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
02-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Texas Lawmakers Want To Use 'Police Power' of the State To Halt Renewable Energy Projects
Texas generates the most renewable energy in the nation. Three Republican bills being advanced by the state legislature could halt Texas' green energy progress and give fossil fuels a leg up in the state's energy market. Senate Bill 388, which has passed the state Senate, would require at least 50 percent of power generation installed after January 1, 2026, to come from "dispatchable" energy sources, which include natural gas, nuclear power, and coal. This bill effectively subsidizes fossil fuel projects by requiring utility providers to purchase power generation credits from dispatchable energy sources. If passed, this bill could have a "big impact" on the state's power grid, Josiah Neeley, senior energy fellow at the free market R Street Institute, tells Reason. The Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT), the regulatory agency that manages 90 percent of the state's power market, expects its energy demand to jump from about 94 gigawatts (GW) today to 208 GW in 2030. Renewables are expected to satisfy a significant share of this demand. ERCOT says 346 GW worth of projects are waiting to connect to the grid, 96 percent of which are solar, wind, or battery storage. "If you're saying half of all new stuff has to be gas, then you end up cutting out a lot of new generations," says Neeley. Senate Bill 715 amends existing statutes to set strict reliability requirements that would favor fossil fuel sources. Under the bill, "solar generators would have to secure enough battery or gas power to match their output at night—a time when no one expects them to produce energy and when demand is typically at its lowest anyway," according to Doug Lewin, a Texas energy expert. A report from Aurora Energy Research estimates that this bill would add $5.2 billion to Texas power prices over the next decade; residents could pay an extra $200 per year in energy costs. The bill has passed out of committee and awaits a vote on the Senate floor. As these two bills incentivize power generation primarily from fossil sources, Senate Bill 819 would make it harder to permit renewable energy projects. The bill invokes the "police power of [the] state" to "increase electric generation" and "mitigate unreasonable impacts of renewable energy generation facilities on wildlife, water, and land" in Texas. The legislation would require new renewable energy projects that generate over 10 megawatts—enough to power about 10,000 homes—to obtain permits from state regulators before connecting to the power grid. While some cities have zoning requirements, Texas laws currently allow power generators to connect to the grid without a permit. The bill would also force renewable projects to pay an annual "environmental impact fee" to fund site cleanups of these projects, even though greenhouse gas-emitting energy projects in the state, including oil and natural gas, are not subject to similar dues. The bill claims to protect private property rights by preventing solar and wind energy projects from being placed within 100 feet or 3,000 feet, respectively, of any property line unless a developer gets a written waiver from every property owner within the area. Neeley says this bill violates private property rights. "These projects can only happen if the property owner agrees and works out a deal in order to do them," he said. Those who object to these renewable energy projects are usually people who live in another part of the state and don't like renewable energy sources, according to Neeley. Many landowners opposed the bill during a March Senate Business and Commerce Committee hearing. Renewable projects provide supplemental income to farmers and ranchers in many of the state's rural communities, especially as oil and gas reserves have dried up in some counties. A 2023 study from Joshua Rhodes, a research scientist at the University of Texas, Austin, found that, over their lifetime, the state's existing utility-scale wind and solar projects will generate over $12.3 billion in revenue to Texas landowners. Two wind farms in Armstrong County, which has fewer than 200,000 residents, will funnel $100 million to local landowners and school districts. Despite landowner support for green energy projects and private sector backing, the legislature is doubling down on giving fossil fuel projects a leg up. In 2023, lawmakers enacted the Texas Energy Fund to provide $5 billion of low-interest loans to build new natural gas plants. Despite the incentive, "numerous projects have dropped out of the taxpayer-backed loan program," reports the Houston Chronicle. The legislature is considering amending the program to allow geothermal energy projects to apply for loan funding. Critics of renewable energy are right to point out that subsidies for solar and wind energy distort markets and are unnecessary and costly. Spain and Portugal's recent blackouts demonstrate the dangers of over-reliance on intermittent green power sources. However, by putting their thumb on the scale and picking energy winners, lawmakers are running the risk of increasing costs and hurting electricity reliability in Texas. Pablo Vegas, ERCOT's CEO, recently told lawmakers, "The market as structured today is very well suited to support the growth trajectories that we're seeing increase in the state of Texas." In the same testimony, Vegas said that ERCOT will need every energy source to meet the state's projected energy growth. Using the "police power" of the state ignores what regulators and the market are saying: Texas needs every energy source to meet future demand. That includes renewables. The post Texas Lawmakers Want To Use 'Police Power' of the State To Halt Renewable Energy Projects appeared first on
Yahoo
13-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Texas leads the way in wind, solar. An 'industry killer' bill could change that
Private property rights and pro-business principles are under siege while government overreach looms in Texas — and, ironically, it's at the hands of a small group of conservative lawmakers. Senate Bill 819 targets wind and solar energy development with a subjective, arbitrary review process, additional costs, and setbacks that can be changed at the stroke of a pen. The bill hands the Public Utility Commission of Texas the power to dictate what private landowners can do with their property, eroding both landowner rights and free enterprise. If passed, SB 819 will drive investment — in both renewables and the energy-intensive industries that fuel the 'Texas Miracle' — elsewhere, raise electricity costs and increase the risk of power outages. Worse, it sets a dangerous precedent for centralized control in a state known for its pro-business, limited-government approach. For a few so-called conservatives to weaponize the state against landowners hosting renewable energy projects is a stunning reversal of sacred Texas values such as limited government and individual liberty. Considering the fact that Gov. Greg Abbott has called private property rights 'a cornerstone of our values and our legal system,' how did we get here? At the turn of the century, Republican leaders welcomed renewables, allowing Texans to harness the state's affordable, God-given resources. The results speak for themselves: Texas leads the nation in renewable energy, installing nearly 80% more wind, solar and battery capacity than any other state; renewables produced about one-third of the power consumed in Texas last year; and ratepayers are estimated to save about $1 billion per month in wholesale electricity prices. Recently, Abbott championed Texas as number one in both wind and utility-scale solar power generation capacity, 'cement[ing] Texas as the energy capital of the world.' These projects inject billions into local communities — an estimated $20.2 billion benefiting over 75% of counties, and landowner lease payments estimated at $29.5 billion. This impact is especially profound in rural Texas, where such projects are often the only opportunity for large-scale capital investment. For nearly three decades, renewables have helped economies and landowners thrive. Somewhere along the way, however, energy became politicized. Instead of embracing Texas' signature 'bigger is better' mentality, some have sought to dismantle renewable energy success for partisan gain. This misguided effort to undo energy progress comes at the worst possible time. In a presentation released April 7, ERCOT updated its load growth projections, estimating that demand for power will nearly double by 2030. Fortunately, Texas' diverse generation mix of solar, wind and battery storage — all of which have reached record grid contributions this year — and plentiful natural gas can help. SB 819 now awaits a Senate vote and echoes a similar bill from 2023, dubbed an 'industry killer.' Lawmakers would do well to reject this dangerous proposal again. Passage of SB 819 would effectively end the development of new renewable energy projects in Texas. For large commercial or industrial power consumers utilizing long-term, fixed-price contracts, it would mean operating costs would skyrocket, and additional investments under consideration would fall by the wayside. The biggest losers? Texans. By stifling the development of renewables, SB 819 would bring higher electricity prices, more power shortages, lost economic development and a blow to the most sacred right in Texas: private property rights. And what's next? Will we empower Austin bureaucrats to determine if Texans can raise cattle, grow crops, hunt or drill for oil? No one knows the land better than its owner, and when landowners lose the right to decide their land's future, they are no longer truly landowners. Texas stands on the edge of government overreach. If we allow politicians to target one industry and strip one group of its rights, every Texan should fear for their own. Texans cannot afford — nor should they tolerate — this betrayal of our core values. Judd Messer is the Texas vice president of Advanced Power Alliance, an industry trade association promoting the development of wind, solar and energy storage resources. This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Property rights under attack with bill stifling renewables | Opinion
Yahoo
27-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Senate business committee considers renewable energy regulation bill
This story is supported by the Pulitzer Center and is part of the 'Texas Energy Crossroads' project, a partnership between The Hill and Nexstar Texas stations examining the oil and gas industry and the politics surrounding it following President Trump's second inauguration. AUSTIN (KXAN) – Senators on the Business and Commerce Committee will discuss Thursday the merits of a bill that could place additional fees, permitting rules and regulatory requirements on new utility-scale solar and wind generation projects in Texas. Sen. Lois Kolkhorst, R-Brenham, authored Senate Bill 819. She has described the law as protection for landowners, the environment and 'the right thing to do for Texas.' Explore: Texas Energy Crossroads Kolkhorst filed similar legislation in 2023 without success. Critics of the measure back then said legislation would hamper the growth of renewables at a time when Texas is experiencing significant population and power demand growth. Texas is the nationwide leader in renewable energy production, according to federal and state data. At 2 p.m. on March 26, over half the energy generated in the state came from solar and wind power, records from the Electric Reliability Council of Texas show. From Kolkhorst's perspective, that's not necessarily a badge of honor. 'We're number one in wind, number one in solar; I'm not sure that's something to brag about,' she told KXAN in February. Kolkhorst's bill would require notice of applications and a public meeting on new wind and solar projects over 10 megawatts, which is enough to power about 2,500 homes during peak use, according to ERCOT. The law would also require Public Utility Commission permitting and environmental impact reviews by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. Fees would be put in a 'renewable energy generation facility cleanup fund.' Wind turbines would have to be set back at least 3,000 feet from neighboring property lines, unless a neighbor agreed to a waiver. Solar arrays would need to be at least 100 feet from next-door property lines and 200 feet from habitable structures. The new permitting rules would not apply to projects existing before Sept. 1, 2025, unless they increased power output by 5 megawatts, or 'materially' changed the placement of the generation facilities, according to the bill. As political winds shift, Austin braces for renewable energy impact Nine additional senators have signed onto the bill as authors. All of them are Republicans except one, Juan 'Chuy' Hinojosa, a South Texas Democrat. Kolkhorst's latest renewable regulation bill comes at a time of keen focus on such projects by President Donald Trump. On his first day in office, Trump singled out wind power in an executive order that paused new leases for wind projects on federal lands and waters. Speaking at his inauguration, Trump stated 'we're not going to do the wind thing. Wind – big ugly windmills.' And, in February, Trump created a National Energy Dominance Council that would focus on expanding 'all forms of reliable and affordable energy production.' The executive order establishing the council lists nearly a dozen of the country's 'amazing national assets,' including oil, natural gas, uranium, coal, biofuels, flowing water, geothermal heat and more. Solar and wind didn't make the cut. Kolkhorst said she agrees with Trump's moratorium on new federal wind projects. As a senator with a district that stretches to the Texas coast, Kolkhorst said she doesn't want to 'see them out in our bays and estuaries, these big windmills.' Texas' leadership has fostered renewable energy production for decades. In 2010, former Gov. Rick Perry – who would later serve as U.S. Secretary of Energy in Trump's first term – touted Texas as the country's largest renewable producer and praised forward-thinking Texas legislation that paved the way for renewable energy to blossom. In April 2024, Gov. Abbott also championed the state's wind energy production as the overarching 'all-of-the-above energy strategy.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
12-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Oregon legislature weighing trio of bills that could result in less oversight for convicted sex offenders
Lawmakers in Oregon are considering three bills that, if passed, would ease public safety requirements for convicted sex offenders and significantly downsize the state's backlog for reassessing offenders. Senate Bills 819, 820 and 821 all revolve around creating an easier process for the state Board of Parole and Post-Prison Supervision to classify convicted sex offenders, but the suggestions in the bills ultimately reduce the number of convicted sex offenders in the community that are being monitored. A letter from the Oregon District Attorneys Association (ODAA), which was listed as public testimony on the state legislature's website, to the Senate Committee on Judiciary asks that all three bills be reconsidered. Louisiana Bill To Castrate Sex Offenders Moving Toward Governor's Desk For Signature Senate Bill 819 aims to eliminate the hearing required when a sex offender's requirement to report or classification level is changed. The ODAA said it is concerned that the suggestion would make the process not as thorough as the Parole Board is currently required to consider ten criteria before making such decisions. The association is also worried that victims of sex offenders would not be allowed to give input on the decision if the hearing is no longer required. Read On The Fox News App The bill does state that the attorney general, district attorney or a victim could request a hearing, but the ODAA said lack of resources or notice could result in a hearing not being possible. "For instance, who is going to be tasked with tracking down all the victims years after these cases have been completed and the offender is seeking to get off the sex offender registration list," the letter states. Lawmaker's Bill Mandates Automatic Death Penalty For Child Sex Crimes Following Epstein Files Release Senate Bill 820 seeks to change the way sex offenders are currently classified by the state by limiting the criteria for who needs a classification. It suggests only the following sex offenders be classified: those with two or more convictions for sex crimes, those being released from the Department of Corrections and those younger than 35 years old on Jan. 1, 2026. "Some sex offenders may only have one crime conviction date, or one conviction for a sex crime, or a conviction for a lesser sex crime because of consideration from a plea agreement. This does not mean that they did not engage in serious conduct and have multiple sex crimes, victims, or dates of offense," the ODAA wrote, in part. Lastly, Senate Bill 821 suggests that the Dec. 1, 2026, deadline for the Parole Board to complete all classifications for existing sex offenders be removed. Another deadline is not provided, but the ODAA suggested it be postponed three years. "ODAA understands that handling sex offender relief or classification hearings is only one of the Parole Board's important duties and there are limited resources to get all the work done. At the same time, these are very important decisions for both the victims of these serious crimes and the community," the association wrote. Local outlets in Oregon report that the Parole Board is facing a massive backlog of unclassified sex offenders that cannot be handled. Of the 33,000 registered in the state, approximately 18,000 were unclassified in January 2025, according to The News-Review in Roseburg, Oregon. All three bills have received massive backlash from community members, family members of victims, law enforcement agencies and other advocates for women and children. Though a few people have shown support for the suggestions, including Democratic Gov. Tina Kotek. The Senate Committee on Judiciary is set to hold a hearing Thursday article source: Oregon legislature weighing trio of bills that could result in less oversight for convicted sex offenders
