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Solar power in Texas, a portion of total energy in Texas, includes utility-scale solar power plants as well as local distributed generation, mostly from rooftop photovoltaics. The western portion of the state especially has abundant open land areas, with some of the greatest solar and wind potential in the country.[2][3] Development activities there are also encouraged by relatively simple permitting and significant available transmission capacity.[4][5]
The capacity of large solar farms in Texas has increased substantially in recent years. Facilities sized between 5 and 50 MW began to come online throughout the state between about 2010 and 2015.[6][7][8][9] Since then, progressively larger farms have been constructed in the western counties, with the electricity being contracted by utilities which serve the more populated central and eastern regions.[10][11][12][13] The three largest operating facilities as of 2018 are the 180 MW Upton[10] farm in Upton County, and the 157 MW Roserock[11] and 154 MW Buckthorn[12] farms in Pecos County. Smaller installations by individuals, cooperatives, and businesses are also continuing to add significant capacity, with some of top contractors in the state including Meridian Solar, Longhorn Solar, Axium Solar and Native.[14]
Using data available from the U.S. Energy Information Agency's Electric Power Annual 2017[21] and "Electric Power Monthly Data Browser",[22][23][24][25][26] the following tables summarize Texas's solar energy posture.
Beginning with the 2014 data year, the Energy Information Administration (EIA) has estimated the distributed solar generation and distributed solar capacity.[27] These non-utility-scale appraisals evaluate that Texas generated the following amounts of additional solar energy:
Estimated distributed solar generation in Texas[28]
Covering half of the roof with 10% efficient photovoltaics is sufficient to generate all of the electricity used by an average family in Texas. Solar farms are more cost effective in West Texas, where insolation levels are greater.[29] The US uses about 100 quadrillion British thermal units (29,000 TWh) of energy each year.[30] This number is expected to be reduced by 50% by 2050, due to efficiency increases.[31] Texas has the potential to generate 22,787 TWh/year, more than any other state, from 7.743 TWofconcentrated solar power plants, using 34% of Texas,[32] and 131.2 TWh/year from 97.8 GW of rooftop photovoltaic panels, 34.6% of the electricity used in the state in 2013.[33] The 1,310-megawatt Samson Solar farm is under construction in northeastern Texas.[34]
Texas electricity consumption in 2010 was 358.458 TWh, more than any other state, and 9.5% of the US total.[35]
^Sherwood, Larry (August 2012). "U.S. Solar Market Trends 2011"(PDF). Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC). p. 17. Archived from the original(PDF) on 2012-09-06. Retrieved 2012-08-16.
^Sherwood, Larry (June 2011). "U.S. Solar Market Trends 2010"(PDF). Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC). Retrieved 2011-06-29.
^Sherwood, Larry (July 2010). "U.S. Solar Market Trends 2009"(PDF). Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC). Archived from the original(PDF) on 2010-09-25. Retrieved 2010-07-28.
^Sherwood, Larry (July 2009). "U.S. Solar Market Trends 2008"(PDF). Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC). p. 16. Archived from the original(PDF) on 2009-11-23. Retrieved 2010-07-24.
^Sherwood, Larry (July 2012). "U.S. Solar Market Trends 2012"(PDF). Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC). p. 16. Retrieved 2013-10-11.
