Statewide solar power measure passes in TX Senate

SB 545 revived under new bill

Wendy Natt, May 28, 09.

The lack of a statewide incentive program to defray some of the costs of installing solar systems on homes and businesses is keeping Texas from being one of the country’s top producers of solar power, according to a May 26 article in the Houston Chronicle. While some TX metropolitan regions like Dallas and Austin do offer monetary incentives to supplement existing federal incentives, Houston currently offers none, says the Chronicle.

This may soon change, however, as it appears from an Off the Kuff update that the Texas Senate just passed a set of attached bills that would include measures for statewide solar incentives and legislation to ensure that solar, wind, and biogas producers get a fair price for the power they produce. The new bill includes text from Senate Bill 921, House Bill 1243, and Senate Bill 545, which was thought to be dead. SB 545 provides $500 million in rebates statewide for home and business solar system projects.

If the bill passes in the House, then it will move on to the Governor’s office.