SEIA's Statement: New Brattle Group Report Shows Solar Energy as a Solution in Texas to Help Address Summer Electricity Challenges

Houston Chronicle

As Texas braces for predicted tighter electricity reserves and higher electricity rates in the state this summer, a new report shows that adding solar capacity to the Texas electricity grid would result in lower wholesale electricity prices for Texas customers.

Analysts at The Brattle Group energy consultancy reviewed data from the Texas electricity market from the summer of 2011 and analyzed how prices would have been impacted if solar photovoltaic (PV) systems had been added to the generation mix. Their report concludes that adding photovoltaic solar to the Texas electricity grid in the summer of 2011 could have saved customers an average of $155 to $281 per megawatt hour (MWh) and that avoiding fuel, operations and maintenance costs associated with fossil fuels plans could have saved customers an additional $52/MWh. Taken together, the total customer benefits of adding solar PV to the Texas grid was valued at more than $520 million.