People in the solar industry like to say that Texas is second only to California in its potential for solar power – particularly West Texas, with its abundant sunshine.
But Texas has, nonetheless, done little to encourage the spread of solar – it has no statewide net metering policy, which requires utilities to buy the excess electricity produced by small residential and commercial solar systems. In states like California, net metering has encouraged the widespread adoption of solar energy and helped avoid electricity shortages and price spikes during periods of peak demand on hot summer days.
