Commission Agenda Item 11
November 7, 2024

• Item Type: Briefing
• Presenter: Laura Zebehazy

Renewable Energy and White Paper Update

I. Executive Summary:

Staff will update the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission (Commission) on renewable energy development in Texas and summarize the drafting process and contents of a white paper reviewing the impacts of wind and solar energy on wildlife, habitat, and public lands. In November 2023, the Commission requested a white paper assessing the impacts of renewable energy development on natural resources and visitor experiences on public lands. Renewable energy development and operations can impact wildlife populations, associated habitats, and state public lands. Texas continues to lead the nation in wind energy development, and trails only California in solar energy development. Staff will present details on renewable energy development in Texas and Texas Parks and Wildlife Department’s (TPWD) involvement in national initiatives, explain TPWD’s role in reviewing renewable energy projects, and provide an overview of the renewable energy white paper.

II. Discussion:

Renewable energy sources are a significant contributor of the electricity generated in Texas, and Texas continues to lead the nation in annual renewable energy power installations. Since the 1990s, wind energy development has dominated the Texas renewable energy market; however, future projections indicate that solar energy development will soon surpass wind energy development in the state. As of August 2024, the United States Wind Turbine Database reported that Texas has 19,137 turbines, totaling approximately 40 gigawatts (GW) of capacity. New wind energy facilities are being proposed in new regions of the state that were previously considered less suitable for development. In 2023, the state installed 6.5 GW of solar energy facilities, bringing its total solar capacity to nearly 23 GW.

Other areas of growth and interest in Texas’ renewable energy industry include offshore wind and battery energy storage systems (BESS). In August 2023, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) auctioned off a wind lease area off the coast of Lake Charles, Louisiana. Although interest in commercial wind leases off the Texas coast has been limited, BOEM received an unsolicited bid in July 2024 for wind lease areas in federal waters near Matagorda Island. Battery storage, or BESS, enables energy from solar and wind to be stored and then released when power is needed most. According to data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration, Texas is projected to install 6.5 GW of utility-scale batteries in 2024, increasing the state’s total installed capacity to approximately 10 GW. These facilities are either being built along with new wind and solar facilities, retrofitted into facilities under development, or as stand-alone infrastructure.

Texas Parks and Wildlife Code section 12.0011 directs TPWD to provide recommendations on or information about protecting fish and wildlife resources to entities that approve, permit, license, or construct development projects or make decisions affecting those resources. At present, staff in the Wildlife Division’s Ecological and Environmental Planning Program (EEPP) engage with some, but not all, renewable energy facility project proponents, providing recommendations and beneficial management practices that when implemented will avoid or minimize impacts to natural resources. Additionally, the EEPP actively participates in and contributes to national initiatives that address the concerns and needs of state fish and wildlife agencies regarding renewable energy development.

In November 2023, the Commission requested a white paper on the impacts of renewable energy development on the state’s natural resources and public lands. Staff from the Wildlife and State Parks Divisions reviewed current and foundational research findings on solar and wind energy development, focusing on studies directly related to Texas or those with implications for the state’s wildlife, public lands, and other natural resource concerns. Staff will provide a summary of the development process and key contents of the white paper.