
Clean energy industry to generate billions for Texas landowners and local governments
According to a new report published by the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA), large-scale solar, wind, and battery storage projects, both current and future, will contribute over 20 billion dollars in total tax revenues and pay Texas landowners 29.5 billion dollars over the life of the projects.
This report, prepared in collaboration with Conservative Texans for Energy Innovation (CTEI), the Advanced Energy Alliance (APA), and the Texas Solar and Storage Association (TSSA), highlights that over 75% of Texas counties are expected to receive tax revenues from wind, solar, or energy storage projects.
Additionally, landowners, local elected officials, and community leaders consider renewable energy projects favorable due to the stability provided by long-term, consistent income flows.
Landowners exercising their private property rights by hosting renewable energy and energy storage projects are receiving stable, reliable, and multigenerational income for their families. Meanwhile, communities hosting projects are benefiting from new tax revenues for schools, infrastructure, and services.
The continued growth of renewable energy and energy storage is important both for the state’s economy and the reliability of the grid. Renewable energy and energy storage projects, whether standalone or co-located, offer predictable and affordable energy for Texas homes and businesses.
“The Economic Impact of Renewable Energy and Energy Storage Investments in Texas,” written by renowned energy expert Dr. Joshua Rhodes, research scientist at the University of Texas at Austin and technology director at energy consulting firm IdeaSmiths LLC, includes investment data for 2024 and concludes that current and planned renewable energy and storage projects are expected to pay nearly 50 billion dollars in lifetime lease payments to landowners and local taxes.
“In many cases, the long-term income streams generated by renewable energy and energy storage lease contracts are helping rural Texans conserve land that has been in their families for generations,” said Dr. Rhodes. “And this is happening at a time of enormous growth in electricity demand, when we need every new megawatt we can generate, so renewable energy and energy storage projects have the added benefit of helping increase the reliability of the state’s power grid.”
Daniel Giese, SEIA's state director in Texas, confirmed that “this report helps explain why surveys show that the vast majority of Texans support the development of solar energy, believe solar is good for the economy, and think landowners should be able to do what they want with their land. The solar and storage industry continues Texas’ legacy as an energy leader, and we are proud that the tax revenues generated by solar and storage projects are helping local governments better serve Texans across the state.”
For his part, Matt Welch, state director of Conservative Texans for Energy Innovation, commented that “Texas’ record growth continues across all energy sectors, especially in large-scale renewable energy and energy storage. This report confirms the enormous economic impact that clean energy projects continue to have in every region of Texas.”
Dr. Michael Davis, former superintendent of the Cushing Independent School District in neighboring Nacogdoches County and now a school finance specialist at the Region 7 Education Service Center, praised the growth of renewable energy in East Texas. “It’s great to see these kinds of projects coming to our region,” he said. “For smaller rural schools, the additional income can make a significant difference, especially in funding enrichment and construction projects that otherwise might be out of reach.”
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