Thread by @douglewinenergy

Texas' energy woes will persist, and costs will be higher, unless demand side resources like #energyefficiency and #demandresponse, #solar and #storage, are deployed at scale. Alison Siverstein wrote a great piece in @UtilityDive about this. A quick 🧵

utilitydive.com/news/fix-texas…

Silverstein is a former FERC & PUC staffer w/ decades of energy experience. She wrote that Texas policymakers and the @PUCTX and @ERCOT_ISO need to "shore up grid reliability by aggressively managing electricity demand, not just throwing money at supply-side measures." #txenergy

She writes that over the last decade TX population increased 16% while energy use increased 20%. Much of that increase is driven by inefficient homes & buildings. We have #energyefficiency programs in Texas that deliver savings at 1 penny per kWh. Try to buy energy for that!

Yet these highly effective programs (which increase jobs in Texas communities of all kinds and save consumers money) are grossly underused. the @PUCTX increased efficiency in 2010 and #txlege in 2011. Nothing since. This session, #txlege neglected efficiency again. #txenergy

"A 2017 study for the U.S. Department of Energy estimated that Texas is capturing less than 10% of the cost-effective energy efficiency available..."

Why? It would cost money, of course, as will just about every solution under consideration.

energy.gov/eere/analysis/…

The @PUCTX's independent evaluator found #energyefficiency programs save $2.70 for every $1 spent.

"And unlike new power plants, energy efficiency investments will save Texans money as they strengthen grid reliability and improve citizens' comfort and health every single day."

On 7/26, @PUCTX will hold a workshop to look at critical issues, including how load shedding can be done better. They should also look at improving #energyefficiency & #demandresponse which will both prevent future outages & make homes more survivable when they happen. #txlege