Commentary: Renewable energy helps make Texas stronger

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Asher Savel

Voters should urge state leaders to act and invest into Texas’ sustainable power grid and consider diversifying its portfolio of renewable sources to save our summers.

Summer is coming.

If "Game of Thrones" were anything like San Antonio, Ned Stark would fear these words more. Energy is the most vital commodity to every citizen, so why is our government setting the state's energy grid up for failure?

The Electric Reliability Council of Texas, or ERCOT, estimates that energy demand will be at an all-time high, and the grid can handle it at capacity. However, the grid is more fragile than ever. A short period of extreme weather or scalding temperatures could lead to brownouts and power-plant breakdowns, all of which endanger the lives of Texans.

So, what is our government doing?

In short, the state insists on going backward, away from sustainable energy sources and toward more nonrenewables. This plan worsens the grid in the long run and makes the weather more dangerous by contributing to climate change. As of this month, the Texas power grid will still rely on renewable energy sources to meet peak demand. By rerouting funding from renewables, Texas is shooting itself in the foot.

Currently, Senate Bill 6 will make this happen. Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick is pushing to develop a "backup generator" of a 10,000-megawatt natural gas plant for when renewables are unreliable. Senate Bill 7 recommends developing larger batteries for renewables and natural gas to supplement instability in renewable power sources. While these policies may have the welfare of Texans in mind, they fail to invest more in the reliability of renewable sources. They are taking the easy way out. Texas needs to do more.

Stabilizing power is vital to summers in San Antonio.

Heat is no joke. I’ll never forget that feeling of the first blast of frigid air after sweltering outside at my YMCA summer camp all day. Trips to Garner State Park and Canyon Lake would be impossible without my car's air conditioner. More seriously, I’ve had friends whose grandparents were hospitalized due to heat exhaustion after their air conditioners went down.

But while I’m glad the government is doing something about our fragile power grid, fossil fuels are not the long-term solution.

Texas leads the nation in overall renewable energy production, however, it also generates an outsized amount of electricity from fossil fuels. Renewables only account for 26 percent of the state's total electricity production, according to Yale Climate Connections.

A more renewable Texas is a wealthier, higher job-creating, more sustainable and self-reliant state. To make renewable energy more reliable, the government should invest in greater grid-scale battery storage and more energy-efficient buildings. Texas should also consider diversifying its portfolio of renewable sources, as there are no hydroelectric, geothermal or solar thermal power sources in Texas. If the state diversifies more, one power source will always be available, even when another fails.

We must continue to support renewable energy in Texas to protect ourselves and our children. We should urge our state senators to act and encourage further investment into our sustainable power grid.

Asher Savel is a student at Bowdoin College who is double majoring in environmental studies and government/legal studies. He was raised in San Antonio and graduated from Tom C. Clark High School.