Texas becomes a solar heavyweight: Record in renewable energies!

Texas becomes a solar heavyweight: Record in renewable energies!

Texas, USA - Texas has developed remarkably in the area of ​​renewable energies. In 2023, the state installed more solar energy and battery storage than any other energy source. This can be seen in the current figures of the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, which show that Texas added new battery storage capacity over 1,500 megawatts (MW) in 2023. By 2024, this number rose to 4,374 mW. The solar energy also recorded an impressive increase, from 4,570 MW in 2023 to almost 9,700 MW in 2024. In the summer of 2024, average solar production reached around 17,000 MW from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., compared to 12,000 MW in 2023.

The progress in battery storage is particularly impressive. In the evening, between 6 p.m. and 9 p.m., these delivered an average of 714 MW - a significant increase compared to the 238 MW of the previous year. On days with record heat, as on August 20, the battery feed was even able to reach 3,927 MW. This development is proof of the constant integration of renewable energies into the power grid of Texas, which is managed by the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) and supplies over 27 million consumers.

stable power grid without energy appeal

A remarkable aspect of the latest developments is that no energy appeal was necessary for saving electricity in the summer of 2024. This is in contrast to eleven appeals in the summer of 2023, which clearly reflected the challenges of the previous year. Between January and April 2025 there were also another 563 MW of new battery storage capacities, so Texas now had 8,461 MW -installed battery storage capacity and 12,780 MWh of energy storage. By the end of 2025, an additional 3 GW battery storage is being planned, which is another sign of growth in this sector.

Experiences abroad show how important battery storage is for the nutrition of demand and the stability of the network. According to a Statista Analysis, energy storage is crucial for the integration of renewable energies into the power supply. They help to compensate for energy scuctures, especially in times of insufficient production of wind and sun, which is known as dark downs.

Innovations in battery storage technology

The important role of battery storage is also visible through projects of larger companies such as RWE. [RWE] (https://www.erneuerenenergien.de/transformation/speicher/rwe-nimmt-drei-grosse-batterten-den-usa company) has put three large stores into operation in Texas and Arizona with a total output of 190 MW. These memory can store 361 megawatt hours of electricity and increase RWE's installed memory power to 512 MW in the USA. Additional projects with a total of 770 MW are already under construction.

cleverly coupled systems, such as the largest new Bright Arrow system with an output of 100 MW, which is connected to a 300 MW solar park, will be able to store excess solar power and later feed on the network. An example of this modern approach to the storage of renewable energies is also demonstrated by the Big Star system, which offers an energy supply of 80 MW.

Energy storage technology is becoming increasingly important because the proportion of renewable energies increases in electricity generation. Without efficient storage options, the desired renewal goals of a sustainable energy supply could be at risk. Developments in Texas are therefore not only important regionally, but also represent progress in global transformation to renewable energies.