Texas Solar Sunset

There’ll be no new Texas rebates for solar panels after all: That combined-solar bill that appeared to have support from legislators in both parties died at the end of the session from a procedural manuever.

In its last incarnation, the legislation would have given rebates over the next 5 years to Texas homeowners and businesses who install solar panels, and required electric companies to pay a fair market price for electricity pumped back into the grid by its solar-powered customers.

The only solar-related legislation that passed, according to Luke Metzger of Environment Texas, was a provision to let homeowners finance their solar installations with help from the local government, and pay back the cost via extra property taxes over 20 years.