Texas grid sees 35 percent increase in solar generation in 2023

The mix of energy sources to generate electricity in Texas went through a significant shift in 2023 as more solar was added to the grid, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.

While wind power remains the largest source of renewable power in Texas, the installation of new wind turbine capacity slowed in 2023. On the other hand, more solar generating capacity was added, often co-located with storage.

Overall, wind generation in 2023 remained essentially unchanged from 2022, whereas solar generation increased by 35 percent year over year. During 2023, Texas produced about 108,000 GWh from wind power and about 32,000 GWh from utility-scale solar generators.

With more solar capacity on the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) electricity grid, EIA expects less natural gas generation during the middle of the day when solar generation displaces it.

Further, EIA anticipates less use of natural gas in the summer when electricity demand is at its highest in Texas. However, natural gas will continue to be a key source of electricity generation in the evening when demand is high. Electricity output from natural gas-fired power plants is often greatest in the evening between 6:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m., as solar power generation declines later in the afternoon when the sun goes down. Wind generation also increases in the evening, limiting the need for additional generation from natural gas or other dispatchable resources.

In the winter of 2023-24, the hourly average solar generation increased to 3.3 gigawatthours (GWh), from 1.9 gigawatthours (GWh) the previous winter. The hourly average wind generation slightly decreased during the same period from 13.8 GWh to 13.2 GWh.

Further, in the summer of 2023, the hourly average solar generation was 5.1 GWh, up from 3.6 GWh in the summer of 2022. The hourly average wind generation remained unchanged during the same period at 11.2 GWh.