this post was submitted on 22 May 2026
372 points (99.5% liked)

Solarpunk

8970 readers
4 users here now

The space to discuss Solarpunk itself and Solarpunk related stuff that doesn't fit elsewhere.

What is Solarpunk?

Join our chat: Movim or XMPP client.

founded 4 years ago
MODERATORS
ex_06@slrpnk.net
poVoq@slrpnk.net
SteveKLord@slrpnk.net
372
Solar electricity is poised to overtake coal in—of all places—Texas (www.motherjones.com)
submitted 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) by pelespirit@sh.itjust.works to c/solarpunk@slrpnk.net
51 comments fedilink hide all child comments
 

For the first time ever, solar is set to generate more electricity than coal in the power market managed by the Electric Reliability Council of Texas. Nobody is building new coal power plants in the state, but developers are adding more solar there than anywhere else in the country. As a result of those diverging trajectories, the federal government expects ERCOT will receive 78 billion kilowatt-hours from solar in 2026, and just 60 from coal.

This trend does have seasonal variations. Last year, solar output beat coal on a monthly basis from March through August, and this year it is expected to do so from March through December, per the US Energy Information Administration at the Department of Energy.

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
[–] gandalf_der_12te@discuss.tchncs.de 1 points 1 week ago

yeah, IIRC, in 2000, renewable oil from rape seed was still cheaper than fossil oil. however renewable oil was banned politically sothat there's no food vs fuel debate tearing society apart. the question really is more complicated than simply the cost.

that being said, solar panels can be put anywhere, including near big cities, and transporting electricity over distances has also gotten easier in the last 200 years, so that's not an argument for coal anymore.