Solar + batteries continue to grow rapidly in Texas: over 1.2 gigawatts added every month this year! Overall, more than 11 gigawatts were installed in Texas in the last 8 months, outpacing any other state or even region in the US. #txlege #txenergy 1/2

Solar + wind growth is outpacing global demand growth by more than 5% through the 3rd quarter of this year. Add nuclear and clean energy is outpacing demand by 10% per this Canary Media graphic. Michael Liebreich showed what 3% growth over 40 years would do... 1/2

America has two possible AI futures: the villain path and the hero path. One raises bills & destabilizes grids, the other lowers bills & strengthens the grid. Varun Sivaram explains why flexible data centers could help lower costs & boost reliability. 1/2

A new report from Grid Strategies shows projected 166GW demand growth in the US with over 30% in Texas. ERCOT demand growth is projected to be higher than PJM with 14 states including the data center hub in northern Virginia. #txlege #txenergy 1/2

Varun Sivaram says ERCOT is the model the world should copy. Texas has headroom, speed, and the chance to lead flexible AI load growth. We break it down on the Energy Capital Podcast.

There are two paths for AI data centers: hero and villain. Emerald AI founder & CEO Varun Sivaram and I talked through the two paths. If you want to understand how AI data centers can strengthen the grid and lower electric bills, give it a listen. 1/2

The Wall St. Journal published this chart which shows there’s about 40 gigawatts of power already built or under construction for AI data centers and another 70 gigawatts of planned AI demand for power in 2025 alone. Next year will almost certainly be even bigger. 1/2

More data centers are coming to Texas. Google announced $40 billion in investments, including 6.2 gigawatts of new supply and an investment in residential energy efficiency. Flexibility will be the key as these massive energy users come onto the grid. #txlege #txenergy 1/2

China is energy dominant. The US absolutely could provide a meaningful counterweight but it would require broad political consensus to pursue an all-of-the-above strategy that includes both molecules and electrons, renewables and lower emission fossils. 1/2

China is moving forward with renewables at a breakneck pace, but Texas could be a counterweight as we install 15-20 gigawatts of wind, solar, storage and gas per year. Unfortunately, federal big government overreach and red tape are slowing down the Texas energy miracle. 1/2

There's a new November electric demand record in Texas. It's 92 degrees in Austin – on November 7. There are 25,000 megawatts-worth of thermal plants offline for seasonal maintenance. Solar + wind providing >50% all day. Could see a battery record this evening. #txlege #txenergy

Gas turbines are scarce, and supply won’t catch up soon. I discuss with Nat Bullard why physics and lead times, not wishful thinking, set the pace, and how Texas can bridge the gap with renewables, storage, and smarter demand.

Texas is where the future of energy is being tested. In this week’s Halcyon post, @nathanielbullard.com joins @douglewin.bsky.social to dig into ERCOT’s soaring load queue, the state’s one-of-a-kind market, and what its data signals for the rest of the country. Read + listen 👇 hubs.ly/Q03RNcSl0

Texas severely lags on residential demand response, making reliability risks higher than they need to be; PUC Staff recommended higher profits for Texas' largest electricity utility; and Texas added 1.3 gigawatts of solar & storage in October. Link in reply. 1/2

Oncor wants a billion more per year in rate increases but "does not consider" DERs in its planning. DERs could save $8.5 billion over 10 years. It's time for regulators to require some form of competition and price discovery for the socialized distribution system. 1/2

1,200 Texans are already building America’s solar future. Doug Lewin talks with Dan Barcelo (T1 Energy) on how Texas could make every step of the solar supply chain, from polysilicon to panels, right here.

Texas doesn’t wait for permission to build. Doug Lewin and Dan Barcelo (T1 Energy) explore how Texas’ “build, build, build” spirit could turn distributed power into sovereign energy and why that matters for the next boom.

Over 75% of power installed last year globally was solar and over 75% of that was made in China. Can the US manufacture enough solar for our needs and maybe enough to export? I talked with T1 Energy CEO Dan Barcelo about building a solar supply chain in Texas. 1/2

ERCOT demand is up 5% year-over-year & 23% since 2021 with nearly all of the demand growth being met by wind, solar & batteries, according to EIA. Solar has gone from a barely perceptible sliver to nearly 15% in only 4 years, with most of the growth in the last year. 1/2

AI data centers aren't driving bills higher. In many places, rising demand is lowering costs as fixed costs are spread out to more users. 1/2

There are nearly 23 gigawatts of thermal plants offline for maintenance as Texas continues to have way above average heat. To pick up the slack, batteries are deploying for longer periods; they discharged over 3,000 megawatts for 2+ hours Tuesday evening. 1/2

Load growth lowers costs customers, according to a recent LBL / Brattle study. There is a lot more potential for residential bill reductions. More on that study, Base's billion dollar raise, Corpus Christi running out of water, and much more in the link in the reply 1/2

LBL/Brattle study shines light on factors driving power prices, notes medium price reductions from market-based renewables; also, reckoning with China's growth; Corpus Christi is running out of water; Base raises a billion, and much more: www.douglewin.com/p/market-ba...

Market-Based Renewables Lower Prices, Reading & Podcast Picks, October 19, 2025

Batteries are booming in Texas; LBL/Brattle study shines light on factors driving power prices; reckoning with China's growth; Corpus Christi is running out of water; and much more

douglewin.com

Don't miss Aurora's 2nd Annual Energy Transition Forum in NYC next week October 21. Link to register in the reply. 1/2

Electricity costs are increasing nationwide, but the idea that clean energy drives up prices? The data clearly doesn't support those claims. States that added renewables fastest generally have lower electricity costs.

NYC people: Don't miss DERvos this Friday! I'll be there and you should, too. Link to register in the reply. 1/2

Austin energy people: Don't miss this great event hosted by Gridraven tomorrow at Capital Factory downtown. #txenergy 1/2

Data shows Administration's claims on renewables are wrong, states with higher shares of renewables typically have lower electricity costs. Markets are choosing renewables based on price. Also, buyers' remorse from the Permian as oil prices plunge. 1/2

There are two new battery energy storage records in Texas: largest instantaneous amount of storage (8.63 gigawatts) and largest percent of load met by storage (13.2%). Battery energy storage is up 100% year-over-year. 1/2

Texas is about to get a 400 MW / 1.8 gigawatt-hour battery. The second and third phases will have 5-hour duration storage, the first project of its kind in Texas. I wrote today about how decisions over a new ancillary service could attract longer duration storage – or not. 1/2