Instead of diving deep, we collected 10 interesting stories and happenings from around Texas over the past few weeks which you might have missed. Below are 10 Texas solar, storage, and grid stories I thought were worth mentioning (and thanks for reading, friend!):

Meta doubles down on Texas solar

Big tech keeps voting with its feet -and its balance sheet. Solar keep winning.

Meta signed another long-term power purchase agreement tied to a 176 MW solar project in Texas, reinforcing a trend we’re seeing across data centers and large employers: Texas solar is now core infrastructure, not a feel-good add-on companies use to merely check the “green” box.

https://www.renews.biz/109827/zelestra-signs-new-meta-ppa-for-texas-solar/

Why it matters: The same grid that serves hyperscalers serves homes and businesses. Large-scale solar helps stabilize prices and capacity for everyone downstream.

*We’ve covered META/Facebook’s solar and renewables strategy and actions here on The Feed previously

Texas adds over 500 MWh of battery storage

Solar’s quiet but powerful sidekick.

Two new Texas battery projects totaling 503 MWh of storage were announced,  This is exactly the kind of capacity that helps smooth peaks, manage outages, and keep the grid flexible when the grid gets stressed-out like it did last week during the icy-snowy weather.

https://www.manilatimes.net/2026/02/05/tmt-newswire/pr-newswire/e-storage-and-sunraycer-announce-503-mwh-battery-energy-storage-projects-in-texas/2272681

Translation: Grid-scale battery storage is here, it’s scaling, and it’s making solar (and wind) far more useful after sunset.

Texas grid performs better during winter stress

Here’s a quiet *win* we all care about!

The Texas grid handled recent cold weather far better than past events, thanks largely to new generation capacity (yes, including solar and storage).

https://www.texastribune.org/2026/01/29/texas-winter-storm-uri-anniversary-power-grid-ercot/

*We’ve reported extensively and regularly on Texas’s grid stress problems on the past several years here at The Feed

No victory laps, but real progress is real progress. Let’s hope ERCOT and the various state utilities keep investing where it counts -infrastructure.

Texas solar keeps breaking growth records

At this point it’s almost boring -except it’s not.

Data from industry and economic analysts continues to show Texas leading the nation in new solar capacity additions, outpacing nearly everyone else.

https://www.industrialinfo.com/news/article/texas-relies-on-solar-dallas-fed-says–353015

Fun fact: This is happening without net metering mandates or flashy state incentives. Texas is just doing the right thing here. *We’ve written a lot about various aspects of solar market growth in Texas recently

Solar output in Texas is catching up to coal

This would’ve sounded impossible a decade ago.

Texas solar generation is now regularly rivaling coal output, especially during peak demand hours.

https://energynow.com/2025/12/texas-makes-clean-power-breakthrough-as-solar-output-overtakes-coal/

We love this trend here at NATiVE!

A major Texas anti-ESG law gets struck down

Here’s some policy news that actually matters in this space.

A U.S. judge ruled Texas’s anti-ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) investment law unconstitutional, removing uncertainty that had been chilling clean-energy financing.

https://www.reuters.com/legal/government/texas-anti-esg-law-declared-unconstitutional-by-us-judge-2026-02-05/

We think our Texas lawmakers are doing the right thing here.

Texas cuts red tape on rooftop solar

This one’s for homeowners.

A new Texas law reduces permitting and inspection friction for residential solar installations -our permitting team brough this to my attention this week.

https://environmentamerica.org/texas/updates/environment-texas-celebrates-new-law-that-cuts-red-tape-on-solar-panels/

Less paperwork = faster installs = lower soft costs and timely project completion. This is a win all-around!!

San Antonio utility seeks 600 MW of solar

More municipal power demand is still a very real goal for most parts of Texas. Planning for infrastrucure growth is time-consuming and complicated -with lots of moving parts.

CPS Energy issued a major request for 600 MW of solar capacity -enough to run thousands of homes and businesses.

https://www.utilitydive.com/news/cps-energy-solar-procurement-ppas-ercot-trump/806047/

While NATiVE Solar doesn’t build grid-scale solar farms, we still love to see this happening for our customers within the CPS Energy region.

Data centers are reshaping Texas power demand

AI doesn’t run on vibes. It runs on electrons. Lots and lots of electrons. The expected power demands of newly announced AI datacenters is absolutely staggering.

And the explosion of ddata-center growth in Texas is forcing serious conversations about how we generate power responsibly and affordably. Everybody seems to have something to say about this but certain themes keep rising to the top of the discussion.

https://news.constructconnect.com/renewable-energy-is-key-to-powering-texas-data-centers

Solar + storage keeps showing up as the least-bad answer. Cool! :)   *We’ve done some deeper dives on this topic in recent months here @ The Feed

Clean energy is fueling Texas jobs & manufacturing

This part sometimes gets overlooked.

North Texas and other regions are seeing manufacturing (and employment growth!!) growth  tied directly to clean-energy availability and price stability.

https://www.dallasnews.com/business/energy/2026/01/16/a-manufacturing-renaissance-is-happening-in-north-texas-some-say-clean-energy-is-to-thank/

Energy choices shape local economies. Full stop.

The big picture

Here’s the high-level patterns we keep seeing week after week when we look around our state here at NATiVE :

• Solar is no longer “alternative” in Texas -it’s structural

• Storage is quietly becoming the grid’s “shock absorber”

• Policy is messy, but the momentum for renewables is real and unstoppable at this point

• Reliability and affordability are driving adoption more than ideology

That’s good news whether you’re powering a home, a hospital, or a whole lot of servers.

More soon. :)

Solar energy has emerged as a vital player in the quest for sustainable and clean energy solutions across the globe. Yet while the American solar industry is experiencing vast growth, the majority of today’s solar panels are manufactured in China. As a result, there is a growing movement to bring solar manufacturing back to American soil to decrease dependence on foreign energy sources and create more jobs in the United States.

Current Solar Manufacturing: Dominance, Workers’ Rights, and Trade Tariffs
As it stands, around 80% of all solar cells and assembled solar panels are manufactured in China. The country also produces 97% of the world’s solar wafers. Reducing dependency on China has thus become a top priority in order for the US to achieve energy independence and security while striving to reach net-zero goals. China’s dominance also raises concerns regarding workers’ rights and environmental sustainability. Many Chinese manufacturers have faced scrutiny for poor labor conditions and lax environmental regulations.

For these reasons, in 2011, the US began imposing tariffs on Chinese solar panel imports, which were suffocating US manufacturers because of their extremely low costs. Nevertheless, in efforts to boost the US solar industry, the Biden administration announced in 2022 that it would waive tariffs on solar panels imported from Cambodia, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam for 24 months, reducing uncertainty for the U.S. solar energy companies. This measure faced criticism from some who believe that the solar panels coming from these countries are really Chinese products with a misleading country of origin certification.

Biden Bringing Solar Manufacturing Home: Boosting Jobs and Energy Independence
Recognizing the need to reduce reliance on foreign energy sources and create more domestic jobs, President Biden has prioritized reshoring solar manufacturing. By bringing manufacturing back to the United States through clean energy incentives, the solar industry can create a substantial number of jobs (85,000 in 10 years, according to SEIA), contributing to economic growth. The administration aims to diversify the country’s energy mix and reduce reliance on foreign energy sources, bolstering energy security and insulating American families from the volatile price shifts of global oil markets.

Meeting Climate Goals: The Role of Asian Solar Panels and the Need for Domestic Manufacturing
To meet climate goals and transition to renewable energy sources, the United States currently relies on China’s inexpensive solar panels. Until domestic manufacturing can be ramped up significantly, discontinuing the purchase of Asian panels would result in the loss of many renewable energy projects and related job opportunities. This was Biden’s argument for vetoing recent legislation that would reinstate tariffs on certain solar panels. His administration says that buying solar panels from China in the short term is necessary to make good on the president’s efforts to mitigate climate change. In other words, a transitional period is needed to build American solar manufacturing capabilities, ensuring a smooth and sustainable shift towards domestically produced solar panels.

Solar Jobs for Americans: Beyond Manufacturing
In addition to manufacturing, the solar industry creates job opportunities across various other sectors. Installers, technicians, designers, and engineers are among the professionals needed to support the fast-growing industry. The installation and maintenance of solar panels requires a skilled workforce, contributing to job growth in communities throughout the country. Embracing solar energy thus opens up avenues for economic prosperity and career development for American workers.

Boosting the Economy and Personal Finances: The Benefits of Going Solar
Going solar not only bolsters the American economy by creating jobs, it’s also an investment in citizens’ health and future. By transitioning to renewable energy, the United States can reduce its dependence on fossil fuels, leading to improved air quality and environmental sustainability. Furthermore, adopting solar energy can significantly reduce electricity bills for homeowners and businesses, resulting in long-term financial savings.

Moreover, the Biden administration’s clean energy incentives, such as the federal solar tax credit, make it even more affordable for individuals and organizations to go solar. This incentive allows for a 30% reduction in the upfront costs of solar panel installation, making solar a more appealing and financially viable option for many.

NATiVE Solar: A Full Service Solar Provider
Locally owned and operated, NATiVE Solar is committed to delivering profitable and intelligent solar solutions to Texas homeowners. Our commitment is to customer experience and sustainability by utilizing best in class technology, optimized financing, customized design, and sophisticated and trustworthy operations, maintenance and monitoring.

If understanding the benefits of solar has swayed you into considering gaining personal independence from electric providers and the aging Texas grid, look no further. NATiVE has over 15 years of experience in the industry and can help answer any questions you might have related to going solar. Save money, boost the economy, help make the grid more resilient, and make an investment into the health of the planet and future generations by going solar! #TakeYourPowerBack with NATiVE Solar.

The solar industry has grown rapidly over recent years, and the recent passage of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) will continue to bolster the industry to new heights.

SOLAR WORKFORCE GROWTH
New investments in clean energy are projected to create hundreds of thousands of quality jobs and business opportunities for Americans all across the country. Many of these jobs include solar design, installation, and maintenance, but will further be expanded by the IRA to include manufacturing opportunities as domestic production of solar components grows. Increasing America’s clean energy manufacturing capacity will reduce shipping and import costs while insulating the industry from global supply chain disruption and helping to secure the safety and reliability of the electric grid. Estimates show that the domestic production incentives will create 40,000 direct solar manufacturing jobs by the end of the decade, more than doubling today’s workforce.

The solar industry set a goal to account for 30% of all U.S. electricity generation by 2030, and the historic IRA will be a leading reason that this target is reached. However, to achieve this goal, the solar workforce itself must first be expanded in order to have enough hands capable of building residential, commercial, and industrial solar projects.

SALARY AND STABILITY
Jobs in the solar industry are well-paying and will remain stable alongside the industry’s continued growth. The average salary for solar energy jobs in the U.S. is $110,744 as of August 29th, 2022, but the salary range typically falls between $93,594 and $126,657. Salary ranges can vary widely depending on a number of factors including education, certifications, additional skills, and experience.

SAFETY IN THE WORKPLACE
Like many construction jobs, solar installation and maintenance can present a number of hazards for workers. Four significant hazards exist, including lifting, trips and falls, electrical, and ladders.

Lifting panels can be challenging due to their weight and awkward size. Improperly lifting panels can cause strains, muscle pulls, and potentially serious back injuries. Technicians must take care to avoid injury by using carts, forklifts, or other non-manual forms of lifting, using gloves to improve grip, keeping the load as close to the body as possible, and avoiding twisting the body while carrying panels.

Trips and falls are serious hazards as they can cause severe injury or even death. For this reason, any worker that is six feet or more above a lower level must have some form of protection. This can come in different forms such as guards around edges, covers over holes, safety nets, or personal fall arrest systems (harnesses). To avoid falling over edges, workers must identify all potential slip, trip, and fall hazards before starting, keep work areas clear of debris and obstructions, and ensure that work surfaces are free from ice, oil, water, and other substances.

Electrical hazards are also ever-present when working on solar systems and come from two sources: the utility company and the solar array itself. Even when the building’s main breaker is shut off, the solar system will continue producing power. Risks here include thermal burns, muscle, nerve, and tissue damage, falls from surprise shock, and potentially death. To avoid these risks, it’s crucial that workers inspect equipment to ensure it’s in safe working condition, work at safe distances from power lines, cover panels with opaque sheets to “turn off” the sun’s light, test circuits to ensure they are de-energized before working on them, never disconnect any equipment that’s under load, and wear appropriate personal protective equipment for electrical safety.

Ladders are the last major hazard that solar installers and technicians must consider. Falls from ladders can cause injuries ranging from mild to severe, and may be fatal. To avoid injury, workers must first inspect ladders closely to make sure they are safe for use, use fiberglass ladders with non-conductive side rails near power sources, place the ladder on dry, level ground, and always maintain three points of contact when climbing the ladder.

BRINGING SOLAR EDUCATION TO SCHOOLS
In order to keep up with demand for more workers in the solar industry, NATiVE has partnered with several schools including Del Valle Opportunity Center in Austin and Bryan CTE Complex in Bryan, Texas to create solar apprenticeship programs for their students. The skills and certifications earned from these programs enable students to enter the solar workforce directly out of high school, leading to well-paying jobs and major room for advancement. Programs like these can help bolster the workforce from the bottom up and help America achieve its clean energy goals.

LOOKING FOR YOUR NEW CAREER OR ADVANCEMENT?
Are you looking to become an entry-level solar technician or installer? What about a solar designer? NATiVE is currently hiring for these positions and more. Visit our careers page for additional information and to apply.
#TakeYourPowerBack

Historically, Career & Technical Education (CTE) programs have been at the forefront of workforce training and development. In the early 1900s, high schools would equip students with jobs in the trades that had a high earning potential. High school juniors and seniors would often opt for work-study programs and were able to take the skills they learned beyond the classroom. Students had options to avoid college debt and graduate with certifications, needed skills, and a glimpse of freedom as they enter the workforce.

What about Solar Jobs?
Today, solar PV has proven to be a catalyst for change in clean energy solutions as we build a more sustainable and resilient community. Nonetheless, training for solar jobs has fallen short. While the Department of Energy touted a lofty goal of 30% solar PV by 2030 (currently at ~4% PV), the Department of Labor failed to approve a solar apprenticeship program. The net effect is that schools across the nation have zero funding capabilities to train for solar jobs, no money to buy the needed supplies, and no standardized curriculum or educational methods. In contrast, the Department of Labor did approve a wind apprenticeship program.

As a result of the lack of coordinated strategy to achieve America’s energy goals, schools, CTE directors, and administrators were left perplexed and challenged to provide their own funding and training. Furthermore, schools have no or very limited mechanisms for reimbursement for graduates entering the workforce with certifications and licenses through the Texas Education Agency. Those interested in offering a solar focused class are therefore seeking help from industry experts to mix and match solar training curriculum. This dysfunctional approach to the tremendous workforce demand and clean energy career opportunities ultimately leaves our electrical infrastructure and energy security at risk of failure amidst increasing cyber and physical threats due to politics and climate change.

Innovative ISDs Step up and Capitalize on the Opportunity, but what about Scale?
Bryan ISD, near College Station, currently has a 100 acre CTE complex that services three surrounding ISDs (Caldwell ISD, Snook ISD, and College Station ISD) as well as the students at Bryan ISD. Of the students enrolled in the two year CTE program, 80% come from economically disadvantaged backgrounds.

Current CTE programs, like the one available at Bryan ISD, are making a comeback and returning to the forefront of industry trends. Not only are they teaching students construction (electrical, plumbing, carpentry, and welding) and automotive trades, they are also now incorporating engineering, programming, and robotics education as well. Solar is a natural fit to join the curriculum as we move into the future of alternative energy production.

Adding Solar Education to the Mix
Solar education, which includes sales, system design, installation, O&M service, and even cybersecurity offers students the opportunity to lead the transition to clean energy while building a critical infrastructure workforce. There is tremendous demand for more trade skills in the solar industry and with competitive pay rates, students directly out of high school can begin their journey of becoming an agent for change as we accelerate alternative energy solutions.

CTE programs such as the one at Bryan ISD allow students to get the advanced education they need to enter specialized industries without attending a four-year college. However, the program can also serve students who want to continue on and get a college education in the future. An advanced knowledge of industry practices can help students decide which avenues they do or do not want to pursue as they journey through their unique college experience.

NATiVE Solar is Excited to Announce a Partnership with Bryan ISD and we look forward to making an impact together as we build resilient communities in Aggieland. Together we will accelerate a critical infrastructure workforce through schools and innovators in the greater Bryan College Station community. Read more about our solar pioneers at BISD and download our Solar In Schools flier below.