Let’s Invest in Public Solar
Imagine energy bills below $100 indefinitely
This series of public policy ideas is intended to share simple ideas that directly improve people's lives. Imagine permanently lowering your energy bill below $100. It is time to see solar energy as the present; it is time to take back our agency from the energy marketplace with critical public investment.
In a world dependent on a global supply chain for oil and natural gas, we are currently experiencing what it means to depend on a finite resource as our most critical energy source. Yes, Texas has plenty of natural gas and oil, but those resources are not publicly owned and ultimately are priced at the global price points.
And when 20% of the global oil and natural gas output is suddenly blockaded, you can bet we will be experiencing major price increases in the next few months, perhaps years.
People forget, but the 2 week to 1 month disruption in trade during the pandemic increased prices globally for years after the initial disruption. The current disruption will undoubtedly create even more severe inflationary problems for the next few years.
And when we face obvious issues with our current energy supply chain. The solution has always been simple.
We need to turn to our eternal energy source in the sky, the sun. We can invest in our own energy production, even create revenue from it. Imagine a utility infrastructure that paid for itself and lowers your monthly bill.
America has forgotten how to invest in itself, and of course it isn’t an acciedent. Our political leaders have been influenced and bought by money interests, who demand control of our economy and political capability. This is the epicenter of why the United States is crumbling, even though we have continued to grow economically in the global markets.
But in an era where corruption is becoming more apparent, I believe more and more people will organize and fight to regain some sense of political representation. And in that atmosphere, I believe ideals that are bold and create a sense of pride can become politically viable.
San Antonio can become a leader in the country for such exceptional public investments that support families, culture, and the greater good. We can make energy bills something working families no longer worry about. And we can become the undisputed clean energy capital of the United States.
We need to take direct action to improve our quality of life. Policies or ideas that are too indirect or even wishful thinking, like subsidies or tax credits, don't change material reality for people. Investing in public solar infrastructure is a direct public benefit for our city; our people will be able to see noticeable benefits from this via a lower utility bill and cleaner air as we retire coal.
Imagine if we decided to build an additional 5,400 MW of solar energy capacity. Enough power to cover the entire city of San Antonio and provide energy to other regions at market rate. The surplus energy would become a revenue source for the city while simultaneously creating a fixed price below $100 per client.
Today, the city is operating around 1000 MW with an additional 600 MW in fulfillment. The city has been able to do this in spite of the harsh political environment surrounding solar energy investment. As people wake up and demand more representation, I believe an exceptional plan that multiplies those numbers, adding 5,400 MW for a total of 7,000 MW, would make San Antonio a net positive clean energy provider.
What are your thoughts? I invite you to explore possibilities.
This plan adds solar capacity sufficient to power over 1 million additional households, requiring approximately 5,400 MW of new solar generation and bringing San Antonio's total solar portfolio to 7,000 MW. At that scale, we produce more solar electricity than our entire customer base requires. The surplus gets sold into the ERCOT market.
Building 5,400 MW of new utility-scale solar capacity at $1.61 per watt, plus the parallel construction premium for a 10-year accelerated build, requires a total capital investment of approximately $9.3 to $9.7 billion. This is a 10-year investment structured across five phases, with each phase running in parallel rather than sequentially.
In conclusion
When we live in such a wealthy society where we spend billions of dollars every month abroad on policies that do not have any positive direct influence on our lives, and somehow those policies continue to backfire and directly hurt us.
Every time you pay for gas, and that bill is $5 to $10 more expensive, we actually paid billions just so you can pay more at the gas pump.
So I am here to propose a different way to invest and spend those billions.
With just $9 billion dollars, less than what has already been spent abroad this month alone, we could lower our utility bills below $100 perpetually.
Instead of wasting over $100 billion abroad, imagine if we invested a fraction of that cost in solar energy and directly put money back in your pocket.
Let me know your thoughts! I know you see the vision.
