A win for Texas renewables
Renewable energy is booming in Texas. The state is Number One for wind power and utility-scale solar and is Number Two for battery energy storage. This is great news for Texas, as clean energy reduces air pollution and saves water.
However, while wind and solar are still very popular with the public at large, there is a growing segment of opposition to renewable energy. In the 2025 Texas Legislative Session, some legislators pushed bills — including Senate Bill 819 — that could grind renewable energy development to a halt by instituting discriminatory and unpredictable permitting requirements. Environment Texas brought in Green Corps organizers to help stop these attacks on renewable energy.
Organizers traveled to Austin with a group of passionate volunteers and advocates to take a stand against SB 819. First, we dropped into the offices of Texas representatives and senators and provided them with campaign materials detailing the overwhelming public opposition to SB 819. Volunteer teams shared petitions signed by thousands of Texans, letters from community members and coalition sign-ons urging lawmakers to reject this harmful legislation. Our message was clear: Texas must continue to lead the way in renewable energy, not create roadblocks that stifle progress and raise costs for consumers. We joined dozens of other advocates to testify in opposition to SB 819, ensuring that lawmakers heard directly from the people whom this bill would impact. In total, 78 individuals registered to testify against SB 819, while only 14 registered in support.
This spring we had two organizers working with Environment Texas on the Save Texas Renewables Campaign.
Among those who testified were student volunteers from the University of Houston and University of Texas at Dallas who traveled to Austin to speak out against this bill. Their voices, alongside the voices of landowners, business owners and environmental advocates, demonstrated the broad coalition of opposition to SB 819. Each person who stepped up to the microphone highlighted the different ways the bill would harm Texas — whether by limiting private property rights, increasing energy costs or threatening our state’s economic leadership in renewables.
Lobby Day showed the power of grassroots advocacy. By speaking out and making our voices heard, we sent a strong message to legislators that Texans support clean energy. In a big win for clean energy, SB 819 ultimately died in the Texas House State Affairs Committee.
