Increasing the Texas Renewable Energy Standard: Economic and Employment Benefits

The Union of Concerned Scientists analyzed two proposals to increase the Texas Renewable Energy Standard (RPS): a 20 percent by 2020 target (TREIA proposal) and a 10,000 MW by 2025 target (TEPC proposal). Using the EIA's National Energy Modeling System, the analysis found that both proposals would lower consumer energy bills, create jobs, and reduce CO2 emissions, with the 20 percent proposal yielding significantly higher benefits. By 2025, the 20 percent standard is projected to save consumers $5.6 billion in total energy bills, create 38,290 new jobs, and reduce annual power plant CO2 emissions by 20 million metric tons.

• The 20 percent by 2020 RPS proposal would provide substantially greater economic and environmental benefits than the 10,000 MW by 2025 proposal, stimulating a total of 17,820 MW of renewable energy development by 2025.
• Increasing the RPS would lower consumer costs by creating competition with natural gas power plants. Under the 20 percent standard, total consumer energy bills (electric and natural gas) would be nearly $5.6 billion lower by 2025, with average electricity prices becoming nine percent lower than business-as-usual levels by that year.
• The 20 percent RPS is projected to create 38,290 new jobs by 2025 across manufacturing, construction, operation, and maintenance. This represents a net increase of 24,650 jobs compared to fossil fuels, as renewable energy would create 2.8 times more jobs than fossil fuels.
• Rural Texas would see significant financial gains under the 20 percent standard by 2025, including $9.4 billion in new capital investment, $1.1 billion in new property tax revenues for local school districts, $542 million for biomass energy producers, and $154 million in wind power land lease royalties.
• The 20 percent RPS would reduce annual power plant CO2 emissions by approximately 20 million metric tons (MMT) by 2025, which is 7.4 percent below business-as-usual levels. In contrast, the 10,000 MW proposal would reduce annual emissions by 5 MMT, or 1.7 percent below business-as-usual.

APA

Union of Concerned Scientists (2005). Increasing the Texas Renewable Energy Standard: Economic and Employment Benefits. https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/2019-09/exec_sum_-_texas_res_report_-_final.pdf

Chicago

Union of Concerned Scientists. Increasing the Texas Renewable Energy Standard: Economic and Employment Benefits. 2005. https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/2019-09/exec_sum_-_texas_res_report_-_final.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Union of Concerned Scientists |title=Increasing the Texas Renewable Energy Standard: Economic and Employment Benefits |date=February 2005 |url=https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/2019-09/exec_sum_-_texas_res_report_-_final.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{unionofconcernedscientists2005increasing, author = {{Union of Concerned Scientists}}, title = {{Increasing the Texas Renewable Energy Standard: Economic and Employment Benefits}}, institution = {Union of Concerned Scientists}, year = {2005}, month = feb, url = {https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/2019-09/exec_sum_-_texas_res_report_-_final.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }