At first glance, Texas and Puerto Rico appear almost nothing alike. They are thousands of miles from one another, and have vastly different economies, cultures, languages, and political landscapes. But they do have at least one thing in common: Both are hotspots for the renewable energy revolution that is well underway and demonstrate that renewable energy is more reliable than fossil fuels, despite recent regulatory rollbacks and growing anti-renewable rhetoric in Washington. What’s happening in Texas and Puerto Rico shows the potential for renewables to meet the United States and its territories’ electricity demand and to improve the lives of residents and businesses in the process.

The United States’ grid is struggling to keep up with energy demand. Decrepit fossil fuel-dependent infrastructure is failing at a time when severe weather events are becoming more frequent and, in many places, energy demand is rising. All of this means higher energy bills for consumers and increased chances of power outages. Adding more fossil fuel-powered plants is neither an affordable nor a speedy fix. Parts for gas-fired power plants are in short supply with wait times for turbines topping five years. This equipment crunch has sent construction costs for new gas plants skyrocketing. Proponents of nuclear energy are pushing for new small modular reactors, but those are extremely expensive to build, present important safety risks, and aren’t expected to come online until the 2030s at the earliest. It doesn’t make sense to consider these as an alternative.

Meanwhile, wind, solar, and dispatchable battery storage are growing fast enough to meet the challenge. Their infrastructure is quick to deploy, cost-effective, and better for the climate, addressing both national and global environmental concerns. Crucially, renewables can improve the overall quality of life for all Americans because they’re more reliable and affordable compared to their oil- and gas-powered alternatives. It’s these clear benefits that have helped renewables make big gains in both Texas and Puerto Rico despite political headwinds.

Success in Texas Shows Renewable Energy Is More Reliable

Texas is the energy capital of the country, producing and consuming more oil and gas than any other state and serving as a hub for the fossil fuel industry. As its population expands, the deeply conservative Lone Star state’s energy demand is rising. Yet for the last decade, nearly all of that increased demand has been met with new renewable energy. Wind and solar alone accounted for more than 40 percent of the electricity generated in Texas during the first half of 2025.

Read the full article about renewable energy in Texas and Puerto Rico by Sandy Buchanan and Ingrid M. Vila-Biaggi at Stanford Social Innovation Review.