James Cargas, Solar, Texas
James Cargas, who has been in the industry for 26 years, is the Managing Attorney of Green Energy Law LLC.
Why is clean energy important to you? We need to reverse the impact of climate change, and move to more stable, sustainable, and domestic energy sources.
What's a memorable clean energy project you’ve worked on? There are many regulations impeding a municipality from entering the wholesale long-term market for renewables in a deregulated market. I helped the City of Houston sign a long-term PPA with a 50 MW solar farm 500+ miles away in Alpine, Texas. This locked in a portion of the City’s supply allowing for budget certainty as well as bragging rights for going green. Being the first is always time-consuming and requires flexibility.
What do you wish more people knew about the clean energy industry? Green energy is affordable. When the playing field is level, green energy is more competitive because the fuel is free and the operating costs are nominal. Wind and solar are winning in the Texas / ERCOT energy-only market, so now fossil generators are looking for subsidies and unearned capacity payments to survive. Government intervention, like tax credits, only accelerates this reality.
Why should congress invest in clean energy jobs? Retraining is nothing new. Technology and markets are always advancing. Retraining existing workers and professionals is part of government and academia’s ongoing responsibilities. The current energy transition is happening fast. Congress needs to accelerate its efforts in order for American workers to remain competitive and move into good stable jobs. People with good incomes pay more in federal taxes so any expenditures made come back to the Treasury in a few years. Investing in clean energy jobs is a win-win.
Is there anything else you’d like to share? Economics is based on both supply and demand. While we are all excited about the boom in green energy generation, we cannot forget about controlling and reducing our demand. Becoming energy efficient means our solar and wind production goes further, and our costs are reduced. This the best way for America to remain competitive while still paying people a living wage. Renewables generate high paying jobs because they reduce energy costs over the long-term. As we excitedly rush to deploy more and more clean energy, let’s do so in an efficient and sustainable manner.
