TEPRI'S JUNE 2025
NEWSLETTER
Executive Director Update
Hello TEPRI Friends,
To put a little joy in the relentless heat of our Texas summer, we offer you our TEPRI POWER US UP Spotify Summer PLAYLIST! I hope you enjoy!
We know that summer is a tough time for summer bills. Our hunch is that distributed energy resources (DERs) have the power to put money back into people’s pockets. The opportunities are limitless: the rancher who allows a few wind turbines on his property or leases a piece of parched land that can capture energy from the sun; the family living in an apartment who can get compensated for turning down their heat a few degrees when energy demand is high; or a YMCA who can serve as a trusted haven for the local community during the rare outage while providing year-round support to our energy system.
At TEPRI, we are enamored with the possibilities! Last week, at the generous invitation of John Padalino, we took a staff field trip to Bandera Electric Co-op in Boerne. BEC is at the front of the pack, bringing smart, local solutions to life by aggregating small-scale battery storage and selling it into ERCOT. The investments they have made with their members will also allow them to do the same with demand response.
TEPRI is building a portfolio of distributed energy projects that we will evaluate over time, providing important insights into how all of us can build an energy system that benefits Texans at large. We’re keeping a close eye on how DERs can move the needle on energy poverty, whether that means reduced energy bills, supplemental income, a smart business opportunity, clean energy, or GRID support. Yes, it all works. DERs enable everyday people to participate in the market so that all Texans can play a role in building the most robust and cutting-edge energy landscape in the world.
Warmly,
Margo
NEWS FROM TEPRI
The Data and Stories Behind Texas Residents’ Energy Challenges
Join Us on June 26th at 2 PM Central for the Release of TEPRI’s Landmark Community Voices in Energy 2.0
Over the last decade, TEPRI’s research has informed the dialogue around energy vulnerabilities for residents who contend with low-incomes in Texas. Now, we’re proud to unveil the 2.0 release of our cornerstone report, featuring our core findings revisited and expanded insights that will inform the direction of our work for the next ten years.
TEPRI Staff will highlight our new research and findings with analysis through the lens of the newly developed Energy Vulnerability Index (EVI) and preview our new GIS-based Energy Equity Explorer tool.
Empowering Change: The E4-TX Tool
The new and improved Easier Energy Efficiency Eligibility for Texas, or E4-TX, tool launched in May of 2025 and is currently servicing AEP Texas, CenterPoint, Oncor, and TNMP. E4-TX provides utility contractors the ability to assess the geographic eligibility of a potential program participant’s address against two HUD data sets. This web-based platform is mobile-friendly and designed for use by contractors in the field. It creates a record of inquiries to be submitted to each host utility. All eligible and ineligible program participant records will be captured for reporting purposes.
MEMBER SPOTLIGHT
Big Sun Solar
Big Sun Solar has been a long-time partner with TEPRI in the pursuit of affordable community solar solutions. They have developed innovative programs and a financing structure to bring renewable energy options to LMI households in San Antonio. Most recently, they have introduced a leading solar canopy option for commercial customers, which combines shaded parking lots with renewable energy generation.
Thank you to Big Sun for your dedication to providing innovative energy solutions that support low-income Texans!
EVENTS X TEPRI
TEPRI Visits Bandera Electric Co-op
On Wednesday, June 4th, TEPRI had the opportunity to visit Bandera Electric Co-op and learn firsthand how this member-driven cooperative is leading the way in innovation and resilience.
Joined by BEC CEO, John Hetherington, Bandera’s team demonstrated their ERCOT-qualified Virtual Power Plant model using BEC’s cutting-edge Apolloware platform. This first-of-its-kind ADER is capable of managing multiple aggregations of third-party devices. Built on member engagement, BEC upgraded existing technologies to integrate solar, battery storage, fiber, and electric services into a comprehensive solution. This bundled approach not only enhances grid resilience—allowing many members to maintain power through solar and battery systems during outages—but also keeps electricity prices affordable and data reliability high.
The visit concluded with a dynamic Q&A session and left our team inspired by Bandera’s cooperative spirit and commitment to delivering value to its members through forward-thinking solutions.
A very special thank you to John Paladino, Chief Administration Officer and General Counsel at BEC, for organizing the visit opportunity.
Testified on Establishing Bill Assistance Programs for Retail Electric Customers (HB 1359)
HB 1359 would have established an electric bill assistance program that would automatically enroll low-income households who would benefit. Just 5% of eligible Texas households receive bill assistance from federal programs. Drawing on findings from TEPRI’s 2023 Community Voices in Energy Survey, the testimony underscored the difficult tradeoffs low-income families make to keep the lights on, often at the expense of food, comfort, and health. The bill passed the House but did not make it out of the Senate before the end of the legislative session.
Submitted Comments on Energy Efficiency Rules (Docket No. 57743)
In February, the Public Utility Commission of Texas initiated the rule-making process to update energy efficiency implementation rules for the eight investor-owned utilities in Texas for the first time since 2012. The first round of comments asked respondents to address newly proposed definitions for low-income and hard-to-reach programs, as well as new methodologies for calculating cost-effectiveness. TEPRI recommended the Commission adopt the low-income language as proposed and consider a broader customer base by expanding hard-to-reach to include multifamily housing, older adults, individuals with disabilities, and customers with limited English proficiency, enabling utilities to adopt strategies that address unique barriers to program engagement and ensuring more comprehensive energy efficiency participation across the state.
PUC Comments on Texas Backup Power Package Program
TEPRI recently submitted formal comments to the Public Utility Commission of Texas in response to Project No. 57236, the Texas Backup Power Package Program. Our recommendations focused on making the program more flexible, affordable, and accessible—particularly for under-resourced critical facilities. We emphasized the value of grid-connected solar-plus-storage systems, partial-load backup options, and alternative financing models to ensure equitable resilience across Texas communities.
TEPRI TOOLS TO ADVANCE YOUR WORK
Energy Equity Explorer Tool
We’re excited to announce the launch of the Energy Equity Explorer —a powerful, web-based tool developed by the Southeast Energy Efficiency Alliance (SEEA) and the Texas Energy Poverty Research Institute (TEPRI). Built to support community-driven action, the tool visualizes energy burden, affordability gaps, housing characteristics, and social vulnerability across the Southeast and Texas. With interactive maps and sortable tables, users can explore local and regional data down to the census tract level. Designed especially for identifying funding opportunities and informing equitable energy solutions, the Energy Equity Explorer bridges data and lived experience to support communities in pursuit of a fairer energy future.
TEPRI’s Digital Summer Series: Energy-Saving Resources
TEPRI is introducing a series of bilingual, community-focused energy education resources on our social media platforms to help households save money and stay cool this summer. We’re busting energy myths, sharing DIY home efficiency tips, and offering practical advice on using solar and weatherization to lower bills. We’re also spotlighting rebate programs, WAP resources, and smart summer habits to reduce energy use. Whether you rent or own, follow along for clear, actionable ways to make your home more efficient.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
Creative Financing for Energy Efficiency and Solar Projects
We explored innovative financial strategies to support the adoption of energy-efficient and solar technologies highlighting the various funding mechanisms, such as performance-based contracts, tax incentives, and public-private partnerships, that make sustainable energy projects more accessible and cost-effective for businesses and communities. Through real-world examples, our panelists demonstrated how these financing models can overcome common barriers, enabling broader implementation of clean energy solutions.
EarthX 2025
In April, TEPRI’s Dr. Kathy Jack participated in the “The State of Renewable Energy in Texas” panel at EarthX 2025 Congress of Conferences, in Dallas TX. She joined Ian Seamans of Environment Texas, Tracy Wallace of Green Jobs Texas and Michael Martin of MM Consulting to discuss many of the current challenges and opportunities for Renewable Energy in Texas, including the challenges of rising energy costs for low-income Texans. Dr. Jack highlighted findings from TEPRI’s Community Voices in Energy Survey and TEPRI’s collaborative projects to increase access to affordable solar energy and battery storage.
We will share a link to the recording of Kathy’s session on our socials when it becomes available. Stay tuned!
IN THE NEWS
Energy is intertwined with the functioning of society to the point a basic need. Yet not all Americans have equal access to safe, reliable, affordable energy. TEPRI Executive Director, Margo Weisz, joined Monisha Shah from the EPA’s Solar For All program to discuss the energy justice initiatives that broaden access to renewable energy options.
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