Texas does everything bigger – it does big hats, big oil and now big solar. At least 18 bills have already been filed to support the deployment of solar technologies by legislators from the left and right.

The state is already the leading market for wind power in the United States. Its current Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) has brought thousands of megawatts of wind to Texas, but almost no other renewables, including solar.

But times are changing. Vote Solar, a group that is working state by state to implement the necessary policies to build robust solar markets, is pushing legislators to provide incentives to energy customers for harnessing solar power. The group wants local government to create rebates for rooftop solar panels and implement constructive tax policies, such as sales tax exemptions on solar equipment and property tax abatements for utility-scale solar projects. Texas also must change its existing metering laws so solar owners get fair credit for the electricity they deliver to the grid.

"We're energy experts in Texas.  We have led the nation in fossil fuel based energy, we have led the nation in the development of wind energy, and we can lead with the development of solar as well.  I am excited to see so much support for this prospect in the legislature," said State Senator Kirk Watson.

The state sees jobs and profits in the installation of solar projects statewide. According to a new report by Vote Solar, Environment Texas and Public Citizen, that could lead to installations on as many as 500,000 roofs in Texas by 2020 at a cost of only 98 cents per month per Texan. This investment would create an estimated 22,000 jobs and reduce emissions of carbon dioxide emissions by 29 million tons, the equivalent of taking 4.3 million cars off the road for a year.

"As the unemployment rate rises here and across the nation, investing in solar energy is a smart way to put Texans back to work--it is estimated that for every new solar megawatt, at least 4 jobs are born in Texas, jobs that stay here." said Sen. Van de Putte, author of solar bills SB 598 (solar schools), SB 599 (sales tax exemption) and SB 600 (solar incentive program).

Governmental incentives have worked in many other states to promote renewable energy projects, and are could be key to making solar power spread from Hill Country to the Gulf of Mexico.