Elon Musk is selling electricity and renewable energy in Texas through Tesla after helping the state during the massive winter storm that disrupted power throughout the area earlier this year.
The Texan said Public Utility Commission granted Tesla Energy Ventures, a Tesla company, to operate as a Retail Electric Provider (REP) in Texas.
REPs are organizations that buy power from producers on the Electric Reliability Council of Texas' wholesale market and sell it to customers in areas where there is a competitive market.
TXU Energy and Reliant Energy are two of the largest in Texas. Municipally owned electricity suppliers exist in several areas, such as Austin and San Antonio.
According to Teslarati, Tesla is an energy supplier in several locations. The most notable one is the Big Battery in South Australia. It also operates a Virtual Power Plant in California, which is presently in beta. When opposed to typical energy providers, Tesla's energy program offers distinct benefits.
Tesla Energy customers are more likely to escape outages and blackouts because of the company's solar energy and energy storage devices.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk gestures as he arrives to visit the construction site of the future US electric car giant Tesla, on September 03, 2020, in Gruenheide near Berlin. - Tesla builds a compound at the site in Gruenheide in Brandenburg for its first European "Gigafactory" near Berlin.
ALSO READ: Should We Blame Wind Turbines for Texas' Power Outages?
Tesla has the potential to be one of the company's most lucrative divisions. Elon Musk, Tesla's CEO, has stated for some time that the company's energy division will be around the same size as its carmaking division.
Elon Musk, Tesla Silently Helped Texas During The State's Winter Storm This Year
One of the worst winter storms pounded Texas earlier this year. In a tweet, Elon Musk said Tesla's presence helped restore power to areas affected by the storm.
Tesla also tweeted footage of how the Tesla Solar can still collect enough energy to power a home, even on overcast and cold winter days. It also demonstrates how well the company's Solar roofing system can remove snow without the need to climb above it and shovel the covered regions for electricity reception.
Elon Musk's Tesla Now a Clean Energy, Electricity Provider in Texas After Helping The State
Texas Monthly first obtained the documents Musk sent earlier this summer. He submitted the files in August when he requested state approval. The proposal is for Tesla to become an energy service provider in the state, providing Tesla's energy solutions to various households and businesses and tapping into the power grid.
This month, Texas Public Utility Commission has awarded Musk and Tesla the license to deliver power to the state's residents, which they had requested. On the other hand, Tesla has been silent about their new effort as power providers in their own state.
Few specifics about the scope of the company's goals and how many consumers it wants to serve are available from the papers. Much of the information shared between the corporation and the government agency in charge of gently regulating it is kept private. However, the company's present Tesla customers in the state give a readily accessible consumer base, to begin with.
However, Gizmodo believes that the company might be considering a virtual power plant. It would be virtual in getting its energy from automobiles, batteries, and solar roofing systems. Furthermore, there is no mention of a full-scale power plant for the corporation to distribute electricity throughout the state.
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