Presidential Sneak Peek

Step inside the new George W. Bush Presidential Center at SMU

The George W. Bush Presidential Center at SMU opens to the public May 1, but those wishing to get a sneak peek of the 43rd presidential library needn't wait. The property has already been toured by the media, and the center will live-stream its April 25 dedication, which will be attended by five living presidents, including Barack Obama.

The center encompasses more than 225,000 square feet and is surrounded by a 15-acre nature park replete with prairie landscaping and a wildflower meadow.

"George did not want this to be a monument to himself," said First Lady Laura Bush.

Former First Lady Laura Bush made a surprise appearance at the media preview of the center on April 24. She briefly spoke to reporters in the Rose Garden, which was modeled after the one at the White House.

"I hope people really learn and re-learn the history of the first decade of our new century," she said. "I think people will be very moved by the 9/11 exhibit, and I think that's important because we still, obviously, live with the effects of 9/11."

The University Park facilities are located near SMU's entrance and include a library, museum, presidential archives and public policy institute. In addition to the Oval Office replica, the center boasts the actual Bush White House "Situation Room," which was reconstructed piece-by-piece for the museum. The room is set up to connect Texas schoolchildren with students in California at the Ronald Regan Presidential Library.

Although it bears his name, Laura Bush said that her husband didn't want the center to just be about him. "George did not want this to be a monument to himself," she said. "He said that from the very beginning."

Bush's official portrait for the center is at least one example of sharing the spotlight. He appears alongside former British prime minister Tony Blair in the 7-by-9-foot oil painting.

Statues of George W. Bush and his father, George H.W. Bush, welcome visitors to the museum.

Photo by Jerry McClure

Statues of George W. Bush and his father, George H.W. Bush, welcome visitors to the museum.

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Under the Sun

Solar power poised to surpass coal for the first time in Texas

Photo by Bill Mead on Unsplash

Utility-scale solar generation has been increasing steadily in Texas.

Solar power promises to shine even brighter in Texas this year. A new forecast from the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) indicates that for the first time, annual power generation from utility-scale solar will surpass annual power generation from coal across the territory covered by the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT).

Solar generation is expected to reach 78 billion kilowatt-hours in 2026 in the ERCOT grid, compared with 60 billion kilowatt-hours for coal, the EIA forecast says. The ERCOT grid supplies power to about 90 percent of Texas.

“Utility-scale solar generation has been increasing steadily in ERCOT as solar capacity additions help meet rapid electricity demand growth,” the forecast says.

Although natural gas remains the dominant source of electricity generation in ERCOT, accounting for an average 44 percent of electricity generation from 2021 to 2025, solar’s share of the generation mix rose from 4 percent to 12 percent. During the same period, coal’s share dropped from 19 percent to 13 percent.

EIA predicts about 40 percent of U.S. solar capacity, or 14 billion kilowatt-hours, added in 2026 will come from Texas.

Although EIA expects annual solar generation to exceed annual coal generation in 2026, solar surpassed coal in ERCOT on a monthly basis for the first time in March 2025, when solar generation totaled 4.33 billion kilowatt-hours and coal’s totaled 4.16 billion kilowatt-hours. Solar generation continued to exceed that of coal until August of that year.

“In 2026, we estimate that solar exceeded coal for the first time in March, and we forecast generation from solar installations in ERCOT will continue to exceed that from coal until December, when coal generation exceeds solar,” says EIA. “We expect solar generation to exceed that of coal for every month in 2027 except January and December.”

For 2027, EIA forecasts annual solar generation of 99 billion kilowatt-hours in the ERCOT grid, compared with 66 billion kilowatt-hours of annual coal generation.

In April, ERCOT projected almost 368 billion kilowatt-hours of demand in ERCOT’s territory by 2032. ERCOT’s all-time peak demand hit 85.5 billion kilowatt-hours in August 2023.

“Texas is experiencing exceptional growth and development, which is reshaping how large load demand is identified, verified, and incorporated into long-term planning,” ERCOT President and CEO Pablo Vegas said. “As a result of a changing landscape, we believe this forecast to be higher than expected … load growth.”

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This article first appeared on our sister site, EnergyCapitalHTX.

solar energy sustainability energy ercot

Presidential Sneak Peek

Step inside the new George W. Bush Presidential Center at SMU

Statues of George W. Bush and his father, George H.W. Bush, welcome visitors to the museum.

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Under the Sun

Solar power poised to surpass coal for the first time in Texas