Shell launches residential electricity brand in Texas, will include solar export buyback, free EV charging plans

By Chris Crowell June 8, 2022

European oil and gas giant Shell, unlike its counterparts in the United States, has some forward-looking renewable energy plans in the works. This week it launched the Shell Energy brand into the U.S. residential power market, offering 100% renewable electricity plans to customers in competitive areas of the Energy Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) grid. Plan options also include incentives for EV and solar home owners.

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“We’re excited about this entry into the residential electricity market and look forward to providing a suite of 100% renewable electricity plans to customers across the state,” said Glenn Wright, Vice President of Renewables and Energy Solutions for Shell in the Americas.

These 100% renewable electricity plans offered through Shell Energy Solutions are backed by Renewable Energy Certificates, issued when one megawatt-hour (MWh) of electricity is generated and delivered to the grid from a renewable energy resource.

“We continue to see opportunity in change,” said Wright. “This expansion of our renewable offerings in the U.S. allows us to build on our leadership in the energy transition.”

By 2030, Shell aims to sell more than 560 terawatt-hours of power per year, twice as much electricity as the company sells today.

In addition:

Shell Energy offers a plan for electric vehicle drivers that features free charging during off-peak hours and a fixed electricity rate.
For homeowners with solar panels, Shell Energy offers a solar buyback plan that gives customers credit for the excess solar power they export to the grid.

Those are fairly significant bullet points, considering how combative U.S. utilities can be when it comes to the net metering value of home solar and storage and how much an EV increases a home’s electric bills.

The ERCOT market supplies power to more than 26 million consumers across 8 million residential meters in Texas, delivering approximately 90% of the energy used in Texas. Shell Energy’s launch in the U.S. is another step in Shell’s development of a material integrated power business.

Shell Energy North America LP acquired MP2 Energy, a commercial and residential power retailer in 2017. MP2 Energy’s residential business was rebranded to Shell Energy Solutions in June 2022 and serves a footprint of approximately 33,000 customers.