According to a report in the Houston Chronicle, Republicans in the Texas legislature are close to killing the state’s renewable energy boom.

“Not only could their legislation halt new development in its tracks, but also they could send scores of existing projects to an early grave,” reported Claire Hao, Energy Reporter for the Chronicle.

Two bills received attention in the past week because they would force most solar and wind farm operations in Texas to back up their electricity production with natural gas power or batteries. If an operation doesn’t have backup power during times of no sunshine or very little wind, the operator would have to pay a fine, that or else shut down operations.

Industry leaders are fighting the bills, contending the costs would be harmful to their opeartions and the result might put thousands of megawatts of existing renewable energy projects at risk.