Solar for All Coalition Awarded $250 Million EPA Funding for Solar Across Texas
TXSES is pleased to announce that the Texas Solar for All Coalition, of which TXSES is a participant, was awarded nearly $250 million in grant funding on Earth Day to deliver residential solar to more than 46,000 low-income and disadvantaged communities and households across Texas. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) grant will accelerate investment in clean energy, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, close the solar equity gap, and create green jobs.
TXSES Executive Director Patrice “Pete” Parsons shared that, “TXSES is delighted to be a part of the Texas Coalition Solar for All Grant and to take part in this historic advancement for solar energy in our state.”
The funding is part of $7 billion in federal grants announced by President Biden for residential solar projects this Earth Day. Coordinated by the EPA, 60 recipients (49 states, six Tribes, and five multistate awards) were chosen to provide solar to nearly 1 million households in low- and middle-income communities across the country, providing an estimated savings of $350 million annually on electric bills.
The Texas Coalition, led by Harris County, and including cities, counties, and community-based organizations, serves over 11 million low-income and disadvantaged communities in Texas. The Coalition’s goal is “to transform access to distributed solar in Texas, creating new community wealth and savings through energy cost reductions, equity opportunities, and access to good-paying clean energy jobs.” To do this, the program will “leverage federal funds, tax credits, and other sources to provide financial assistance and access to private capital to support residential multifamily and single family solar, battery storage, and energy efficiency deployments to improve community well-being and resilience to power system failures.”
In addition, the Coalition will “support workforce training to serve low-income and disadvantaged residents, support minority-and women-owned businesses, and collaborate with community-based organizations.” The programs are designed “to be extended within the member jurisdictions and expanded to other parts of Texas during and beyond the SFA grant period.”
Over the next five years of the project, the program is expected to deliver about 225 MW of distributed solar facilities, along with 85 MWh of battery storage, and provide an average of $17 million in annual household electricity bill savings, according to TXSES partner and Coalition member Texas Energy Poverty Research Institute (TEPRI). It will also reduce statewide emissions by over 310 thousand tons/year. These savings are estimated to translate into at least 20% savings on customer electricity bills in the targeted residential communities.
