Tarrant County joins coalition seeking to expand low-income access to solar energy
Tarrant County will have the opportunity to grab as much as $400 million to increase access to solar energy for low-income households as a part of a coalition seeking federal funds.
Commissioners decided to join the coalition, led by Harris County, with a 3-1 vote at their meeting Tuesday. Commissioner Manny Ramirez was absent from the meeting. County Judge Tim O’Hare was the lone vote in opposition.
The Solar for All Program, created by the Inflation Reduction Act, has put out $7 billion to create and expand low-income residential solar programs. The competitive grant will award $25 million to $400 million to up to 60 states, territories, local governments and nonprofits.
The U.S. Environmental Protective Agency and Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund sought requests for proposals at the end of June. Seventy five percent of the cash has to be used for the solar projects while the other 25% can be used for technical assistance and administration, according to commissioners agenda documents.
There was initially an effort to get Texas counties together to apply for the funds, but it didn’t get off the ground. Tarrant County decided not to join that coalition in a 3-2 vote July 18.
Harris County will lead the coalition’s efforts. Others in the coalition include Travis County and the city of San Antonio, according to a court communication from Aug. 15.
Tarrant County will not be in charge of any administrative duties as a part of the coalition. Dallas County will lead the North Texas part of the initiative, and any funds given to the coalition will be doled out through Dallas and to partner organizations with Tarrant’s help, assistant county administrator Russell Schaffner told the commissioners Tuesday.
Tarrant County’s involvement in the program could reap benefits, including solar investment and workforce development, according to agenda documents.
Eleven residents spoke on the proposal. Some urged the county to join the program. They said it would good for business and low income residents, and could be a lifesaver for Texas’ frail power grid. Jackee Cox said it was the county’s “patriotic duty” to develop solar energy.
Others talked about their concerns with the county’s involvement in the program. Some worried about how much the initiative would cost the county. Resident Kenya Allu called the coalition a “socialist initiative” that was “one more step in the direction of total control of communism.”
Commissioners Roy Brooks, Alisa Simmons and Gary Fickes supported the county joining the coaltion.
Brooks said the county’s involvement didn’t obligate anyone to do anything. It just gave people choices.
“Solar energy needs to be a part of our energy tool kit,” Brooks said ahead of the vote to approve the county’s involvement in the coalition. “In Texas, we make a lot of strange decisions. One of the strangest of which was not to connect the Texas grid to the national grid, and we see the folly. We have seen the folly of that decision. We cannot stand alone when it comes to generating energy for the citizens of the state of Texas.”
Simmons told the audience oil and gas weren’t going anywhere, and that taking federal dollars for equity issues wasn’t new for the county. She used American Rescue Plan dollars as an example.
“Solar for All is just that,” Simmons said. “It’s for all.”
Fickes said he agreed with Simmons’ points, and they don’t usually agree.
And O’Hare said that not voting for this item didn’t mean there was a lack of care for low income people. He said he had seen too many problems with solar in real estate dealings.
“You can be against this and still be a patriotic American,” O’Hare said.
This story was originally published August 29, 2023 at 11:54 AM.
