April 09, 2024

Congressman Castro Announces $30 Million Grant for City of San Antonio Solar Energy Project

SAN ANTONIO – Today, Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20) announced that the City of San Antonio will receive $30 million in federal funding to launch a solar energy project that will become the largest municipal onsite solar program in Texas and offset an estimated 13% of the electricity consumption from municipal buildings. The funding was made available as a result of the Inflation Reduction Act, legislation that Congressman Castro worked to pass in 2022.

“In 2022, I was proud to vote for the Inflation Reduction Act to lower the costs of living and create good-paying jobs for hard-working folks in San Antonio and across the country,” said Congressman Joaquin Castro. “Today, the City of San Antonio is becominga pioneer in our country’s major shift towards clean energy, smart climate solutions, and lower consumer energy costs. This project, which will be the largest municipal onsite solar project in Texas, will create jobs, strengthen our infrastructure against climate change, and save millions of dollars for San Antonio and our residents.”

The Inflation Reduction Act included a provision to allow tax-exempt entities, such as cities to receive tax credits in the form of direct cash payments for clean energy projects. In March of this year, the U.S. Department of the Treasury finalized a rule to implement this direct payment mechanism. The City of San Antonio will use these funds to install solar panels on rooftops, parking lots, and parks at 42 city facilities to lower energy costs and consumption and make progress toward the city's goal to achieve net-zero energy consumption goal for all municipal buildings by 2040.  

Specifically:

  • The 42 sites will generate 18,401,842 kWh annually and will offset an estimated 13% of the City’s electricity consumption from its buildings, according to 2022 data. San Antonio is expected to save  betweenseven to eleven million dollars over 25 years because of these solar panels

  • The 23 parking canopies will power on-site municipal operations and will also provide shade and hail protection to people and vehicles. These canopies will be increasingly valuable, as San Antonio set a new record in 2023 of 75 days at or above 100°F (the prior record of 59 days was set in 2009).

  • The selected developer, Big Sun Solar, will collaborate with the St. Phillips College Solar Apprenticeship Program (part of the Alamo Area District of Community Colleges) to train students in solar energy and create a pipeline for emerging solar industry professionals to develop the skills to succeed in the job market.

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