The people of Austin are blessed with abundant sunshine, and together with the municipal utility, they are committed to powering their lives using this incredible resource.
In the heart of Texas, a solar revolution is unfolding. Austin, the state capital, has set a goal of reaching net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, and plans to reach the target via solar commitments, innovative tariff structures, and electric storage integration. Austin’s municipally-owned electric utility, in coordination with community stakeholders, aims to deploy 950 MW of solar by 2025, including 200 MW of rooftop solar, throughout the city.
To meet these ambitious goals, Austin Energy is implementing a multi-prong solar strategy. Long-term procurement contracts with utility-scale solar plants will comprise the majority of the target, but to change attitudes and achieve community buy-in, Austin Energy is also developing clever tariffs to fairly spread the cost of solar and make solar accessible for all. Their first community solar project was launched in early 2017, with an 180-kW array at the Palmer Events Center. The utility also launched its own solar mapping tool, allowing residents to calculate the solar potential of their property.
354K tons of CO2 saved yearly from solar investments
The challenge
Texas was the leading crude oil- and natural gas-producing state in 2015, and shifting to clean energy runs up against this fossil fuel legacy. However, the state is now also the top producer of wind power in the USA and solar is surging.
Co-benefits
Economic Austin’s local solar industry employs more than 900 people and has created an estimated $370 million worth of local economic activity through direct investments in solar installations to date. Customers already save a total of around $7 million per year from currently installed solar.
Social A proportional metering solution is under development that will enable the cost of solar installations in multi-family affordable housing properties to be split fairly amongst tenants. This will bring solar to properties and families that have traditionally been shut out of the solar energy market.
Health Shifting from coal- and natural gas-fired power plants to solar power reduces particulate emissions and improves local air quality for Austin’s residents.
About Austin
Austin is the capital of the U.S. state of Texas and is the fastest growing large city in the United States. The city’s official slogan promotes Austin as “The Live Music Capital of the World,” and Austin is also known as a “clean-air city” for its stringent no-smoking ordinances that apply to all public places and buildings. U.S. News & World Report named Austin the best place to live in the U.S. in 2017.
