00:00In 2024, cities around the country prepared to invest in renewable energy using federal grant
00:09money. The grant awards were announced. In many cases, contracts were signed. But as the Trump
00:14administration shifted U.S. energy policy, many of those federal grants went up in smoke. Austin,
00:21Texas was one of the cities that lost federal funds. The city was part of a $250 million award
00:29for several Texas regions through the Environmental Protection Agency's $7 billion Solar for All
00:35program. $32 million of that Texas money was headed straight for Austin. With Solar for All,
00:42we were slated to receive over $30 million that would help ensure that 3,000 low-income families
00:49in Austin were able to participate and benefit from solar energy. And that is huge for us.
00:56Shortly after taking office, President Donald Trump placed federal grant funding for energy
01:02and environmental projects under review. The EPA rescinded over $20 billion in funding for
01:07greenhouse gas reductions, and announced that all $7 billion in solar for all funding would be
01:14canceled last August. In October, another $7.6 billion was clawed back from other renewable energy
01:22projects in 16 states that voted for Kamala Harris in the 2024 election. Trump administration officials
01:30framed these decisions around responsible use of taxpayer funds. Cutting these grants also aligns with
01:37the administration's broader energy strategy, moving away from renewable energy and investing instead in
01:43oil and gas, coal, and nuclear power. That shift away from the Biden administration's push for more wind,
01:50solar, and alternative energies has sparked fierce debate around the future of U.S. energy policy.
01:57The size and scope of the Biden administration's initiatives around clean energy
02:03had no precedent. John Quigley of the University of Pennsylvania served as a cabinet official for
02:09two Democratic governors in his state. He says rolling back that grant funding was a mistake,
02:15and places the U.S. firmly behind China, the world's leader at installing renewable energy.
02:21The Trump administration has taken us out of the running for the international leadership
02:27in clean energy. They've destroyed jobs. Supporters of Trump undoing Biden-era policies
02:33say the government should never have spent so much on energy projects in the first place.
02:38I don't think the government's very good at choosing the right things to invest in.
02:41Travis Fisher, of the libertarian-minded think tank the Cato Institute, wasn't surprised that
02:47many federal grants were rolled back because of how politicized energy funding has become.
02:53If it's a partisan budget measure that's the source of the funding, I wouldn't count on it.
02:58You know, if you prefer to keep those programs and you want them to be stable,
03:02either they should come from a, you know, a bipartisan act of Congress or keep it at the state and county
03:10level. Despite losing federal grant funding, cities like Austin are not giving up on their clean energy
03:16goals. The city's current goal is to generate 100 percent of its electricity from emissions-free
03:23sources by 2035. Environmental stewardship and really just a commitment to addressing climate change
03:29is a quintessential Austin value, and it's deeply embedded in how policymakers get elected and how we govern our city.
03:38Through Solar For All, qualifying low-income homeowners would have been able to apply for low-cost
03:47rooftop solar installations. It would also build community solar projects, larger-scale installations,
03:53that fit in a neighborhood and benefit multiple households. Without federal assistance, city leaders
03:59can install solar panels on city-owned buildings. Last year, the Austin City Council voted to do just that.
04:07We have a lot of buildings as a city. Buildings that once again have a lot of rooftop space and not a lot of
04:13trees around them. How can we use those buildings to put solar on there and generate more electricity for
04:19the city? City staff are eyeing 140 properties with rooftops that could be suitable for solar, including this
04:28public library, this recreation center, and this city government building. That list of properties also
04:36includes fire and police stations, city utility buildings, and canopies over parking lots at city
04:43parks. The exact sites and plans are still a work in progress. The city has received 16 bids from private solar
04:51companies to take the project on. Planning documents show the city will decide on 75 sites to build 25 megawatts of
05:01rooftop solar, enough to power about 3,600 homes. The city-owned public utility, Austin Energy,
05:08also rolled out a new program to increase rooftop solar on commercial buildings, known as the solar
05:14standard offer. This program makes it easier for the owners of strip malls and other commercial spaces to
05:22partner with solar developers.
05:27The city will basically lease its rooftop space for someone else to come in, put solar on there, and
05:33that way the building owner gets a little money, the solar provider gets a little money, and the city gets
05:37more cheap electricity right here in our load zone. Renewable energy supporters see this local first
05:45approach as crucial over the next few years. And for critics of large federal government spending efforts,
05:52it's also an easier pill to swallow. It really is context-dependent, so I'm sure there are parts of
05:58the country where solar PV is going to do really, really well, and solar plus battery storage is going
06:04to beat out other resources. I think states, counties, towns can really get more involved as long as they're
06:12paying their own way. For Austin, the cost of adding solar to city buildings will be a major consideration.
06:18City officials have taken heat in recent months as voters rejected a property tax increase,
06:24and the council was forced to make significant budget cuts. Local supporters of solar highlight
06:30the potential long-term return on investments. You've got these panels that last 25-plus years
06:36that, with the tax credit, pays themselves back in seven, eight years. So you're getting three to four
06:42times of your return just from a time perspective. Austin City Council is expected to choose a contractor
06:51for the project in the coming months and take a final vote this spring. Nationwide, there are numerous
06:58lawsuits over the cancellation of federal energy grants, including one led by Harris County, home of
07:04Houston, Texas, over the Solar For All program. For Straight Arrow News, I'm Keaton Peters. For more on this
07:11story, download the Straight Arrow News app today or go to san.com.
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