Austin Achieves Award for Solar Energy

For years, Austinites have embraced the benefits of “going green.” As a nod to Austinite efforts, the U.S. Department of Energy will award the City of Austin with a “gold designation” for “making it easier for businesses and residents to get solar energy.”

As KXAN explains, Austin officials have assisted their citizens in setting up solar energy in their homes or businesses. By making it easy to apply for installation and providing incentives that help to reduce the initial costs of setting up the panels, the City of Austin has convinced many residents to make the switch.

Big rebates are an especially powerful draw for new solar energy customers. From 2004 – 2015, Austin Energy provided $50M worth of rebates to customers who installed solar panels and used solar energy. Austin Energy manager Danielle Murray told KXAN, “We’re happy to represent Texas and I think lay the path for other municipalities that might follow in our footsteps.”

Fourteen cities in America received the new award, and only Austin achieved the gold in Texas. Even though Texas isn’t the overall solar energy leader right now, the desire for solar panels is continuously growing. In fact, it’s estimated that Texas’s solar capacity will double in 2016. Accoring to SEIA, this will certify Texas as the “fastest-growing utility-scale solar market in the U.S.”.