Austin City Council votes to add solar panels to public buildings

This segment originally appeared on the KVUE News at on May 22, 2025.

By Johann Castro

City leaders say the measure could help the city meet its goal of generating 245 megawatts of local solar energy over the next 10 years.

AUSTIN, Texas — The City of Austin is taking steps to boost its own solar energy production to help with its climate goals.

At its meeting Thursday, council members approved a resolution co-sponsored by Mayor Pro Tem Vanessa Fuentes and Council Members Ryan Alter, José Velásquez, Chito Vela and Mike Siegel that directs City Manager TC Broadnax to maximize the installation of solar panels on the roofs of publicly-owned buildings in Austin.

City leaders say the measure could help the city meet its goal of generating 245 megawatts of local solar energy over the next 10 years as part of the Austin Energy Resource, Generation, and Climate Protection Plan.

For context, leaders with the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) say at least one megawatt is enough to power about 250 homes during peak energy use hours.

The Texas Climate Jobs Project, which spoke at Thursday's meeting, expressed support for the resolution's passage.

“From severe drought to extreme heat, climate change is impacting working people across Central Texas,” Bo Delp, the Executive Director of the Texas Climate Jobs Project, said. “This resolution is an important step to help the city to meet its climate goals and ensure high-quality job creation in the process.”

Boradnax has until Sept. 2 to give the council an update on implementation.