A couple days ago, House Bill 1937 (by Representative Mike Villarreal) took effect. Texas municipalities now have the authority to enact property tax financing for energy improvements to different properties. Kuff presented us with this information back in August.
For those who don't know what property tax financing is, HB 1937 allows cities to do this:
Two years ago, however, the city of Berkeley figured out an easy financing trick to get around this problem-the city itself just issues a bond to pay for the upfront costs of installing the panels, and the homeowner then repays the government over the course of 20 years via a small line item on the property-tax bill. (This way, if the home is sold, the costs of the panels get passed on to the new owner getting the benefits.)
Solar Panels on the roofs of houses make for more renewable energy and more energy efficiency. That combination represents exactly what we need to avoid a massive climate crisis. So, Texas cities should make like Berkeley and give homebuilders and homebuyers an affordable option for solar energy.
Austin, the "blue center" of the state with many activists dedicated to renewable energy, would be a perfect testing ground for this policy in Texas. If I were buying a home, and I could add solar panels to my house simply by paying more property tax, I would jump on the idea in less than a second. I'm sure others would, too. Is there a chance, then, that we could see property tax financing for solar energy soon?
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