| Houston, Texas — The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced that the Texas Solar for All Coalition (the “Coalition”), led by Harris County, was awarded a $249.7 million grant from the EPA’s Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund. The grant will provide several important benefits to Harris County, including enabling low-income and disadvantaged communities to deploy and benefit from distributed residential solar accelerating investments in clean energy, lowering energy costs for families, creating good-quality jobs in communities that have been left behind, advancing environmental justice, and tackling climate change. “Harris County was the lead applicant on this grant, showing that we are a leader in working to reduce pollution while ensuring that every single person living here can thrive,” said Harris County Attorney Christian D. Menefee, chair of the EPA’s Local Government Advisory Council Environmental Justice Subcommittee. “Funding from this program will not only deliver cleaner air for our communities but will lower utility bills for some of our residents who have been underserved for far too long. I’m proud of my office’s role in helping the county navigate the grant process, and I’m grateful for the Biden-Harris administration’s dedication to advancing environmental justice across the country and am proud of Harris County for being a leader in this space.” The grant was made possible by the Inflation Reduction Act, which represents the single largest investment in climate and clean energy in history. Coalition members include large, mid-size, and small cities and counties, spanning urban, suburban, and rural areas of the state. The programs supported by this grant will expand access to rooftop and community solar and help lower customer bills by more than 20% in targeted residential communities. The expected annual household savings will be an average of $1,740. Over half the Texans living in disadvantaged communities live within the Coalition's footprint and even more will be served by our statewide efforts. About the Harris County Attorney’s Office Christian D. Menefee serves as the elected, top civil lawyer for Texas’ largest county. The Harris County Attorney’s Office represents the county in all civil matters including lawsuits. Menefee leads an office of 250 attorneys and staff members. He entered office at 32 years old, making him the youngest person and first African American elected as the Harris County Attorney. ### |