Waco Homeowners Could Get $4M Federal Boost for Solar Energy

Waco homeowners could soon benefit from a major federal clean energy push. The City of Waco is asking for up to $4 million as part of a $400 million application submitted by the Texas Solar for All Coalition, a group led by Harris County and made up of several major Texas cities and counties seeking funding under the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's $7 billion Solar for All competition.

If awarded, Waco's share would fund a five-year program focused squarely on single-family, owner-occupied homes in low-income neighborhoods. City officials have outlined a preliminary goal of serving about 200 households, roughly $15,000 per home if the $3 million direct-assistance allotment were distributed evenly, with another $1 million earmarked for program administration.

Eligible homeowners could apply to have rooftop solar systems installed at little or no cost. A smaller subset of homes could also receive battery storage, allowing families to use the energy their panels produce in the evenings or ride through short power outages. A portion of the funds would also pay for efficiency upgrades, such as insulation, air-sealing, and HVAC improvements, that homes typically need before solar panels can deliver maximum savings.

Eric Coffman, Waco's sustainability programs manager, said the program is designed to deliver direct financial assistance to low-income households while tackling blight, reducing energy burden, and jump-starting solar development in historically disadvantaged communities. While the EPA's Solar for All program allows a wide range of project types, including multifamily buildings and community solar, Waco has chosen to concentrate its ask on single-family, owner-occupied homes, where utility bills hit hardest and rooftop systems can deliver the most direct monthly savings.

The EPA requires Solar for All projects to deliver at least 20% savings on recipients' monthly electric bills, a guardrail meant to ensure the subsidies translate into real relief for working families rather than being absorbed by installers or administrative costs. For a typical Waco household, that could mean hundreds of dollars in annual savings on top of the avoided upfront cost of the solar system itself.

The Texas Solar for All Coalition is one of dozens of state and regional applicants competing for a pool of roughly $7 billion in federal funds made available through the Inflation Reduction Act. If the Texas coalition is selected, Waco and the other participating jurisdictions would share the award, with each city or county running its own local program under a common framework. A final EPA decision is expected in 2024.

For Waco homeowners, the potential impact goes beyond lower bills. Rooftop solar can raise home resale value, improve resilience during the kind of extreme weather events that have strained the Texas grid in recent years, and anchor local workforce training in electrical and solar installation trades. Coffman has said the city sees the program as a down payment on a broader clean energy strategy for Waco, not a one-time giveaway.

Homeowners interested in the program do not need to take any action yet. If Waco's funding is approved, the city will publish detailed eligibility rules, including income limits and geographic targeting, along with an application process and timeline. In the meantime, residents can track updates through the City of Waco Sustainability and Resiliency department and the Texas Solar for All Coalition, which will announce coalition-wide milestones as the EPA review advances.