General

Today the Texas Renewable Energy Industry Assoc.will award State Representative Mike Villarreal its "State Leadership" Award at its annual conference.

"TREIA honors Rep. Villarreal for his leadership on solar legislation during the 2009 legislative session," said John Pitts, Jr., Chair of the TREIA Policy Committee. 　"HB 1937 creates an important tool for Texans to finance solar systems and enable the continued deployment of this important energy technology."

Rep. Villarreal's HB 1937, the only major clean energy bill to pass during the recent legislative session, authorizes cities to provide loans to property owners to cover the upfront costs of installing solar panels, improving energy efficiency, and other energy upgrades.　 The loans will attach to the property rather than the individual, allowing them to be paid off in the long-term through property taxes as the property owners recoup the investment through lower utility bills.　 The cities of San Antonio , Austin and Houston , among others, have stated their intent to implement the legislation.