Houston accepts $20M EPA grant to build solar farms in Kashmere Gardens and Fifth Ward

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- Houston's Greater Fifth Ward and Kashmere Gardens could soon be home to a combined 15 acres of solar farms over the next three years. These two neighborhoods have been suffering from industrial contamination and poor air quality for decades.

On Wednesday, Houston City Council voted to accept the $20 million grant from the EPA that the Houston Health Department wrote and submitted.

Dr. Loren Hopkins, the health department's chief environmental science officer, said the goal is to provide neighbors with another way to power their homes during extreme weather events, such as flooding, hurricanes, freezing temperatures, or heat waves.

The solar farms are also meant to reduce emissions from traditional power sources, minimizing the area's carbon footprint.

"The intent of this grant is to work on the environmental injustices that were done to the communities that live around contaminated areas. So it was written specifically for the neighborhood around the Union Pacific Railroad site and those cancer clusters there," Hopkins said.

Hopkins added that the solar farm sites have yet to be determined. But she explained that they may be divided into parcels built on empty plots of land that have been deemed unlivable due to the creosote pollution.

They are also considering the possibility of adding rooftop panels on large buildings such as multi-service centers, churches, and schools.

When asked if the project requires displacing neighbors, officials said no one will be asked to move out of their homes to make way for the farms.

Keith Downey, president of the Kashmere Gardens' super neighborhood council, shared that his neighbors feel hesitant about putting faith in the city to complete another project. Their neighborhood was supposed to be the first to receive a 'Resilience Hub' to be used for services after emergencies, but it's been in limbo since its launch in December.

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Joetta Stevenson, president of the Greater Fifth Ward's super neighborhood council, said that while she supports the idea, she doesn't want to get too excited until the solar farms actually come to fruition.

The 240-acre site in Houston's Sunnyside neighborhood that was supposed to be home to the largest urban solar farm in the country is what comes to mind for Stevenson. It was supposed to be operational by 2022 but remains incomplete.

"Anytime someone talks to me about solar farming, I immediately think, 'OK. It certainly is a positive thing if you can get it off the ground.' But I'm not aware of the City of Houston actually getting one off the ground yet," Stevenson said. "As far as federal deadlines, how many times have they had to send back millions and millions of dollars? We've got to help them not do that in this case."

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In addition to solar farms, Hopkins said the EPA grant would allow the city to provide jobs and training for residents interested in solar installation and rebates for free or reduced power. They also plan to pursue beautification projects around the solar farms that will add trails, trees, and artwork.

"It's not really about the contamination. It's more about rebuilding the community to make it more resilient and workforce development," Hopkins said. "These residents are also suffering from low income, crime, and health issues. So we're hoping to offer an opportunity for them to build themselves up."

Downey expressed that he wants city officials to engage in more dialogue and collaboration with their communities before these projects are implemented.

"Let's sit down. Let's have a talk. Don't assume that I or anyone else knows what's going on without proper communication. That's all I'm asking," Downey said. "Where is the maintenance package, and is it built in? We live in an area of Houston where it better be part of our lives as well as storms are, because we are repairing technology that we are installing."

Hopkins said the EPA's deadline to get the solar farms built is March 1, 2028, and once completed, it could last for 30 years.

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