City of Tucson, AZ

06/10/2025 | News release | Distributed by Public on 06/10/2025 15:49

Solar Panels Placed on City Public Housing

Published on June 10, 2025

Mayor Regina Romero and Tucson Housing and Community Development (HCD) are celebrating the installation of solar panels on 15 homes owned by the City of Tucson Public Housing Authority.

In 2022, the Tucson Mayor and Council voted to allocate $300,000 in federal American Rescue Plan funds to add solar in City-owned buildings to help reduce the energy burden on families living there. The solar panels were installed by Technicians For Sustainability (TFS), a local solar provider.

"It is important that we make solar energy as equitable and accessible to those most impacted by climate change. This is one of the ways Tucson is taking bold action as one of the most heat resilient cities in the Southwest," said Tucson Mayor Regina Romero. "Tucson is one of the fastest-warming cities in the United States, and one way that our residents are feeling this crisis is through having to pay higher energy bills. Under my leadership, I saw an opportunity to use American Rescue Plan dollars to create permanent change in our community and brought it to the Council so that we could help residents living in public housing."

Tucson residents living in public housing, many of them living on a fixed income, face many financial hardships. By expanding the benefits of solar, the City of Tucson will help residents pay less of their monthly income on utility bills. Solar panels convert energy from the sun into electricity, lowering families' monthly energy bills and helping protect the environment. The solar panels were installed in homes of public housing residents like Catherine and others struggling to catch up to pay high energy bills month after month. Catherine's southside home is one of 15 single-family homes owned and managed by the City of Tucson's Public Housing Authority.

"I think it's exciting. Every little bit helps," said Catherine who has lived with her family in a City-owned home for three years. Catherine, who sometimes finds herself behind on her utility payments, looks forward to lower bills because of solar. "I really appreciate it," she said. "Once they approved the solar panels, the process went very fast. They were super quick to put up."

The installation of solar panels is part of the City's broader strategy to improve public housing and advance its climate resilience goals. These systems help reduce energy use and conserve water in public housing units across the city. The City of Tucson is working toward carbon neutrality by 2030 for City operations by 2045 community wide.

As part of this effort, the City has set a target of installing 30 Megawatts (MW) of solar capacity on municipal facilities. To date, over 70 solar projects have been completed, generating a combined total of over 18 MW.

"TFS is excited to partner with the City of Tucson to bring solar power to 15 affordable housing units," said Kevin Koch, TFS co-owner. "These installations have begun to deliver meaningful economic and environmental benefits, saving each resident approximately $900 annually and preventing 170,000 pounds of CO2 and other pollutants from entering our atmosphere. At a time of declining federal solar support, Tucson is demonstrating innovative leadership in expanding clean energy access and benefits to more residents," he added.

Adding solar panels to public housing residences is one of the 10 initiatives included in the Housing Affordability Strategy for Tucson championed by Mayor Regina Romero and approved by the City Council approved in 2021. The solar effort also is part of HCD's People, Communities, and Homes Investment Plan, and the City's climate action and adaptation plan, Tucson Resilient Together, and Plan Tucson, the City's 10-year General Plan.

"This project demonstrates how climate resilience and equity go hand in hand. By bringing solar energy to public housing, we are not just reducing emissions-we are directly investing in the health, stability, and dignity of Tucson families. It is a model for how local climate action can deliver real, measurable benefits to those who need it most, said Fatima Luna, Chief Resilience Officer for the City of Tucson.

City of Tucson, AZ published this content on June 10, 2025, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on June 10, 2025 at 21:49 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at support@pubt.io