A Greener City: San Antonio leaders starting to take a shine to solar

When every solar project now planned in San Antonio is complete, there will only be 20 to 25 in the city producing electricity, not counting solar streetlights or the like.

Even when the Pearl project goes on line later this summer, total power production by solar in San Antonio will be less than half a megawatt. That's less than a tenth of a percent of what it takes to power the city on a steamy summer afternoon.

But the projects are a start, and they are part of a nationwide trend to create greener cities.

From the way San Antonians produce and use energy to how they construct buildings and travel around town, everything is being examined. The first step, by a noted consultant who helped turn Chicago into one of the greenest and most sustainable cities in America, produced discouraging results.

Regarding energy use, Chicago-based CNT consulting termed San Antonio to be “high-waste,” referring to inefficient building practices that have dominated the city's growth.

As for development, CNT labeled San Antonio a sprawling “drive till you qualify market.” The description refers to sprawl that places those with lower incomes farther and farther from major employment centers. Many residents end up spending more on combined home energy and transportation bills than their house payment.

The result, according to a growing chorus of community leaders, is that San Antonio needs more sustainable development if it is to thrive in a future characterized by a growing population and scarcer resources.

Many, like Hardberger, view a strong push to solar as a linchpin to such changes.

Texas way behind