Cobos Says Green Spending Can Save County Money

Written forkvia.com by Sonai Perez

EL PASO – County officials said they will be proactive about a spending bill to require future building projects to incorporate solar paneling.

County projects that spread across large properties like the new Ascarate mental health facility and the county jail annex in Montana Vista will not only be able to produce electricity for their own building,but will alsohave the capacity to send electricity back into the grid by installing these panels.

County Judge Cobos saidbelieves significant spending on green energy will pay off in the future and will get El Paso recognized as a solar energy capital.

“It’s a technology that can really set us apart from the rest of the nation. We’ve already declared El Paso the solar energy capital of the Southwest. The first thing in achieving our goal is recognizing it, declare it and will it to happen,” said Cobos.

Although solar paneling is recognized as being more expensive upfront, it benefits its usersin the long run by lowering energy bills and making county buildings more energy independent.