San Miguel Electric Cooperative coal-fired power plant located in Christine, in Atascosa County, will receive more than $1 billion in funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to convert to a solar and battery facility, funded by more than $1.4 billion of a $4.37 billion federal grant to support clean energy while maintaining rural jobs. With the co-op’s transition to a renewable energy plant, only 14 coal-fired power plants will be left in the state.

In September, CEO Craig Courter said “We take pride in our attention to detail in safety, environmental compliance, community service and mined land reclamation,” and that the co-op can “virtually eliminate our greenhouse gas emissions while continuing to provide affordable and reliable power to rural Texans.”

According to the USDA, the transformation will reduce climate pollution by more than 1.8 million tons yearly and support as many as 600 jobs. The power plant has been a target of environmentalists and locals for years. Groups such as the Environmental Integrity Project and the Sierra Club have denounced it as a leading polluter of mercury among Texas power plants and expressed concern that two coal ash ponds are causing chemicals to seep into groundwater in the area.

San Miguel will still need to establish a timeline for shutting down the coal plant. James Perkins, a Sierra Club Texas campaign organizer, says it’s a historic victory for South Texas. “Texans want healthy air and water and affordable, reliable energy, and we’re ready to come together to get it done.”

For more information, visit Tinyurl.com/SanMiguelPlant.