Texans care about conserving energy, but investing in solar power has not — up until now — made economic sense for most of us. We are a pragmatic people. But imagine if putting solar panels on our houses or even geothermal systems did not require a big upfront cost, lowered our monthly energy bills immediately, and could be paid off over time at the lowest interest rates.

That's precisely the promise of House Bill 1937, a bill I authored and passed last session. This bill lets individual property owners make renewable energy and energy conservation investments. It does this because cities pay the up front costs, allowing the property owner to pay the city back through monthly repayments, which are in turn secured by a lien on the property.

Everyone wins in this voluntary program. Our city's fossil fuel energy use goes down. Individuals who choose to participate see their energy bills drop. And the drop in the monthly energy bill would more than cover the monthly cost of the solar panel, solar water heater, weatherization or geothermal system.

San Antonio households and commercial property owners have made limited investment in renewable energy up until now. That's not a statement on our interest in conserving energy or experimenting with the technologies of the future. It's a statement about the huge capital investment required to pursue some of these green ideas.

Soon, you and I will be able to upgrade our home with an approach similar to how we finance a home purchase. With this legislation, cities can now finance solar panels on a million rooftops.

And best of all, this kind of utility infrastructure will bring new, green jobs to San Antonio. We will be investing in ourselves.

When can you sign up? The first city to move forward likely will be San Antonio. We hope to have our program up and running in the first half of 2010.

Mike Villarreal, D-San Antonio, is a member of the Texas House.