Travis County is already experiencing hotter summers, deeper droughts, more extreme storms, and growing strain on our water and power systems.
Across Texas, local governments are moving to invest in clean energy, conserve water, and build resilience at the community level. Travis County has often had access to the same tools and funding, and too often failed to act decisively.
During the incumbent’s most recent term in office, Travis County has missed obvious opportunities to protect water supplies, reduce emissions, and prepare neighborhoods for climate-driven emergencies.
This is not about ideology. It is about timing and follow-through. The county can still choose a more responsible path forward.
- Go big on solar.
Invest ambitiously in solar power to reduce Travis County’s carbon footprint.
Solar power is now the least expensive way to generate electricity, and Travis County owns offices, parking structures, and other facilities well suited for large-scale solar deployment. Amanda will push for aggressive expansion of county-owned and county-supported solar generation to cut emissions, lower long-term operating costs, and reduce strain on the grid during extreme heat.
Federal incentives for solar construction are expiring soon — an opportunity Travis County is on track to miss again. This is not a fluke of timing; it reflects a broader pattern of delayed attention and inaction while meaningful leverage is still available.
Amanda is running for County Commissioner to break that pattern, by putting issues on the agenda earlier, asking harder questions sooner, and building the coalitions needed to act before opportunities disappear.
- More protection from drought.
We should not give public subsidies to projects that will aggravate drought, like the Tesla Gigafactory tax-rebate agreement.
Central Texas is already experiencing prolonged drought conditions, and climate projections point to greater volatility ahead.
During the incumbent’s term in office, Travis County approved a tax-rebate agreement with Tesla’s Gigafactory that failed to include an enforceable requirement to rely on recaptured water — water that has already been used, treated, and recycled for industrial or non-potable purposes.
Instead, the agreement allows a massive industrial facility to draw heavily on potable water supplies, adding a significant and ongoing burden to a system already stressed by drought.
The failure to require enforceable use of recaptured water follows the same pattern as the county’s inaction on solar: late scrutiny, weak conditions, and lost leverage.
We should oppose data centers that threaten potable water supplies.
Large data centers are among the most water- and energy-intensive facilities being proposed across Texas. Amanda will oppose new data centers in any location that jeopardizes groundwater, surface water, or municipal drinking supplies.
- Resilience and safety for families.
Vastly expand resilience hubs by locating them on school campuses.
Schools are among the most practical assets for emergency preparedness. They are embedded in neighborhoods, familiar to families, and geographically distributed across the county.
Amanda will work with the school district and regional partners to expand resilience hubs on school campuses, giving families nearby places to shelter, be safe, and access information during emergencies.
Pair resilience hubs with rooftop solar and backup power.
Emergency plans fail if facilities lose power when the grid goes down. Amanda will support investments in rooftop solar and backup power at resilience hubs so schools can remain operational during outages, providing cooling, communications, refrigeration for medicine, and safe gathering spaces.
These are targeted investments with immediate public-safety benefits.
