In Ozona, a remote town in Crockett County, Texas, wind energy investments are funding essential services that help seniors age in place. Through tax abatement agreements with companies like NextEra Energy, the county secures donations for meals, transportation, and social programs at the local senior center. This approach addresses challenges like isolation and limited access to resources in rural areas.
Ozona, the only community in Crockett County's 2,800 square miles, serves about 2,800 residents with minimal taxes and regulations. The nearest city, San Angelo, lies 90 minutes away, and San Antonio is three hours distant. Seniors like 75-year-old Cynthia Flores frequent the Crockett County Senior Center for puzzles, bingo, and nutritious lunches, allowing many to remain in their longtime homes despite rural hardships.
Rural seniors face heightened risks of isolation and food insecurity, with 10.2 percent lacking sufficient access to healthy food compared to 8.5 percent in metro areas, per U.S. Department of Agriculture data. In Crockett County, wind turbines operated by NextEra Energy, located 15 miles north on State Highway 163, generate more than power; they provide community funding.
Under the Texas Abatement Act, or Section 312, the county offers up to 10 years of property tax reductions to attract wind projects in exchange for direct investments. This has enabled charitable contributions to nonprofits supporting seniors. County Judge Frank Tambunga, a local in his early 60s, prioritized these needs in negotiations. "As we negotiate, we ask that, during the term of the abatement, that they make charitable contributions to nonprofit organizations to help the local groups," Tambunga said.
Former commissioner Eligio Martinez, who helped negotiate early deals in the 2010s, noted the community's welcoming stance: "If it’s beneficial to the community, we’re going to stick together." NextEra's donations include $20,000 last September to sustain the Helping Hands meal delivery program, which serves 42 homebound seniors via volunteers like 69-year-old Arletta Gandy. Martinez's nonprofit, In Care of Ozona, received $3,000 this year for medical travel assistance, addressing the 90-minute drives to San Angelo for treatments.
Ranchers, such as 70-year-old Steve Wilkins of the Flying W Ranch, are leasing land to wind firms for potential long-term royalties, supplementing declining oil and gas income. As Texas's senior population is projected to double to 8.3 million by 2050, experts like Jeremy Everett of the Baylor Collaborative on Hunger and Poverty emphasize partnerships: "That’s how strong food systems are built from the ground up."
These funds fill gaps from fluctuating federal support, such as cuts to Meals on Wheels, ensuring programs like the center's Valentine’s Day Dance continue.