LCRA awards almost $1.1 million in  grants

AUSTIN, Texas – The Lower Colorado River Authority recently awarded $1,096,247 in grants to support community projects across LCRA’s wholesale electric, water and transmission service areas.

     LCRA Community Grants will help fund 41 projects, including major upgrades to the El Progreso Memorial Library in Uvalde, purchase of a new brush truck for the Muldoon Volunteer Fire Department in Fayette County, purchase of a swift-water rescue boat for the Concan Volunteer Fire Department and upgrades to the new emergency operations center in Colorado County.  

    Many of the grants support first responders, including helping fund new specialized breathing equipment for responders in Bandera, Boling in Wharton County, Hoover Valley in Burnet County, Laguna Vista and Wall in Tom Green County; fire station expansions in Dove Creek in Tom Green County and Goldthwaite; a lighted helipad in Delhi in Caldwell County; and personal protective equipment for firefighters in Bastrop County.

     LCRA General Manager Phil Wilson said LCRA is proud to support dozens of community projects throughout LCRA’s service territory, which includes all or parts of 73 counties, through the grant program.

     “These grants are designed to contribute to the health, safety and development of communities,” Wilson said. “By supporting community projects such as improved libraries and providing new equipment for first responders, the grants help nonprofit organizations provide better and expanded services across Texas. That is directly in line with LCRA’s goal to improve the lives of the Texans we serve.”     Wilson said LCRA is especially honored to support first responders with emergency response equipment and expanded fire stations.

  “We are thankful for the many first responders who give their time and talents to help protect us as they respond to emergency calls,” he said. “They need updated, working equipment to do their jobs properly, and we are pleased to help provide new gear and safety equipment to assist in making their work safer.”

    Other grants will help fund improvements at sports facilities and parks in Cottonwood Shores, Eastland, Granite Shoals, Lampasas, Lawn, Rockne in Bastrop County, San Saba and Waelder. In addition, thanks to the grants, community and event centers will be able to upgrade and renovate their facilities in Brenham, Bronte, Carmine, Driftwood in Hays County, Louise in Wharton County and Thompsonville in Gonzales County.

    To date, LCRA has awarded 2,178 community grants totaling more than $55 million. When combined with $248 million in community-raised matching funds, the program has invested more than $303 million in local communities.

     Area grants awarded in the most recent grant cycle are:

• BASTROP COUNTY: A $19,869 grant from LCRA and Bluebonnet Electric Cooperative to the Heart of the Pines Volunteer Fire Department for equipment to protect firefighters.

• DELHI: A $27,690 grant from LCRA and Bluebonnet Electric Cooperative to the Delhi Volunteer Fire Department in Caldwell County to construct a lighted helipad.

• DRIFTWOOD: A $19,125 grant from LCRA and Pedernales Electric Cooperative to the Driftwood Historical Conservation Society in Hays County to make improvements to the Driftwood Community Center.

     LCRA Community Grants of up to $50,000 are awarded twice a year for capital projects for volunteer fire departments, emergency responders, schools, cities and counties, as well as civic groups, museums, libraries and other tax-exempt nonprofit organizations. Applications for the next round of grants will be available during January at lcra.org/grants. Applications are due by midnight January 31.

     To commemorate the 30th anniversary of LCRA’s community grants program, LCRA will award one $100,000 grant to a project submitted during the January 2026 application period. This $100,000 grant will be in addition to the grants of up to $50,000 LCRA will continue to offer.