Biden-Harris Administration announces $198 million to deliver residential solar in North Dakota, lowering energy costs and advancing Environmental Justice
BISMARCK, N.D. - Today, as the Biden-Harris Administration celebrates Earth Day, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced The Coalition for Green Capital and MHA Nation (The Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara Nation) have been selected to receive $62,450,000 and $135,580,000 respectively through the Solar for All (SFA) grant competition to develop long-lasting solar programs that enable low-income and disadvantaged communities to deploy and benefit from distributed residential solar. This award is part of the historic $27 billion Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund, which was created under President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act to lower energy costs for families, create good-quality jobs in communities that have been left behind, advance environmental justice, and tackle the climate crisis.
The North Dakota SFA will reduce greenhouse and other air pollutants by increasing the deployment of solar products across the state by providing solar arrays to single family homes. The program will facilitate grant, tax, and low interest lending to develop solar units for multi-family dwellings. These funds will also be used to mobilize financing and private capital by enabling community development financial institutions, credit unions, rural electric cooperatives, and municipal utilities to gain expertise in administering a revolving loan fund without incurring significant risk. The program impact can be measured and used to attract additional funding to the region. Finally, and key to the Justice 40 initiative, these programs will all serve communities designated as low-income and disadvantaged.
“Although solar technology has become more affordable for residential use, many communities still face cost barriers to access,” said EPA Regional Administrator KC Becker. “One of our goals with the Greenhouse Gas Reduction fund is to make clean energy more accessible, especially for communities who are both overburdened by climate change impacts and disproportionately excluded from green technology resources. The Solar for All program will make access to cleaner energy more equitable for North Dakota communities.”
The Coalition for Green Capital is among 49 state-level awards EPA announced today totaling approximately $5.5 billion, along with six awards to serve Tribes totaling over $500 million, and five multistate awards totaling approximately $1 billion
“These awards are a big win for residents across North and South Dakota and on Tribal lands in the region," said Eli Hopson, Coalition for Green Capital’s executive director and chief operating officer. "We look forward to meeting with local leaders, including Tribal leaders, to collaborate in putting these dollars to work quickly and effectively and in as many communities as possible. We also congratulate many of our network partners who have received awards and will deliver for their communities in states across the country.”
The MHA Nation was selected to receive $135,580,000.
The Northern Plains Tribal SFA program (NPT-SFA), headquartered in North Dakota, will transform energy and economic systems in disadvantaged communities with deep and concentrated investments. Expanding to broader areas over time, NPT-SFA will focus first in North Dakota, South Dakota, and Montana, with additional participation of tribes in Wisconsin, and Wyoming. NFP-SFA's strategy is based on a successful pilot program on the Northern Cheyenne reservation in Montana and includes the establishment of Tribally-owned and managed portfolios of solar systems sited at the homes of Tribal members. The high electricity prices, frequent power outages, and inefficient housing stock will be leveraged as opportunities for deep, impactful programs. Innovative apprenticeship programs, education, and training partnerships will also attract industry leaders, building capacity in the region to deliver continuing benefits that will endure long beyond the period of the grant.
"Our future depends on changing our approach to energy," said MHA Nation Tribal Chairman and U.S. Marine Corps Veteran Mark N. Fox. "All forms of energy will play a role. We are honored to lead a coalition of 14 tribes in our region to develop the efficiency, resilient, and renewable energy systems that the Solar for All program will support.”
A complete list of the selected applicants can be found on EPA’s Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund Solar for All website.
EPA estimates that the 60 Solar for All recipients announced today will enable over 900,000 households in low-income and disadvantaged communities to deploy and benefit from distributed solar energy. This $7 billion investment will generate $350+ million annual savings on electric bills for overburdened households. The program will reduce 30 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions cumulatively from over 4 GW of clean energy capacity. In total, solar projects funded by this program will generate over $8 billion in household savings over the 25-year lifetime of the assets. Solar and distributed energy resources help improve electric grid reliability and climate resilience as well, which is especially important in disadvantaged communities that have long been underserved.
Solar for All will deliver on the Biden-Harris Administration’s commitment to creating high-quality jobs with the free and fair choice to join a union for workers across the United States. This $7 billion investment in clean energy will generate an estimated 200,000 jobs across the country. All selected applicants intend to invest in local, clean energy workforce development programs to expand equitable pathways into family-sustaining jobs for the communities they are designed to serve. At least 35% of selected applicants have already engaged local or national unions, engagement that demonstrates how these programs will contribute to the foundation of a clean energy economy built on strong labor standards and inclusive economic opportunity for all American communities.
The Solar for All program also advances President Biden’s Justice40 Initiative, which set the goal that 40% of the overall benefits of certain federal climate, clean energy, affordable and sustainable housing, and other investments flow to disadvantaged communities that are marginalized by underinvestment and overburdened by pollution. All of the funds awarded through the Solar For All program will be invested in low-income and disadvantaged communities. The program will also help meet the President’s goal of achieving a carbon pollution-free power sector by 2035 and net-zero emissions economy by no later than 2050.
The 60 selected applicants have committed to delivering on the three objectives of the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund: reducing climate and air pollution; delivering benefits to low-income and disadvantaged communities; and mobilizing financing to spur additional deployment of affordable solar energy. Solar for All selected applicants are expanding existing low-income solar programs and launching new programs. In 25 states and territories nationwide, Solar for All is launching new programs and opening new markets for low-income, residential solar by providing subsidies and low-cost financing so that households in low-income and disadvantaged communities can build and access affordable solar energy for the first time.
Review and Selection Process Information
The 60 selected applicants were chosen from 150 applications to the Solar for All competition. The 60 selected applicants were selected through a robust competition review process. This multi-staged process included hundreds of experts in climate, power markets, environmental justice, labor, and consumer protection from across EPA, Department of Energy, Housing and Urban Development, Department of Treasury, Department of Agriculture, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Labor, Department of Defense, and the Department of Energy’s National Labs – all screened through ethics and conflict of interest checks and trained on the program requirements and evaluation criteria – participating in the review, scoring and selection of the applications through dozens of review panels and an interagency senior review team.
EPA anticipates that awards to the selected applicants will be finalized in the summer of 2024 and selected applicants will begin funding a projects through existing programs and begin expansive community outreach programs to launch new programs. Selections are contingent on the resolution of all administrative disputes related to the competitions.
Informational Webinars
EPA will host informational webinars as part of the program’s commitment to public transparency. EPA has scheduled a public webinar for the Solar for All program, and registration details are included below. Information on other GGRF webinars can be found at EPA’s GGRF webpage.
Solar for All webinar: Monday, April 29, 2024, 4:00pm – 4:30pm ET. Register for the April 29 meeting.
The North Dakota SFA will reduce greenhouse and other air pollutants by increasing the deployment of solar products across the state by providing solar arrays to single family homes. The program will facilitate grant, tax, and low interest lending to develop solar units for multi-family dwellings. These funds will also be used to mobilize financing and private capital by enabling community development financial institutions, credit unions, rural electric cooperatives, and municipal utilities to gain expertise in administering a revolving loan fund without incurring significant risk. The program impact can be measured and used to attract additional funding to the region. Finally, and key to the Justice 40 initiative, these programs will all serve communities designated as low-income and disadvantaged.
“Although solar technology has become more affordable for residential use, many communities still face cost barriers to access,” said EPA Regional Administrator KC Becker. “One of our goals with the Greenhouse Gas Reduction fund is to make clean energy more accessible, especially for communities who are both overburdened by climate change impacts and disproportionately excluded from green technology resources. The Solar for All program will make access to cleaner energy more equitable for North Dakota communities.”
The Coalition for Green Capital is among 49 state-level awards EPA announced today totaling approximately $5.5 billion, along with six awards to serve Tribes totaling over $500 million, and five multistate awards totaling approximately $1 billion
“These awards are a big win for residents across North and South Dakota and on Tribal lands in the region," said Eli Hopson, Coalition for Green Capital’s executive director and chief operating officer. "We look forward to meeting with local leaders, including Tribal leaders, to collaborate in putting these dollars to work quickly and effectively and in as many communities as possible. We also congratulate many of our network partners who have received awards and will deliver for their communities in states across the country.”
The MHA Nation was selected to receive $135,580,000.
The Northern Plains Tribal SFA program (NPT-SFA), headquartered in North Dakota, will transform energy and economic systems in disadvantaged communities with deep and concentrated investments. Expanding to broader areas over time, NPT-SFA will focus first in North Dakota, South Dakota, and Montana, with additional participation of tribes in Wisconsin, and Wyoming. NFP-SFA's strategy is based on a successful pilot program on the Northern Cheyenne reservation in Montana and includes the establishment of Tribally-owned and managed portfolios of solar systems sited at the homes of Tribal members. The high electricity prices, frequent power outages, and inefficient housing stock will be leveraged as opportunities for deep, impactful programs. Innovative apprenticeship programs, education, and training partnerships will also attract industry leaders, building capacity in the region to deliver continuing benefits that will endure long beyond the period of the grant.
"Our future depends on changing our approach to energy," said MHA Nation Tribal Chairman and U.S. Marine Corps Veteran Mark N. Fox. "All forms of energy will play a role. We are honored to lead a coalition of 14 tribes in our region to develop the efficiency, resilient, and renewable energy systems that the Solar for All program will support.”
A complete list of the selected applicants can be found on EPA’s Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund Solar for All website.
EPA estimates that the 60 Solar for All recipients announced today will enable over 900,000 households in low-income and disadvantaged communities to deploy and benefit from distributed solar energy. This $7 billion investment will generate $350+ million annual savings on electric bills for overburdened households. The program will reduce 30 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions cumulatively from over 4 GW of clean energy capacity. In total, solar projects funded by this program will generate over $8 billion in household savings over the 25-year lifetime of the assets. Solar and distributed energy resources help improve electric grid reliability and climate resilience as well, which is especially important in disadvantaged communities that have long been underserved.
Solar for All will deliver on the Biden-Harris Administration’s commitment to creating high-quality jobs with the free and fair choice to join a union for workers across the United States. This $7 billion investment in clean energy will generate an estimated 200,000 jobs across the country. All selected applicants intend to invest in local, clean energy workforce development programs to expand equitable pathways into family-sustaining jobs for the communities they are designed to serve. At least 35% of selected applicants have already engaged local or national unions, engagement that demonstrates how these programs will contribute to the foundation of a clean energy economy built on strong labor standards and inclusive economic opportunity for all American communities.
The Solar for All program also advances President Biden’s Justice40 Initiative, which set the goal that 40% of the overall benefits of certain federal climate, clean energy, affordable and sustainable housing, and other investments flow to disadvantaged communities that are marginalized by underinvestment and overburdened by pollution. All of the funds awarded through the Solar For All program will be invested in low-income and disadvantaged communities. The program will also help meet the President’s goal of achieving a carbon pollution-free power sector by 2035 and net-zero emissions economy by no later than 2050.
The 60 selected applicants have committed to delivering on the three objectives of the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund: reducing climate and air pollution; delivering benefits to low-income and disadvantaged communities; and mobilizing financing to spur additional deployment of affordable solar energy. Solar for All selected applicants are expanding existing low-income solar programs and launching new programs. In 25 states and territories nationwide, Solar for All is launching new programs and opening new markets for low-income, residential solar by providing subsidies and low-cost financing so that households in low-income and disadvantaged communities can build and access affordable solar energy for the first time.
Review and Selection Process Information
The 60 selected applicants were chosen from 150 applications to the Solar for All competition. The 60 selected applicants were selected through a robust competition review process. This multi-staged process included hundreds of experts in climate, power markets, environmental justice, labor, and consumer protection from across EPA, Department of Energy, Housing and Urban Development, Department of Treasury, Department of Agriculture, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Labor, Department of Defense, and the Department of Energy’s National Labs – all screened through ethics and conflict of interest checks and trained on the program requirements and evaluation criteria – participating in the review, scoring and selection of the applications through dozens of review panels and an interagency senior review team.
EPA anticipates that awards to the selected applicants will be finalized in the summer of 2024 and selected applicants will begin funding a projects through existing programs and begin expansive community outreach programs to launch new programs. Selections are contingent on the resolution of all administrative disputes related to the competitions.
Informational Webinars
EPA will host informational webinars as part of the program’s commitment to public transparency. EPA has scheduled a public webinar for the Solar for All program, and registration details are included below. Information on other GGRF webinars can be found at EPA’s GGRF webpage.
Solar for All webinar: Monday, April 29, 2024, 4:00pm – 4:30pm ET. Register for the April 29 meeting.
Biden-Harris Administration announces Rhode Island Office of Energy Resources to receive over $49 million to deliver residential solar, lowering energy costs and advancing environmental justice across Rhode Island
BOSTON (April 22, 2024) - Today, as the Biden-Harris Administration celebrates Earth Day, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced Rhode Island Office of Energy Resources has been selected to receive $49,330,000 through the Solar for All grant competition to develop long-lasting solar programs that enable low-income and disadvantaged communities to deploy and benefit from distributed residential solar. This award is part of the historic $27 billion Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund, which was created under President Biden's Inflation Reduction Act to lower energy costs for families, create good-quality jobs in communities that have been left behind, advance environmental justice, and tackle the climate crisis.
The Rhode Island coalition of applicants will use this funding for the launch and expansion of a comprehensive suite of seven financial assistance programs and twelve project deployment technical assistance initiatives, which are designed to equitably address barriers to solar adoption in Rhode Island's low-income and disadvantaged communities. All financial assistance programs are tailored to defray specific and longstanding financial barriers to solar adoption while addressing the needs of low-income renters and homeowners. The financial assistance programs proposed specifically deliver meaningful benefits of reliable solar power directly to Rhode Island's most historically underserved communities through low-income and disadvantaged community-specific eligibility requirements.
"Today we're delivering on President Biden's promise that no community is left behind by investing $7 billion in solar energy projects for over 900,000 households in low-income and disadvantaged communities," said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. "The selectees will advance solar energy initiatives across the country, creating hundreds of thousands of good-paying jobs, saving $8 billion in energy costs for families, delivering cleaner air, and combating climate change."
"Today, across the United States, we are celebrating more than just Earth Day; we are celebrating Solar for All—a significant step forward in our commitment to equitable energy access and environmental justice," said EPA New England Regional Administrator David W. Cash. "Household utility bill savings, clean energy jobs, greenhouse gas reductions—that is what today's announcement will mean to thousands of communities across New England and the country. Whether it's installing community solar arrays to power manufactured housing in New Hampshire, heating affordable housing units in Connecticut, or supporting Tribal communities to participate in solar energy ownership without barriers—our selectees in each of our six New England states have developed residential solar projects that bring household savings and clean energy to communities that have been overburdened or disadvantaged for far too long."
"The Solar for All program and funding from EPA allows us to implement important programs and projects that will help accelerate solar adoption and provide long-term benefits in Rhode Island communities that have historically faced the negative impacts of climate change," said Acting State Energy Commissioner Chris Kearns.
Rhode Island Office of Energy Resources is among 49 state-level awards EPA announced today totaling approximately $5.5 billion, along with six awards to serve Tribes totaling over $500 million, and five multistate awards totaling approximately $1 billion.
A complete list of the selected applicants can be found on EPA's Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund Solar for All website.
EPA estimates that the 60 Solar for All recipients will enable over 900,000 households in low-income and disadvantaged communities to deploy and benefit from distributed solar energy. This $7 billion investment will generate over $350 million in annual savings on electric bills for overburdened households. The program will reduce 30 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions cumulatively, from over four gigawatts of solar energy capacity unlocked for low-income communities over five years. Solar and distributed energy resources help improve electric grid reliability and climate resilience, which is especially important in disadvantaged communities that have long been underserved.
Solar for All will deliver on the Biden-Harris Administration's commitment to creating high-quality jobs with the free and fair choice to join a union for workers across the United States. This $7 billion investment in clean energy will generate an estimated 200,000 jobs across the country. All selected applicants intend to invest in local, clean energy workforce development programs to expand equitable pathways into family-sustaining jobs for the communities they are designed to serve. At least 35% of selected applicants have already engaged local or national unions, demonstrating how these programs will contribute to the foundation of a clean energy economy built on strong labor standards and inclusive economic opportunity for all American communities.
The Solar for All program also advances President Biden's Justice40 Initiative, which set the goal that 40% of the overall benefits of certain federal climate, clean energy, affordable and sustainable housing, and other investments flow to disadvantaged communities that are marginalized by underinvestment and overburdened by pollution. All of the funds awarded through the Solar for All program will be invested in low-income and disadvantaged communities. The program will also help meet the President's goal of achieving a carbon pollution-free power sector by 2035 and net-zero emissions economy by no later than 2050.
The 60 selected applicants have committed to delivering on the three objectives of the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund: reducing climate and air pollution; delivering benefits to low-income and disadvantaged communities; and mobilizing financing to spur additional deployment of affordable solar energy. Solar for All selected applicants are expanding existing low-income solar programs and launching new programs. In at least 25 states and territories nationwide, Solar for All is launching new programs where there has never been a substantial low-income solar program before. In these geographies, Solar for All selected applicants will open new markets for distributed solar by funding new programs that provide grants and low-cost financing for low-income, residential solar.
Review and Selection Process Information
The 60 applicants selected for funding were chosen through a competition review process. This multi-stage process included review from hundreds of experts in climate, power markets, environmental justice, labor, and consumer protection from EPA, Department of Energy, the Department of Housing and Urban Affairs, Department of Treasury, Department of Agriculture, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Labor, Department of Defense, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, and the Department of Energy's National Labs – all screened through ethics and conflict of interest checks and trained on the program requirements and evaluation criteria. Applications were scored and selected through dozens of review panels and an interagency senior review team.
EPA anticipates that awards to the selected applicants will be finalized in the summer of 2024, and selected applicants will begin funding projects through existing programs and begin expansive community outreach programs to launch new programs in the fall and winter of this year. Selections are contingent on the resolution of all administrative disputes related to the competitions.
Informational Webinars
EPA will host informational webinars as part of the program's commitment to public transparency. EPA has scheduled a public webinar for the Solar for All program, and registration details are included below. Information on other GGRF webinars can be found on EPA's Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund Engagement Opportunities webpage.
Solar for All webinar: Monday, April 29, 2024, 4:00pm – 4:30pm ET. Register for the April 29 meeting
The Rhode Island coalition of applicants will use this funding for the launch and expansion of a comprehensive suite of seven financial assistance programs and twelve project deployment technical assistance initiatives, which are designed to equitably address barriers to solar adoption in Rhode Island's low-income and disadvantaged communities. All financial assistance programs are tailored to defray specific and longstanding financial barriers to solar adoption while addressing the needs of low-income renters and homeowners. The financial assistance programs proposed specifically deliver meaningful benefits of reliable solar power directly to Rhode Island's most historically underserved communities through low-income and disadvantaged community-specific eligibility requirements.
"Today we're delivering on President Biden's promise that no community is left behind by investing $7 billion in solar energy projects for over 900,000 households in low-income and disadvantaged communities," said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. "The selectees will advance solar energy initiatives across the country, creating hundreds of thousands of good-paying jobs, saving $8 billion in energy costs for families, delivering cleaner air, and combating climate change."
"Today, across the United States, we are celebrating more than just Earth Day; we are celebrating Solar for All—a significant step forward in our commitment to equitable energy access and environmental justice," said EPA New England Regional Administrator David W. Cash. "Household utility bill savings, clean energy jobs, greenhouse gas reductions—that is what today's announcement will mean to thousands of communities across New England and the country. Whether it's installing community solar arrays to power manufactured housing in New Hampshire, heating affordable housing units in Connecticut, or supporting Tribal communities to participate in solar energy ownership without barriers—our selectees in each of our six New England states have developed residential solar projects that bring household savings and clean energy to communities that have been overburdened or disadvantaged for far too long."
"The Solar for All program and funding from EPA allows us to implement important programs and projects that will help accelerate solar adoption and provide long-term benefits in Rhode Island communities that have historically faced the negative impacts of climate change," said Acting State Energy Commissioner Chris Kearns.
Rhode Island Office of Energy Resources is among 49 state-level awards EPA announced today totaling approximately $5.5 billion, along with six awards to serve Tribes totaling over $500 million, and five multistate awards totaling approximately $1 billion.
A complete list of the selected applicants can be found on EPA's Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund Solar for All website.
EPA estimates that the 60 Solar for All recipients will enable over 900,000 households in low-income and disadvantaged communities to deploy and benefit from distributed solar energy. This $7 billion investment will generate over $350 million in annual savings on electric bills for overburdened households. The program will reduce 30 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions cumulatively, from over four gigawatts of solar energy capacity unlocked for low-income communities over five years. Solar and distributed energy resources help improve electric grid reliability and climate resilience, which is especially important in disadvantaged communities that have long been underserved.
Solar for All will deliver on the Biden-Harris Administration's commitment to creating high-quality jobs with the free and fair choice to join a union for workers across the United States. This $7 billion investment in clean energy will generate an estimated 200,000 jobs across the country. All selected applicants intend to invest in local, clean energy workforce development programs to expand equitable pathways into family-sustaining jobs for the communities they are designed to serve. At least 35% of selected applicants have already engaged local or national unions, demonstrating how these programs will contribute to the foundation of a clean energy economy built on strong labor standards and inclusive economic opportunity for all American communities.
The Solar for All program also advances President Biden's Justice40 Initiative, which set the goal that 40% of the overall benefits of certain federal climate, clean energy, affordable and sustainable housing, and other investments flow to disadvantaged communities that are marginalized by underinvestment and overburdened by pollution. All of the funds awarded through the Solar for All program will be invested in low-income and disadvantaged communities. The program will also help meet the President's goal of achieving a carbon pollution-free power sector by 2035 and net-zero emissions economy by no later than 2050.
The 60 selected applicants have committed to delivering on the three objectives of the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund: reducing climate and air pollution; delivering benefits to low-income and disadvantaged communities; and mobilizing financing to spur additional deployment of affordable solar energy. Solar for All selected applicants are expanding existing low-income solar programs and launching new programs. In at least 25 states and territories nationwide, Solar for All is launching new programs where there has never been a substantial low-income solar program before. In these geographies, Solar for All selected applicants will open new markets for distributed solar by funding new programs that provide grants and low-cost financing for low-income, residential solar.
Review and Selection Process Information
The 60 applicants selected for funding were chosen through a competition review process. This multi-stage process included review from hundreds of experts in climate, power markets, environmental justice, labor, and consumer protection from EPA, Department of Energy, the Department of Housing and Urban Affairs, Department of Treasury, Department of Agriculture, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Labor, Department of Defense, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, and the Department of Energy's National Labs – all screened through ethics and conflict of interest checks and trained on the program requirements and evaluation criteria. Applications were scored and selected through dozens of review panels and an interagency senior review team.
EPA anticipates that awards to the selected applicants will be finalized in the summer of 2024, and selected applicants will begin funding projects through existing programs and begin expansive community outreach programs to launch new programs in the fall and winter of this year. Selections are contingent on the resolution of all administrative disputes related to the competitions.
Informational Webinars
EPA will host informational webinars as part of the program's commitment to public transparency. EPA has scheduled a public webinar for the Solar for All program, and registration details are included below. Information on other GGRF webinars can be found on EPA's Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund Engagement Opportunities webpage.
Solar for All webinar: Monday, April 29, 2024, 4:00pm – 4:30pm ET. Register for the April 29 meeting
EPA Announces Ohio Organizations to Receive More Than $312 Million to Deliver Residential Solar, Lowering Energy Costs and Advancing Environmental Justice Across Ohio Through the Biden-Harris Administration
CHICAGO (April 22, 2024) - Today, as the Biden-Harris Administration celebrates Earth Day, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced Ohio Office of Budget and Management State Accounting has been selected to receive $156,120,000 and Growth Opportunity Partners has been selected to receive $156,120,000 through the Solar for All grant competition to develop long-lasting solar programs that enable low-income and disadvantaged communities to deploy and benefit from distributed residential solar. This award is part of the historic $27 billion Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund, which was created under President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act to lower energy costs for families, create good-quality jobs in communities that have been left behind, advance environmental justice, and tackle the climate crisis.
With this funding, the Ohio Office of Budget and Management State Accounting will create opportunities for Ohio’s residential customers in low- to moderate-income households and disadvantaged communities. This funding will also help the office achieve meaningful energy savings and improve air quality in traditionally underserved areas of Ohio. The program's financial models will provide flexibility for Ohio families to access solar, whether they own their home or rent, and can be leveraged to mobilize private capital as part of the long-lasting design and delivery. The state’s desired outcomes is to maximize the number of underserved households being reached with clean energy generation, while delivering the highest cost savings possible and sustaining the funds to increase the impact of the Solar for All program for years to come.
Growth Opportunity Partners leads the Industrial Heartland Solar Coalition, headquartered in Ohio, which unites 31 communities in the Midwest. With this funding, the coalition will facilitate the clean energy transition in America’s industrial heartland communities. The coalition will work to achieve household energy savings, cut greenhouse gas emissions, and train individuals in solar workforce development programs. They will also reach low- and moderate-income households by installing residential rooftop solar.
“Today we’re delivering on President Biden’s promise that no community is left behind by investing $7 billion in solar energy projects for over 900,000 households in low-income and disadvantaged communities,” said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. “The selectees will advance solar energy initiatives across the country, creating hundreds of thousands of good-paying jobs, saving $8 billion in energy costs for families, delivering cleaner air, and combating climate change.”
“Thanks to the Biden Administration’s commitment to addressing climate change and growing a clean energy economy, we are making great strides in advancing the United States’ clean energy future," said EPA Regional Administrator Debra Shore. "With today's exciting Solar for All announcement, we are not only bringing reliable solar energy to underserved communities throughout the Great Lakes region, but we are also creating a heathier, more sustainable and secure future for all Americans.”
These organizations are among 49 state-level awards EPA announced today totaling approximately $5.5 billion, along with six awards to serve Tribes totaling over $500 million, and five multistate awards totaling approximately $1 billion.
A complete list of the selected applicants can be found on EPA’s Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund Solar for All website.
EPA estimates that the 60 Solar for All recipients will enable over 900,000 households in low-income and disadvantaged communities to deploy and benefit from distributed solar energy. This $7 billion investment will generate over $350 million in annual savings on electric bills for overburdened households. The program will reduce 30 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions cumulatively, from over four gigawatts of solar energy capacity unlocked for low-income communities over five years. Solar and distributed energy resources help improve electric grid reliability and climate resilience, which is especially important in disadvantaged communities that have long been underserved.
Solar for All will deliver on the Biden-Harris Administration’s commitment to creating high-quality jobs with the free and fair choice to join a union for workers across the United States. This $7 billion investment in clean energy will generate an estimated 200,000 jobs across the country. All selected applicants intend to invest in local, clean energy workforce development programs to expand equitable pathways into family-sustaining jobs for the communities they are designed to serve. At least 35% of selected applicants have already engaged local or national unions, demonstrating how these programs will contribute to the foundation of a clean energy economy built on strong labor standards and inclusive economic opportunity for all American communities.
The Solar for All program also advances President Biden’s Justice40 Initiative, which set the goal that 40% of the overall benefits of certain federal climate, clean energy, affordable and sustainable housing, and other investments flow to disadvantaged communities that are marginalized by underinvestment and overburdened by pollution. All of the funds awarded through the Solar for All program will be invested in low-income and disadvantaged communities. The program will also help meet the President’s goal of achieving a carbon pollution-free power sector by 2035 and net-zero emissions economy by no later than 2050.
Review and Selection Process Information
The 60 applicants selected for funding were chosen through a competition review process. This multi-stage process included review from hundreds of experts in climate, power markets, environmental justice, labor, and consumer protection from EPA, Department of Energy, the Department of Housing and Urban Development, Department of Treasury, Department of Agriculture, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Labor, Department of Defense, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, and the Department of Energy’s National Labs – all screened through ethics and conflict of interest checks and trained on the program requirements and evaluation criteria. Applications were scored and selected through dozens of review panels and an interagency senior review team.
EPA anticipates that awards to the selected applicants will be finalized in the summer of 2024, and selected applicants will begin funding projects through existing programs and begin expansive community outreach programs to launch new programs in the fall and winter of this year. Selections are contingent on the resolution of all administrative disputes related to the competitions.
Informational Webinars
EPA will host informational webinars as part of the program’s commitment to public transparency. EPA has scheduled a public webinar for the Solar for All program, and registration details are included below. Information on other GGRF webinars can be found on EPA’s Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund Engagement Opportunities webpage.
Solar for All webinar: Monday, April 29, 2024, 4:00pm – 4:30pm ET. Register for the April 29 meeting.
With this funding, the Ohio Office of Budget and Management State Accounting will create opportunities for Ohio’s residential customers in low- to moderate-income households and disadvantaged communities. This funding will also help the office achieve meaningful energy savings and improve air quality in traditionally underserved areas of Ohio. The program's financial models will provide flexibility for Ohio families to access solar, whether they own their home or rent, and can be leveraged to mobilize private capital as part of the long-lasting design and delivery. The state’s desired outcomes is to maximize the number of underserved households being reached with clean energy generation, while delivering the highest cost savings possible and sustaining the funds to increase the impact of the Solar for All program for years to come.
Growth Opportunity Partners leads the Industrial Heartland Solar Coalition, headquartered in Ohio, which unites 31 communities in the Midwest. With this funding, the coalition will facilitate the clean energy transition in America’s industrial heartland communities. The coalition will work to achieve household energy savings, cut greenhouse gas emissions, and train individuals in solar workforce development programs. They will also reach low- and moderate-income households by installing residential rooftop solar.
“Today we’re delivering on President Biden’s promise that no community is left behind by investing $7 billion in solar energy projects for over 900,000 households in low-income and disadvantaged communities,” said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. “The selectees will advance solar energy initiatives across the country, creating hundreds of thousands of good-paying jobs, saving $8 billion in energy costs for families, delivering cleaner air, and combating climate change.”
“Thanks to the Biden Administration’s commitment to addressing climate change and growing a clean energy economy, we are making great strides in advancing the United States’ clean energy future," said EPA Regional Administrator Debra Shore. "With today's exciting Solar for All announcement, we are not only bringing reliable solar energy to underserved communities throughout the Great Lakes region, but we are also creating a heathier, more sustainable and secure future for all Americans.”
These organizations are among 49 state-level awards EPA announced today totaling approximately $5.5 billion, along with six awards to serve Tribes totaling over $500 million, and five multistate awards totaling approximately $1 billion.
A complete list of the selected applicants can be found on EPA’s Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund Solar for All website.
EPA estimates that the 60 Solar for All recipients will enable over 900,000 households in low-income and disadvantaged communities to deploy and benefit from distributed solar energy. This $7 billion investment will generate over $350 million in annual savings on electric bills for overburdened households. The program will reduce 30 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions cumulatively, from over four gigawatts of solar energy capacity unlocked for low-income communities over five years. Solar and distributed energy resources help improve electric grid reliability and climate resilience, which is especially important in disadvantaged communities that have long been underserved.
Solar for All will deliver on the Biden-Harris Administration’s commitment to creating high-quality jobs with the free and fair choice to join a union for workers across the United States. This $7 billion investment in clean energy will generate an estimated 200,000 jobs across the country. All selected applicants intend to invest in local, clean energy workforce development programs to expand equitable pathways into family-sustaining jobs for the communities they are designed to serve. At least 35% of selected applicants have already engaged local or national unions, demonstrating how these programs will contribute to the foundation of a clean energy economy built on strong labor standards and inclusive economic opportunity for all American communities.
The Solar for All program also advances President Biden’s Justice40 Initiative, which set the goal that 40% of the overall benefits of certain federal climate, clean energy, affordable and sustainable housing, and other investments flow to disadvantaged communities that are marginalized by underinvestment and overburdened by pollution. All of the funds awarded through the Solar for All program will be invested in low-income and disadvantaged communities. The program will also help meet the President’s goal of achieving a carbon pollution-free power sector by 2035 and net-zero emissions economy by no later than 2050.
Review and Selection Process Information
The 60 applicants selected for funding were chosen through a competition review process. This multi-stage process included review from hundreds of experts in climate, power markets, environmental justice, labor, and consumer protection from EPA, Department of Energy, the Department of Housing and Urban Development, Department of Treasury, Department of Agriculture, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Labor, Department of Defense, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, and the Department of Energy’s National Labs – all screened through ethics and conflict of interest checks and trained on the program requirements and evaluation criteria. Applications were scored and selected through dozens of review panels and an interagency senior review team.
EPA anticipates that awards to the selected applicants will be finalized in the summer of 2024, and selected applicants will begin funding projects through existing programs and begin expansive community outreach programs to launch new programs in the fall and winter of this year. Selections are contingent on the resolution of all administrative disputes related to the competitions.
Informational Webinars
EPA will host informational webinars as part of the program’s commitment to public transparency. EPA has scheduled a public webinar for the Solar for All program, and registration details are included below. Information on other GGRF webinars can be found on EPA’s Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund Engagement Opportunities webpage.
Solar for All webinar: Monday, April 29, 2024, 4:00pm – 4:30pm ET. Register for the April 29 meeting.
NJBPU to Receive Over $156 Million from EPA to Provide Solar Power, Lower Energy Costs and Advance Environmental Justice Across New Jersey
Trenton, N.J. - Today, the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities was selected to receive $156.1 million from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency through the Solar for All grant program. The funding will be leveraged to develop long-lasting solar programs that enable low-income and disadvantaged communities to benefit from solar power. This award is part of the historic $27 billion Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund, which was created under President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act to lower energy costs for families, create good-quality jobs in communities that have been left behind, advance environmental justice and tackle the climate crisis.
The State of New Jersey, through NJBPU, has designed a program called New Jersey Solar for All to tackle the major barriers that have prevented the adoption of solar energy by low-income and disadvantaged households. The program will focus on four key areas: residential solar, multi-family housing solar and storage, residential-serving community solar, and technical assistance and workforce development. In New Jersey, solar energy is in high demand, and NJBPU has extensive experience in managing successful solar deployment programs. The State expects the program to accelerate the energy transition in underserved communities by serving tens of thousands of households in low-income and disadvantaged communities.
“Today we’re delivering on President Biden’s promise that no community is left behind by investing $7 billion in solar energy projects for over 900,000 households in low-income and disadvantaged communities,” said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. “The selectees will advance solar energy initiatives across the country, creating hundreds of thousands of good-paying jobs, saving $8 billion in energy costs for families, delivering cleaner air, and combating climate change.”
"Solar for All delivers on EPA’s commitment that climate justice means delivering clean energy benefits to disadvantaged communities at the forefront of tackling climate change,” said Regional Administrator Lisa F. Garcia. "This grant will help communities across New Jersey access solar power and reduce greenhouse gas emissions while benefiting from programs that will provide good paying jobs.”
NJBPU is among 49 state-level awards EPA announced today totaling approximately $5.5 billion, along with six awards to serve Tribes totaling over $500 million, and five multistate awards totaling approximately $1 billion.
A complete list of the selected applicants can be found on EPA’s Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund Solar for All website.
EPA estimates that the 60 Solar for All recipients will enable over 900,000 households in low-income and disadvantaged communities to deploy and benefit from distributed solar energy. This $7 billion investment will generate over $350 million in annual savings on electric bills for overburdened households. The program will reduce 30 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions cumulatively, from over four gigawatts of solar energy capacity unlocked for low-income communities over five years. Solar and distributed energy resources help improve electric grid reliability and climate resilience, which is especially important in disadvantaged communities that have long been underserved.
Solar for All will deliver on the Biden-Harris Administration’s commitment to creating high-quality jobs with the free and fair choice to join a union for workers across the United States. This $7 billion investment in clean energy will generate an estimated 200,000 jobs across the country. All selected applicants intend to invest in local, clean energy workforce development programs to expand equitable pathways into family-sustaining jobs for the communities they are designed to serve. At least 35% of selected applicants have already engaged local or national unions, demonstrating how these programs will contribute to the foundation of a clean energy economy built on strong labor standards and inclusive economic opportunity for all American communities.
The Solar for All program also advances President Biden’s Justice40 Initiative, which set the goal that 40% of the overall benefits of certain federal climate, clean energy, affordable and sustainable housing, and other investments flow to disadvantaged communities that are marginalized by underinvestment and overburdened by pollution. All the funds awarded through the Solar for All program will be invested in low-income and disadvantaged communities. The program will also help meet the President’s goal of achieving a carbon pollution-free power sector by 2035 and net-zero emissions economy by no later than 2050.
The 60 selected applicants have committed to delivering on the three objectives of the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund: reducing climate and air pollution; delivering benefits to low-income and disadvantaged communities; and mobilizing financing to spur additional deployment of affordable solar energy. Solar for All selected applicants are expanding existing low-income solar programs and launching new programs. In at least 25 states and territories nationwide, Solar for All is launching new programs where there has never been a substantial low-income solar program before. In these geographies, Solar for All selected applicants will open new markets for distributed solar by funding new programs that provide grants and low-cost financing for low-income, residential solar.
Informational Webinars
EPA will host informational webinars as part of the program’s commitment to public transparency. EPA has scheduled a public webinar for the Solar for All program, and registration details are included below. Information on other GGRF webinars can be found on EPA’s Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund Engagement Opportunities webpage.
Solar for All webinar: Monday, April 29, 2024, 4:00pm – 4:30pm ET. Register for the April 29 meeting.
Review and Selection Process Information
The 60 applicants selected for funding were chosen through a competition review process. This multi-stage process included review from hundreds of experts in climate, power markets, environmental justice, labor, and consumer protection from EPA, Department of Energy, the Department of Housing and Urban Development, Department of Treasury, Department of Agriculture, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Labor, Department of Defense, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, and the Department of Energy’s National Labs – all screened through ethics and conflict of interest checks and trained on the program requirements and evaluation criteria. Applications were scored and selected through dozens of review panels and an interagency senior review team.
EPA anticipates that awards to the selected applicants will be finalized in the summer of 2024, and selected applicants will begin funding projects through existing programs and begin expansive community outreach programs to launch new programs in the fall and winter of this year. Selections are contingent on the resolution of all administrative disputes related to the competitions.
Follow EPA Region 2 on X and visit our Facebook page. For more information about EPA Region 2, visit our website.
###
The State of New Jersey, through NJBPU, has designed a program called New Jersey Solar for All to tackle the major barriers that have prevented the adoption of solar energy by low-income and disadvantaged households. The program will focus on four key areas: residential solar, multi-family housing solar and storage, residential-serving community solar, and technical assistance and workforce development. In New Jersey, solar energy is in high demand, and NJBPU has extensive experience in managing successful solar deployment programs. The State expects the program to accelerate the energy transition in underserved communities by serving tens of thousands of households in low-income and disadvantaged communities.
“Today we’re delivering on President Biden’s promise that no community is left behind by investing $7 billion in solar energy projects for over 900,000 households in low-income and disadvantaged communities,” said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. “The selectees will advance solar energy initiatives across the country, creating hundreds of thousands of good-paying jobs, saving $8 billion in energy costs for families, delivering cleaner air, and combating climate change.”
"Solar for All delivers on EPA’s commitment that climate justice means delivering clean energy benefits to disadvantaged communities at the forefront of tackling climate change,” said Regional Administrator Lisa F. Garcia. "This grant will help communities across New Jersey access solar power and reduce greenhouse gas emissions while benefiting from programs that will provide good paying jobs.”
NJBPU is among 49 state-level awards EPA announced today totaling approximately $5.5 billion, along with six awards to serve Tribes totaling over $500 million, and five multistate awards totaling approximately $1 billion.
A complete list of the selected applicants can be found on EPA’s Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund Solar for All website.
EPA estimates that the 60 Solar for All recipients will enable over 900,000 households in low-income and disadvantaged communities to deploy and benefit from distributed solar energy. This $7 billion investment will generate over $350 million in annual savings on electric bills for overburdened households. The program will reduce 30 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions cumulatively, from over four gigawatts of solar energy capacity unlocked for low-income communities over five years. Solar and distributed energy resources help improve electric grid reliability and climate resilience, which is especially important in disadvantaged communities that have long been underserved.
Solar for All will deliver on the Biden-Harris Administration’s commitment to creating high-quality jobs with the free and fair choice to join a union for workers across the United States. This $7 billion investment in clean energy will generate an estimated 200,000 jobs across the country. All selected applicants intend to invest in local, clean energy workforce development programs to expand equitable pathways into family-sustaining jobs for the communities they are designed to serve. At least 35% of selected applicants have already engaged local or national unions, demonstrating how these programs will contribute to the foundation of a clean energy economy built on strong labor standards and inclusive economic opportunity for all American communities.
The Solar for All program also advances President Biden’s Justice40 Initiative, which set the goal that 40% of the overall benefits of certain federal climate, clean energy, affordable and sustainable housing, and other investments flow to disadvantaged communities that are marginalized by underinvestment and overburdened by pollution. All the funds awarded through the Solar for All program will be invested in low-income and disadvantaged communities. The program will also help meet the President’s goal of achieving a carbon pollution-free power sector by 2035 and net-zero emissions economy by no later than 2050.
The 60 selected applicants have committed to delivering on the three objectives of the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund: reducing climate and air pollution; delivering benefits to low-income and disadvantaged communities; and mobilizing financing to spur additional deployment of affordable solar energy. Solar for All selected applicants are expanding existing low-income solar programs and launching new programs. In at least 25 states and territories nationwide, Solar for All is launching new programs where there has never been a substantial low-income solar program before. In these geographies, Solar for All selected applicants will open new markets for distributed solar by funding new programs that provide grants and low-cost financing for low-income, residential solar.
Informational Webinars
EPA will host informational webinars as part of the program’s commitment to public transparency. EPA has scheduled a public webinar for the Solar for All program, and registration details are included below. Information on other GGRF webinars can be found on EPA’s Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund Engagement Opportunities webpage.
Solar for All webinar: Monday, April 29, 2024, 4:00pm – 4:30pm ET. Register for the April 29 meeting.
Review and Selection Process Information
The 60 applicants selected for funding were chosen through a competition review process. This multi-stage process included review from hundreds of experts in climate, power markets, environmental justice, labor, and consumer protection from EPA, Department of Energy, the Department of Housing and Urban Development, Department of Treasury, Department of Agriculture, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Labor, Department of Defense, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, and the Department of Energy’s National Labs – all screened through ethics and conflict of interest checks and trained on the program requirements and evaluation criteria. Applications were scored and selected through dozens of review panels and an interagency senior review team.
EPA anticipates that awards to the selected applicants will be finalized in the summer of 2024, and selected applicants will begin funding projects through existing programs and begin expansive community outreach programs to launch new programs in the fall and winter of this year. Selections are contingent on the resolution of all administrative disputes related to the competitions.
Follow EPA Region 2 on X and visit our Facebook page. For more information about EPA Region 2, visit our website.
###
Biden-Harris Administration Announces Tennessee to Receive $156,120,000 to Deliver Residential Solar, Lowering Energy Costs and Advancing Environmental Justice Across Tennessee
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (April 22, 2024) - Today, as the Biden-Harris Administration celebrates Earth Day, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation has been selected to receive $156,120,000 through the Solar for All grant competition to develop long-lasting solar programs that enable low-income and disadvantaged communities to deploy and benefit from distributed residential solar across Tennessee. This award is part of the historic $27 billion Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund, which was created under President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act to lower energy costs for families, create good-quality jobs in communities that have been left behind, advance environmental justice, and tackle the climate crisis.
“Today we’re delivering on President Biden’s promise that no community is left behind by investing $7 billion in solar energy projects for over 900,000 households in low-income and disadvantaged communities,” said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. “The selectees will advance solar energy initiatives across the country, creating hundreds of thousands of good-paying jobs, saving $8 billion in energy costs for families, delivering cleaner air, and combating climate change.”
“Residential solar cuts home energy bills and provides families with resilient and secure power,” said acting Region 4 Administrator Jeaneanne Gettle. “But many have not been able to access these benefits, including low-income and disadvantaged communities who pay the largest share of their income on energy bills. This program will provide vital assistance to these communities.”
Tennessee is among 49 state-level awards EPA announced today totaling approximately $5.5 billion, along with six awards to serve Tribes totaling over $500 million, and five multistate awards totaling approximately $1 billion.
Tennessee’s SFA Program will accelerate the deployment of solar infrastructure to benefit low-income households and disadvantaged communities, while acknowledging and embracing the Tennessee’s varied urban, suburban, and rural communities. The program’s geography includes the entire state, and the scope of work is to provide financial assistance for residential rooftop and residential-serving community solar infrastructure, storage, and associated enabling upgrades in conjunction with preexisting, complementary programs. This program will also provide project-deployment technical assistance focused on workforce development opportunities, as well as siting, permitting, and interconnection assistance, as needed. Finally, the Program’s administrative support will ensure that projects are carried out in an effective, efficient, and timely manner.
A complete list of the selected applicants can be found on EPA’s Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund Solar for All website.
EPA estimates that the 60 Solar for All recipients will enable over 900,000 households in low-income and disadvantaged communities to deploy and benefit from distributed solar energy. This $7 billion investment will generate over $350 million in annual savings on electric bills for overburdened households. The program will reduce 30 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions cumulatively, from over four gigawatts of solar energy capacity unlocked for low-income communities over five years. Solar and distributed energy resources help improve electric grid reliability and climate resilience, which is especially important in disadvantaged communities that have long been underserved.
Solar for All will deliver on the Biden-Harris Administration’s commitment to creating high-quality jobs with the free and fair choice to join a union for workers across the United States. This $7 billion investment in clean energy will generate an estimated 200,000 jobs across the country. All selected applicants intend to invest in local, clean energy workforce development programs to expand equitable pathways into family-sustaining jobs for the communities they are designed to serve. At least 35% of selected applicants have already engaged local or national unions, demonstrating how these programs will contribute to the foundation of a clean energy economy built on strong labor standards and inclusive economic opportunity for all American communities.
The Solar for All program also advances President Biden’s Justice40 Initiative, which set the goal that 40% of the overall benefits of certain federal climate, clean energy, affordable and sustainable housing, and other investments flow to disadvantaged communities that are marginalized by underinvestment and overburdened by pollution. All of the funds awarded through the Solar for All program will be invested in low-income and disadvantaged communities. The program will also help meet the President’s goal of achieving a carbon pollution-free power sector by 2035 and net-zero emissions economy by no later than 2050.
The 60 selected applicants have committed to delivering on the three objectives of the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund: reducing climate and air pollution; delivering benefits to low-income and disadvantaged communities; and mobilizing financing to spur additional deployment of affordable solar energy. Solar for All selected applicants are expanding existing low-income solar programs and launching new programs. In at least 25 states and territories nationwide, Solar for All is launching new programs where there has never been a substantial low-income solar program before. In these geographies, Solar for All selected applicants will open new markets for distributed solar by funding new programs that provide grants and low-cost financing for low-income, residential solar.
Review and Selection Process Information
The 60 applicants selected for funding were chosen through a competition review process. This multi-stage process included review from hundreds of experts in climate, power markets, environmental justice, labor, and consumer protection from EPA, Department of Energy, the Department of Housing and Urban Development, Department of Treasury, Department of Agriculture, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Labor, Department of Defense, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, and the Department of Energy’s National Labs – all screened through ethics and conflict of interest checks and trained on the program requirements and evaluation criteria. Applications were scored and selected through dozens of review panels and an interagency senior review team.
EPA anticipates that awards to the selected applicants will be finalized in the summer of 2024, and selected applicants will begin funding projects through existing programs and begin expansive community outreach programs to launch new programs in the fall and winter of this year. Selections are contingent on the resolution of all administrative disputes related to the competitions.
Informational Webinars
EPA will host informational webinars as part of the program’s commitment to public transparency. EPA has scheduled a public webinar for the Solar for All program, and registration details are included below. Information on other GGRF webinars can be found on EPA’s Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund Engagement Opportunities webpage.
Solar for All webinar: Monday, April 29, 2024, 4:00pm – 4:30pm ET. Register for the April 29 meeting
###
“Today we’re delivering on President Biden’s promise that no community is left behind by investing $7 billion in solar energy projects for over 900,000 households in low-income and disadvantaged communities,” said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. “The selectees will advance solar energy initiatives across the country, creating hundreds of thousands of good-paying jobs, saving $8 billion in energy costs for families, delivering cleaner air, and combating climate change.”
“Residential solar cuts home energy bills and provides families with resilient and secure power,” said acting Region 4 Administrator Jeaneanne Gettle. “But many have not been able to access these benefits, including low-income and disadvantaged communities who pay the largest share of their income on energy bills. This program will provide vital assistance to these communities.”
Tennessee is among 49 state-level awards EPA announced today totaling approximately $5.5 billion, along with six awards to serve Tribes totaling over $500 million, and five multistate awards totaling approximately $1 billion.
Tennessee’s SFA Program will accelerate the deployment of solar infrastructure to benefit low-income households and disadvantaged communities, while acknowledging and embracing the Tennessee’s varied urban, suburban, and rural communities. The program’s geography includes the entire state, and the scope of work is to provide financial assistance for residential rooftop and residential-serving community solar infrastructure, storage, and associated enabling upgrades in conjunction with preexisting, complementary programs. This program will also provide project-deployment technical assistance focused on workforce development opportunities, as well as siting, permitting, and interconnection assistance, as needed. Finally, the Program’s administrative support will ensure that projects are carried out in an effective, efficient, and timely manner.
A complete list of the selected applicants can be found on EPA’s Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund Solar for All website.
EPA estimates that the 60 Solar for All recipients will enable over 900,000 households in low-income and disadvantaged communities to deploy and benefit from distributed solar energy. This $7 billion investment will generate over $350 million in annual savings on electric bills for overburdened households. The program will reduce 30 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions cumulatively, from over four gigawatts of solar energy capacity unlocked for low-income communities over five years. Solar and distributed energy resources help improve electric grid reliability and climate resilience, which is especially important in disadvantaged communities that have long been underserved.
Solar for All will deliver on the Biden-Harris Administration’s commitment to creating high-quality jobs with the free and fair choice to join a union for workers across the United States. This $7 billion investment in clean energy will generate an estimated 200,000 jobs across the country. All selected applicants intend to invest in local, clean energy workforce development programs to expand equitable pathways into family-sustaining jobs for the communities they are designed to serve. At least 35% of selected applicants have already engaged local or national unions, demonstrating how these programs will contribute to the foundation of a clean energy economy built on strong labor standards and inclusive economic opportunity for all American communities.
The Solar for All program also advances President Biden’s Justice40 Initiative, which set the goal that 40% of the overall benefits of certain federal climate, clean energy, affordable and sustainable housing, and other investments flow to disadvantaged communities that are marginalized by underinvestment and overburdened by pollution. All of the funds awarded through the Solar for All program will be invested in low-income and disadvantaged communities. The program will also help meet the President’s goal of achieving a carbon pollution-free power sector by 2035 and net-zero emissions economy by no later than 2050.
The 60 selected applicants have committed to delivering on the three objectives of the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund: reducing climate and air pollution; delivering benefits to low-income and disadvantaged communities; and mobilizing financing to spur additional deployment of affordable solar energy. Solar for All selected applicants are expanding existing low-income solar programs and launching new programs. In at least 25 states and territories nationwide, Solar for All is launching new programs where there has never been a substantial low-income solar program before. In these geographies, Solar for All selected applicants will open new markets for distributed solar by funding new programs that provide grants and low-cost financing for low-income, residential solar.
Review and Selection Process Information
The 60 applicants selected for funding were chosen through a competition review process. This multi-stage process included review from hundreds of experts in climate, power markets, environmental justice, labor, and consumer protection from EPA, Department of Energy, the Department of Housing and Urban Development, Department of Treasury, Department of Agriculture, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Labor, Department of Defense, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, and the Department of Energy’s National Labs – all screened through ethics and conflict of interest checks and trained on the program requirements and evaluation criteria. Applications were scored and selected through dozens of review panels and an interagency senior review team.
EPA anticipates that awards to the selected applicants will be finalized in the summer of 2024, and selected applicants will begin funding projects through existing programs and begin expansive community outreach programs to launch new programs in the fall and winter of this year. Selections are contingent on the resolution of all administrative disputes related to the competitions.
Informational Webinars
EPA will host informational webinars as part of the program’s commitment to public transparency. EPA has scheduled a public webinar for the Solar for All program, and registration details are included below. Information on other GGRF webinars can be found on EPA’s Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund Engagement Opportunities webpage.
Solar for All webinar: Monday, April 29, 2024, 4:00pm – 4:30pm ET. Register for the April 29 meeting
###
NYSERDA to Receive Nearly $250 Million from EPA to Provide Solar Power, Lower Energy Costs and Advance Environmental Justice Across New York
NEW YORK - Today, the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority was selected to receive $249.8 million from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency through the Solar for All grant program. The funding will be leveraged to develop long-lasting solar programs that enable low-income and disadvantaged communities to benefit from solar power. This award is part of the historic $27 billion Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund, which was created under President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act to lower energy costs for families, create good-quality jobs in communities that have been left behind, advance environmental justice and tackle the climate crisis.
NYSERDA will use the funding to enhance the state’s highly successful and effective solar program, which includes solar panel, technical assistance, and workforce development programs that benefit millions of residents that live in disadvantaged communities and low-income households. NYSERDA will also start new programs that eliminate barriers to installing solar panels to power disadvantaged and low-income households. The new program will include a partnership with New York City and affordable housing agencies statewide.
“Today we’re delivering on President Biden’s promise that no community is left behind by investing $7 billion in solar energy projects for over 900,000 households in low-income and disadvantaged communities,” said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. “The selectees will advance solar energy initiatives across the country, creating hundreds of thousands of good-paying jobs, saving $8 billion in energy costs for families, delivering cleaner air, and combating climate change."
"Solar for All delivers on EPA’s commitment that climate justice means delivering clean energy benefits to disadvantaged communities at the forefront of tackling climate change,” said Regional Administrator Lisa F. Garcia. "This grant will help communities across New York access solar power and reduce greenhouse gas emissions while benefiting from programs that will provide good paying jobs.”
NYSERDA is among 49 state-level awards EPA announced today totaling approximately $5.5 billion, along with six awards to serve Tribes totaling over $500 million, and five multistate awards totaling approximately $1 billion.
A complete list of the selected applicants can be found on EPA’s Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund Solar for All website.
EPA estimates that the 60 Solar for All recipients will enable over 900,000 households in low-income and disadvantaged communities to deploy and benefit from distributed solar energy. This $7 billion investment will generate over $350 million in annual savings on electric bills for overburdened households. The program will reduce 30 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions cumulatively, from over four gigawatts of solar energy capacity unlocked for low-income communities over five years. Solar and distributed energy resources help improve electric grid reliability and climate resilience, which is especially important in disadvantaged communities that have long been underserved.
Solar for All will deliver on the Biden-Harris Administration’s commitment to creating high-quality jobs with the free and fair choice to join a union for workers across the United States. This $7 billion investment in clean energy will generate an estimated 200,000 jobs across the country. All selected applicants intend to invest in local, clean energy workforce development programs to expand equitable pathways into family-sustaining jobs for the communities they are designed to serve. At least 35% of selected applicants have already engaged local or national unions, demonstrating how these programs will contribute to the foundation of a clean energy economy built on strong labor standards and inclusive economic opportunity for all American communities.
The Solar for All program also advances President Biden’s Justice40 Initiative, which set the goal that 40% of the overall benefits of certain federal climate, clean energy, affordable and sustainable housing, and other investments flow to disadvantaged communities that are marginalized by underinvestment and overburdened by pollution. All the funds awarded through the Solar for All program will be invested in low-income and disadvantaged communities. The program will also help meet the President’s goal of achieving a carbon pollution-free power sector by 2035 and net-zero emissions economy by no later than 2050.
The 60 selected applicants have committed to delivering on the three objectives of the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund: reducing climate and air pollution; delivering benefits to low-income and disadvantaged communities; and mobilizing financing to spur additional deployment of affordable solar energy. Solar for All selected applicants are expanding existing low-income solar programs and launching new programs. In at least 25 states and territories nationwide, Solar for All is launching new programs where there has never been a substantial low-income solar program before. In these geographies, Solar for All selected applicants will open new markets for distributed solar by funding new programs that provide grants and low-cost financing for low-income, residential solar.
Informational Webinars
EPA will host informational webinars as part of the program’s commitment to public transparency. EPA has scheduled a public webinar for the Solar for All program, and registration details are included below. Information on other GGRF webinars can be found on EPA’s Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund Engagement Opportunities webpage.
Solar for All webinar: Monday, April 29, 2024, 4:00pm – 4:30pm ET. Register for the April 29 meeting.
Review and Selection Process Information
The 60 applicants selected for funding were chosen through a competition review process. This multi-stage process included review from hundreds of experts in climate, power markets, environmental justice, labor, and consumer protection from EPA, Department of Energy, the Department of Housing and Urban Development, Department of Treasury, Department of Agriculture, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Labor, Department of Defense, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, and the Department of Energy’s National Labs – all screened through ethics and conflict of interest checks and trained on the program requirements and evaluation criteria. Applications were scored and selected through dozens of review panels and an interagency senior review team.
EPA anticipates that awards to the selected applicants will be finalized in the summer of 2024, and selected applicants will begin funding projects through existing programs and begin expansive community outreach programs to launch new programs in the fall and winter of this year. Selections are contingent on the resolution of all administrative disputes related to the competitions.
Follow EPA Region 2 on X and visit our Facebook page. For more information about EPA Region 2, visit our website.
###
NYSERDA will use the funding to enhance the state’s highly successful and effective solar program, which includes solar panel, technical assistance, and workforce development programs that benefit millions of residents that live in disadvantaged communities and low-income households. NYSERDA will also start new programs that eliminate barriers to installing solar panels to power disadvantaged and low-income households. The new program will include a partnership with New York City and affordable housing agencies statewide.
“Today we’re delivering on President Biden’s promise that no community is left behind by investing $7 billion in solar energy projects for over 900,000 households in low-income and disadvantaged communities,” said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. “The selectees will advance solar energy initiatives across the country, creating hundreds of thousands of good-paying jobs, saving $8 billion in energy costs for families, delivering cleaner air, and combating climate change."
"Solar for All delivers on EPA’s commitment that climate justice means delivering clean energy benefits to disadvantaged communities at the forefront of tackling climate change,” said Regional Administrator Lisa F. Garcia. "This grant will help communities across New York access solar power and reduce greenhouse gas emissions while benefiting from programs that will provide good paying jobs.”
NYSERDA is among 49 state-level awards EPA announced today totaling approximately $5.5 billion, along with six awards to serve Tribes totaling over $500 million, and five multistate awards totaling approximately $1 billion.
A complete list of the selected applicants can be found on EPA’s Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund Solar for All website.
EPA estimates that the 60 Solar for All recipients will enable over 900,000 households in low-income and disadvantaged communities to deploy and benefit from distributed solar energy. This $7 billion investment will generate over $350 million in annual savings on electric bills for overburdened households. The program will reduce 30 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions cumulatively, from over four gigawatts of solar energy capacity unlocked for low-income communities over five years. Solar and distributed energy resources help improve electric grid reliability and climate resilience, which is especially important in disadvantaged communities that have long been underserved.
Solar for All will deliver on the Biden-Harris Administration’s commitment to creating high-quality jobs with the free and fair choice to join a union for workers across the United States. This $7 billion investment in clean energy will generate an estimated 200,000 jobs across the country. All selected applicants intend to invest in local, clean energy workforce development programs to expand equitable pathways into family-sustaining jobs for the communities they are designed to serve. At least 35% of selected applicants have already engaged local or national unions, demonstrating how these programs will contribute to the foundation of a clean energy economy built on strong labor standards and inclusive economic opportunity for all American communities.
The Solar for All program also advances President Biden’s Justice40 Initiative, which set the goal that 40% of the overall benefits of certain federal climate, clean energy, affordable and sustainable housing, and other investments flow to disadvantaged communities that are marginalized by underinvestment and overburdened by pollution. All the funds awarded through the Solar for All program will be invested in low-income and disadvantaged communities. The program will also help meet the President’s goal of achieving a carbon pollution-free power sector by 2035 and net-zero emissions economy by no later than 2050.
The 60 selected applicants have committed to delivering on the three objectives of the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund: reducing climate and air pollution; delivering benefits to low-income and disadvantaged communities; and mobilizing financing to spur additional deployment of affordable solar energy. Solar for All selected applicants are expanding existing low-income solar programs and launching new programs. In at least 25 states and territories nationwide, Solar for All is launching new programs where there has never been a substantial low-income solar program before. In these geographies, Solar for All selected applicants will open new markets for distributed solar by funding new programs that provide grants and low-cost financing for low-income, residential solar.
Informational Webinars
EPA will host informational webinars as part of the program’s commitment to public transparency. EPA has scheduled a public webinar for the Solar for All program, and registration details are included below. Information on other GGRF webinars can be found on EPA’s Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund Engagement Opportunities webpage.
Solar for All webinar: Monday, April 29, 2024, 4:00pm – 4:30pm ET. Register for the April 29 meeting.
Review and Selection Process Information
The 60 applicants selected for funding were chosen through a competition review process. This multi-stage process included review from hundreds of experts in climate, power markets, environmental justice, labor, and consumer protection from EPA, Department of Energy, the Department of Housing and Urban Development, Department of Treasury, Department of Agriculture, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Labor, Department of Defense, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, and the Department of Energy’s National Labs – all screened through ethics and conflict of interest checks and trained on the program requirements and evaluation criteria. Applications were scored and selected through dozens of review panels and an interagency senior review team.
EPA anticipates that awards to the selected applicants will be finalized in the summer of 2024, and selected applicants will begin funding projects through existing programs and begin expansive community outreach programs to launch new programs in the fall and winter of this year. Selections are contingent on the resolution of all administrative disputes related to the competitions.
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EPA Announces Washington State Department of Commerce to Receive $156M to Deliver Residential Solar, Lowering Energy Costs and Advancing Environmental Justice Across Washington
SEATTLE (April 22, 2024) - Today, as the Biden-Harris Administration celebrates Earth Day, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced Washington State Department of Commerce has been selected to receive $156,120,000 through the Solar for All grant competition to develop long-lasting solar programs that enable low-income and disadvantaged communities to deploy and benefit from distributed residential solar. This award is part of the historic $27 billion Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund, which was created under President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act to lower energy costs for families, create good-quality jobs in communities that have been left behind, advance environmental justice, and tackle the climate crisis.
Washington will launch several programs that will expand solar access to income-qualified residents and frontline communities throughout the state. These programs will complement existing programs and policy to support distributed solar in the state. Washington’s proposal includes a program focused on single-family homeowners, a program that helps multifamily affordable housing properties access other state and federal solar incentives, and a program focused on Tribal solar deployment that will be co-designed with Tribal governments. These programs will be focused on ensuring the benefits of solar accrue to low-income households throughout the state, with a specific focus on environmental justice communities in alignment with Justice40 and with Washington’s environmental justice commitments.
“Every community deserves clean, affordable, reliable energy, and Solar for All is a game changer for America and a giant leap toward more just an equitable transition,” said Governor Jay Inslee. “This record investment from the Biden administration will save hardworking families billions on their energy bills, improve health, and support local jobs and businesses.”
“President Biden committed to making the largest investment in our nation’s history to combat global climate change. Our announcement today ensures every community has a green energy future,” said EPA Region 10 Administrator Casey Sixkiller. “This funding will be used to supercharge the deployment of solar power in communities, create jobs, make our power grid more resilient, and lower the cost of energy for every household.”
The grant to the Washington Department of Commerce is among 49 state-level awards EPA announced today totaling approximately $5.5 billion, along with six awards to serve Tribes totaling over $500 million, and five multistate awards totaling approximately $1 billion.
“From farmworker homes to affordable multi-family housing, on community buildings and at tribal facilities, this grant will enable us to fund thousands of solar installations across Washington State, benefiting households with the greatest need,” said Washington State Department of Commerce director, Mike Fong.
A complete list of the selected applicants can be found on EPA’s Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund Solar for All website.
EPA estimates that the 60 Solar for All recipients will enable over 900,000 households in low-income and disadvantaged communities to deploy and benefit from distributed solar energy. This $7 billion investment will generate over $350 million in annual savings on electric bills for overburdened households. The program will reduce 30 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions cumulatively, from over four gigawatts of solar energy capacity unlocked for low-income communities over five years. Solar and distributed energy resources help improve electric grid reliability and climate resilience, which is especially important in disadvantaged communities that have long been underserved.
Solar for All will deliver on the Biden-Harris Administration’s commitment to creating high-quality jobs with the free and fair choice to join a union for workers across the United States. This $7 billion investment in clean energy will generate an estimated 200,000 jobs across the country. All selected applicants intend to invest in local, clean energy workforce development programs to expand equitable pathways into family-sustaining jobs for the communities they are designed to serve. At least 35% of selected applicants have already engaged local or national unions, demonstrating how these programs will contribute to the foundation of a clean energy economy built on strong labor standards and inclusive economic opportunity for all American communities.
The Solar for All program also advances President Biden’s Justice40 Initiative, which set the goal that 40% of the overall benefits of certain federal climate, clean energy, affordable and sustainable housing, and other investments flow to disadvantaged communities that are marginalized by underinvestment and overburdened by pollution. All of the funds awarded through the Solar for All program will be invested in low-income and disadvantaged communities. The program will also help meet the President’s goal of achieving a carbon pollution-free power sector by 2035 and net-zero emissions economy by no later than 2050.
The 60 selected applicants have committed to delivering on the three objectives of the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund: reducing climate and air pollution; delivering benefits to low-income and disadvantaged communities; and mobilizing financing to spur additional deployment of affordable solar energy. Solar for All selected applicants are expanding existing low-income solar programs and launching new programs. In at least 25 states and territories nationwide, Solar for All is launching new programs where there has never been a substantial low-income solar program before. In these geographies, Solar for All selected applicants will open new markets for distributed solar by funding new programs that provide grants and low-cost financing for low-income, residential solar.
Review and Selection Process Information
The 60 applicants selected for funding were chosen through a competition review process. This multi-stage process included review from hundreds of experts in climate, power markets, environmental justice, labor, and consumer protection from EPA, Department of Energy, the Department of Housing and Urban Development, Department of Treasury, Department of Agriculture, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Labor, Department of Defense, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, and the Department of Energy’s National Labs – all screened through ethics and conflict of interest checks and trained on the program requirements and evaluation criteria. Applications were scored and selected through dozens of review panels and an interagency senior review team.
EPA anticipates that awards to the selected applicants will be finalized in the summer of 2024, and selected applicants will begin funding projects through existing programs and begin expansive community outreach programs to launch new programs in the fall and winter of this year. Selections are contingent on the resolution of all administrative disputes related to the competitions.
Informational Webinars
EPA will host informational webinars as part of the program’s commitment to public transparency. EPA has scheduled a public webinar for the Solar for All program, and registration details are included below. Information on other GGRF webinars can be found on EPA’s Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund Engagement Opportunities webpage.
Solar for All webinar: Monday, April 29, 2024, 4:00pm – 4:30pm ET. Register for the April 29 meeting
Washington will launch several programs that will expand solar access to income-qualified residents and frontline communities throughout the state. These programs will complement existing programs and policy to support distributed solar in the state. Washington’s proposal includes a program focused on single-family homeowners, a program that helps multifamily affordable housing properties access other state and federal solar incentives, and a program focused on Tribal solar deployment that will be co-designed with Tribal governments. These programs will be focused on ensuring the benefits of solar accrue to low-income households throughout the state, with a specific focus on environmental justice communities in alignment with Justice40 and with Washington’s environmental justice commitments.
“Every community deserves clean, affordable, reliable energy, and Solar for All is a game changer for America and a giant leap toward more just an equitable transition,” said Governor Jay Inslee. “This record investment from the Biden administration will save hardworking families billions on their energy bills, improve health, and support local jobs and businesses.”
“President Biden committed to making the largest investment in our nation’s history to combat global climate change. Our announcement today ensures every community has a green energy future,” said EPA Region 10 Administrator Casey Sixkiller. “This funding will be used to supercharge the deployment of solar power in communities, create jobs, make our power grid more resilient, and lower the cost of energy for every household.”
The grant to the Washington Department of Commerce is among 49 state-level awards EPA announced today totaling approximately $5.5 billion, along with six awards to serve Tribes totaling over $500 million, and five multistate awards totaling approximately $1 billion.
“From farmworker homes to affordable multi-family housing, on community buildings and at tribal facilities, this grant will enable us to fund thousands of solar installations across Washington State, benefiting households with the greatest need,” said Washington State Department of Commerce director, Mike Fong.
A complete list of the selected applicants can be found on EPA’s Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund Solar for All website.
EPA estimates that the 60 Solar for All recipients will enable over 900,000 households in low-income and disadvantaged communities to deploy and benefit from distributed solar energy. This $7 billion investment will generate over $350 million in annual savings on electric bills for overburdened households. The program will reduce 30 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions cumulatively, from over four gigawatts of solar energy capacity unlocked for low-income communities over five years. Solar and distributed energy resources help improve electric grid reliability and climate resilience, which is especially important in disadvantaged communities that have long been underserved.
Solar for All will deliver on the Biden-Harris Administration’s commitment to creating high-quality jobs with the free and fair choice to join a union for workers across the United States. This $7 billion investment in clean energy will generate an estimated 200,000 jobs across the country. All selected applicants intend to invest in local, clean energy workforce development programs to expand equitable pathways into family-sustaining jobs for the communities they are designed to serve. At least 35% of selected applicants have already engaged local or national unions, demonstrating how these programs will contribute to the foundation of a clean energy economy built on strong labor standards and inclusive economic opportunity for all American communities.
The Solar for All program also advances President Biden’s Justice40 Initiative, which set the goal that 40% of the overall benefits of certain federal climate, clean energy, affordable and sustainable housing, and other investments flow to disadvantaged communities that are marginalized by underinvestment and overburdened by pollution. All of the funds awarded through the Solar for All program will be invested in low-income and disadvantaged communities. The program will also help meet the President’s goal of achieving a carbon pollution-free power sector by 2035 and net-zero emissions economy by no later than 2050.
The 60 selected applicants have committed to delivering on the three objectives of the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund: reducing climate and air pollution; delivering benefits to low-income and disadvantaged communities; and mobilizing financing to spur additional deployment of affordable solar energy. Solar for All selected applicants are expanding existing low-income solar programs and launching new programs. In at least 25 states and territories nationwide, Solar for All is launching new programs where there has never been a substantial low-income solar program before. In these geographies, Solar for All selected applicants will open new markets for distributed solar by funding new programs that provide grants and low-cost financing for low-income, residential solar.
Review and Selection Process Information
The 60 applicants selected for funding were chosen through a competition review process. This multi-stage process included review from hundreds of experts in climate, power markets, environmental justice, labor, and consumer protection from EPA, Department of Energy, the Department of Housing and Urban Development, Department of Treasury, Department of Agriculture, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Labor, Department of Defense, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, and the Department of Energy’s National Labs – all screened through ethics and conflict of interest checks and trained on the program requirements and evaluation criteria. Applications were scored and selected through dozens of review panels and an interagency senior review team.
EPA anticipates that awards to the selected applicants will be finalized in the summer of 2024, and selected applicants will begin funding projects through existing programs and begin expansive community outreach programs to launch new programs in the fall and winter of this year. Selections are contingent on the resolution of all administrative disputes related to the competitions.
Informational Webinars
EPA will host informational webinars as part of the program’s commitment to public transparency. EPA has scheduled a public webinar for the Solar for All program, and registration details are included below. Information on other GGRF webinars can be found on EPA’s Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund Engagement Opportunities webpage.
Solar for All webinar: Monday, April 29, 2024, 4:00pm – 4:30pm ET. Register for the April 29 meeting
Biden-Harris Administration Announces Missouri Environmental Improvement and Energy Resources Authority to Receive $156M to Deliver Residential Solar, Lowering Energy Costs and Advancing Environmental Justice Across Missouri
LENEXA, KAN. (APRIL 22, 2024) – Today, as the Biden-Harris administration celebrates Earth Day, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced that the Missouri Environmental Improvement and Energy Resources Authority (EIERA) has been selected to receive $156 million through the Solar for All grant competition to develop long-lasting solar programs that enable low-income and disadvantaged communities to deploy and benefit from distributed residential solar.
This award is part of the historic $27 billion Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund, which was created under President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act to lower energy costs for families, create good-quality jobs in communities that have been left behind, advance environmental justice, and tackle the climate crisis.
Missouri’s Solar for All program will catalyze the once-in-a-generation Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund to deploy solar to thousands of households in disadvantaged communities statewide. The Missouri EIERA will reduce pollution statewide, bolster resilient and healthy communities, and ensure that meaningful energy-saving benefits are delivered to the state.
In doing so, the Missouri EIERA will provide a combination of forgivable loans to enable solar adoption without the long-term repayment obligations associated with traditional loans; low-interest loans through a revolving loan fund that will continue to increase the state’s solar capacity and impact in disadvantaged communities long after the program period ends; and the mobilization of financing and private capital into solar projects, facilitating market transformation for clean technologies.
“Today we’re delivering on President Biden’s promise that no community is left behind by investing $7 billion in solar energy projects for over 900,000 households in low-income and disadvantaged communities,” said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. “The selectees will advance solar energy initiatives across the country, creating hundreds of thousands of good-paying jobs, saving $8 billion in energy costs for families, delivering cleaner air, and combating climate change.”
“Through the Missouri EIERA, EPA is providing meaningful change for our Missouri communities by reducing or avoiding greenhouse gas emissions, lowering energy bills, and increasing access to clean energy for disadvantaged communities,” said EPA Region 7 Administrator Meghan A. McCollister. “This announcement is a win-win for the Heartland, and I cannot think of a better time to celebrate than on Earth Day.”
The Missouri EIERA is among 49 state-level awards announced by EPA today totaling approximately $5.5 billion, along with six awards to serve tribes totaling over $500 million and five multistate awards totaling approximately $1 billion.
A complete list of the selected applicants can be found on EPA’s Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund Solar for All website.
The Solar for All program also advances President Biden’s Justice40 Initiative, which set the goal that 40% of the overall benefits of certain federal climate, clean energy, affordable and sustainable housing, and other investments flow to disadvantaged communities that are marginalized by underinvestment and overburdened by pollution.
All of the funds awarded through the Solar for All program will be invested in low-income and disadvantaged communities. The program will also help meet the President’s goal of achieving a carbon pollution-free power sector by 2035 and net-zero emissions economy by no later than 2050.
EPA estimates that the 60 Solar for All recipients will enable over 900,000 households in low-income and disadvantaged communities to deploy and benefit from distributed solar energy. This $7 billion investment will generate over $350 million in annual savings on electric bills for overburdened households. The program will reduce 30 million metric tons of carbon dioxide-equivalent emissions cumulatively, from over 4 gigawatts of solar energy capacity unlocked for low-income communities over five years. Solar and distributed energy resources help improve electric grid reliability and climate resilience, which is especially important in disadvantaged communities that have long been underserved.
Solar for All will deliver on the Biden-Harris administration’s commitment to creating high-quality jobs with the free and fair choice to join a union for workers across the United States. This $7 billion investment in clean energy will generate an estimated 200,000 jobs across the country. All selected applicants intend to invest in local, clean energy workforce development programs to expand equitable pathways into family-sustaining jobs for the communities they are designed to serve.
At least 35% of selected applicants have already engaged local or national unions, demonstrating how these programs will contribute to the foundation of a clean energy economy built on strong labor standards and inclusive economic opportunity for all American communities.
The 60 selected applicants have committed to delivering on the three objectives of the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund: reducing climate and air pollution; delivering benefits to low-income and disadvantaged communities; and mobilizing financing to spur additional deployment of affordable solar energy. Solar for All selected applicants are expanding existing, low-income solar programs and launching new programs. In at least 25 states and territories nationwide, Solar for All is launching new programs where there has never been a substantial low-income solar program before. In these geographies, Solar for All selected applicants will open new markets for distributed solar by funding new programs that provide grants and low-cost financing for low-income, residential solar.
Review and Selection Process Information
The 60 applicants selected for funding were chosen through a competition review process. This multi-stage process included review from hundreds of experts in climate, power markets, environmental justice, labor, and consumer protection from EPA, U.S. Department of Energy, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, U.S. Department of Treasury, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Federal Emergency Management Agency, U.S. Department of Labor, U.S. Department of Defense, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, and U.S. Department of Energy’s National Labs – all screened through ethics and conflict-of-interest checks and trained on the program requirements and evaluation criteria. Applications were scored and selected through dozens of review panels and an interagency senior review team.
EPA anticipates that awards to the selected applicants will be finalized in summer 2024, and selected applicants will begin funding projects through existing programs and begin expansive community outreach programs to launch new programs in the fall and winter of this year. Selections are contingent on the resolution of all administrative disputes related to the competitions.
Informational Webinars
EPA will host informational webinars as part of the program’s commitment to public transparency. EPA has scheduled a public webinar for the Solar for All program, and details are included below. Information on other Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund webinars can be found on EPA’s website.
Solar for All webinar: Monday, April 29, 2024, from 4 to 4:30 p.m. EDT. Register for the webinar here.
# # #
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This award is part of the historic $27 billion Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund, which was created under President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act to lower energy costs for families, create good-quality jobs in communities that have been left behind, advance environmental justice, and tackle the climate crisis.
Missouri’s Solar for All program will catalyze the once-in-a-generation Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund to deploy solar to thousands of households in disadvantaged communities statewide. The Missouri EIERA will reduce pollution statewide, bolster resilient and healthy communities, and ensure that meaningful energy-saving benefits are delivered to the state.
In doing so, the Missouri EIERA will provide a combination of forgivable loans to enable solar adoption without the long-term repayment obligations associated with traditional loans; low-interest loans through a revolving loan fund that will continue to increase the state’s solar capacity and impact in disadvantaged communities long after the program period ends; and the mobilization of financing and private capital into solar projects, facilitating market transformation for clean technologies.
“Today we’re delivering on President Biden’s promise that no community is left behind by investing $7 billion in solar energy projects for over 900,000 households in low-income and disadvantaged communities,” said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. “The selectees will advance solar energy initiatives across the country, creating hundreds of thousands of good-paying jobs, saving $8 billion in energy costs for families, delivering cleaner air, and combating climate change.”
“Through the Missouri EIERA, EPA is providing meaningful change for our Missouri communities by reducing or avoiding greenhouse gas emissions, lowering energy bills, and increasing access to clean energy for disadvantaged communities,” said EPA Region 7 Administrator Meghan A. McCollister. “This announcement is a win-win for the Heartland, and I cannot think of a better time to celebrate than on Earth Day.”
The Missouri EIERA is among 49 state-level awards announced by EPA today totaling approximately $5.5 billion, along with six awards to serve tribes totaling over $500 million and five multistate awards totaling approximately $1 billion.
A complete list of the selected applicants can be found on EPA’s Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund Solar for All website.
The Solar for All program also advances President Biden’s Justice40 Initiative, which set the goal that 40% of the overall benefits of certain federal climate, clean energy, affordable and sustainable housing, and other investments flow to disadvantaged communities that are marginalized by underinvestment and overburdened by pollution.
All of the funds awarded through the Solar for All program will be invested in low-income and disadvantaged communities. The program will also help meet the President’s goal of achieving a carbon pollution-free power sector by 2035 and net-zero emissions economy by no later than 2050.
EPA estimates that the 60 Solar for All recipients will enable over 900,000 households in low-income and disadvantaged communities to deploy and benefit from distributed solar energy. This $7 billion investment will generate over $350 million in annual savings on electric bills for overburdened households. The program will reduce 30 million metric tons of carbon dioxide-equivalent emissions cumulatively, from over 4 gigawatts of solar energy capacity unlocked for low-income communities over five years. Solar and distributed energy resources help improve electric grid reliability and climate resilience, which is especially important in disadvantaged communities that have long been underserved.
Solar for All will deliver on the Biden-Harris administration’s commitment to creating high-quality jobs with the free and fair choice to join a union for workers across the United States. This $7 billion investment in clean energy will generate an estimated 200,000 jobs across the country. All selected applicants intend to invest in local, clean energy workforce development programs to expand equitable pathways into family-sustaining jobs for the communities they are designed to serve.
At least 35% of selected applicants have already engaged local or national unions, demonstrating how these programs will contribute to the foundation of a clean energy economy built on strong labor standards and inclusive economic opportunity for all American communities.
The 60 selected applicants have committed to delivering on the three objectives of the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund: reducing climate and air pollution; delivering benefits to low-income and disadvantaged communities; and mobilizing financing to spur additional deployment of affordable solar energy. Solar for All selected applicants are expanding existing, low-income solar programs and launching new programs. In at least 25 states and territories nationwide, Solar for All is launching new programs where there has never been a substantial low-income solar program before. In these geographies, Solar for All selected applicants will open new markets for distributed solar by funding new programs that provide grants and low-cost financing for low-income, residential solar.
Review and Selection Process Information
The 60 applicants selected for funding were chosen through a competition review process. This multi-stage process included review from hundreds of experts in climate, power markets, environmental justice, labor, and consumer protection from EPA, U.S. Department of Energy, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, U.S. Department of Treasury, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Federal Emergency Management Agency, U.S. Department of Labor, U.S. Department of Defense, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, and U.S. Department of Energy’s National Labs – all screened through ethics and conflict-of-interest checks and trained on the program requirements and evaluation criteria. Applications were scored and selected through dozens of review panels and an interagency senior review team.
EPA anticipates that awards to the selected applicants will be finalized in summer 2024, and selected applicants will begin funding projects through existing programs and begin expansive community outreach programs to launch new programs in the fall and winter of this year. Selections are contingent on the resolution of all administrative disputes related to the competitions.
Informational Webinars
EPA will host informational webinars as part of the program’s commitment to public transparency. EPA has scheduled a public webinar for the Solar for All program, and details are included below. Information on other Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund webinars can be found on EPA’s website.
Solar for All webinar: Monday, April 29, 2024, from 4 to 4:30 p.m. EDT. Register for the webinar here.
# # #
Learn more about EPA Region 7
View all Region 7 news releases
Connect with EPA Region 7 on Facebook and Instagram
Follow us on X: @EPARegion7