[ "At a time when people are struggling to make ends meet, all
while dealing with the existential threat of climate change, we must
make residential rooftop solar a reality for low-income and working
families that need it most," said Sen. Bernie Sande]
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EPA, SANDERS LAUNCH $7 BILLION PROGRAM TO EXPAND ROOFTOP SOLAR IN
POOR NEIGHBORHOODS  
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Kenny Stancil
June 28, 2023
Common Dreams
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_ "At a time when people are struggling to make ends meet, all while
dealing with the existential threat of climate change, we must make
residential rooftop solar a reality for low-income and working
families that need it most," said Sen. Bernie Sande _

, Image: SunCommon

 

President Joe Biden's administration on Wednesday opened a $7 billion
grant competition aimed at increasing access to residential solar
power for millions of low-income households across the United States.

The initiative was announced [[link removed]] by
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Michael Regan
in Waterbury, Vermont. Regan was joined by U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders
[[link removed]] (I-Vt.) and other
members of the state's congressional delegation, who touted how local
rooftop solar installations are lowering energy bills while improving
public and planetary health.

Regan emphasized that the Biden administration's "Solar for All"
program will replicate those benefits in disadvantaged neighborhoods
nationwide, simultaneously alleviating the cost-of-living crisis
[[link removed]], rampant
air pollution
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and the climate emergency
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varying degrees by the country's reliance on fossil fuels.

"Solar for All will accelerate the deployment of residential solar in
communities that for too long have lacked access to the cost-saving
benefits of clean energy generation at home."

"For too long, overburdened communities on the frontlines of the
climate crisis have been left behind and locked out of clean energy
investments and climate solutions," Regan said in a statement
[[link removed]].
"This historic boost in solar investments will advance millions of
residential solar projects nationwide, protect people and the planet,
deliver environmental justice, save families money, and create
good-paying jobs."

The grants are part of the $27 billion Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund
(GGRF) established by the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). The EPA said
that it will award "up to 60 grants to states, territories, tribal
governments, municipalities, and eligible nonprofits to create and
expand low-income solar programs that provide financing and technical
assistance, such as workforce development, to enable low-income and
disadvantaged communities to deploy and benefit from residential
solar."

Applicants have until September 26 to request grants in amounts
ranging from $25 million to $400 million.

"All communities deserve to participate in America's growing clean
energy economy," said Regan. "Under this competition, we will bring
more communities along, working together to build a healthier and
cleaner future for all."

A long-term study published in November showed
[[link removed]] that
rooftop solar is becoming more accessible to low- and moderate-income
households, but not quickly enough to stave off the worst consequences
of the climate crisis.

Sanders sponsored the inclusion of the Solar for All program in the
IRA and has long advocated for its swift implementation.

As _The Hill _reported
[[link removed]] Wednesday:

In December, at a meeting of the Senate Environment and Public Works
Committee, the Vermont senator voted to advance the nomination of Joe
Goffman, President Biden's nomination to lead the EPA's air office,
but said he would not back him in the full Senate without a written
commitment that the full $7 billion would go toward installation of
residential solar.

The panel advanced Goffman's nomination this April, but it has yet to
receive a full Senate vote.

"At a time when people are struggling to make ends meet, all while
dealing with the existential threat of climate change, we must make
residential rooftop solar a reality for low-income and working
families that need it most," Sanders said Wednesday.

"This $7 billion residential solar program that I introduced and the
EPA is administering is a major step in the right direction," he
added. "I look forward to working with the EPA on this program to make
it more affordable for low-income and working-class families to
install solar on their homes and save money on their electricity
bills, as well as help create millions of good jobs in Vermont and
across the country."

According to the EPA:

The new grant competition will provide funds to expand existing
low-income solar programs as well as develop and implement new Solar
for All programs nationwide. Solar for All programs ensure low-income
households have equitable access to residential rooftop and
residential community solar power, often by providing financial
support and incentives to communities that were previously locked out
of investments. In addition, these programs guarantee low-income
households receive the benefits of distributed solar including
household savings, community ownership, energy resiliency, and other
benefits.

"Solar for All will accelerate the deployment of residential solar in
communities that for too long have lacked access to the cost-saving
benefits of clean energy generation at home," said GGRF acting
director Jahi Wise. "The Solar for All program strengthens low-income
and disadvantaged community-focused solar programs across the country,
bringing long-needed cost savings and pollution reduction to American
communities."

In addition to unveiling the $7 billion Solar for All initiative, the
EPA announced that it plans to launch two other GGRF programs in the
coming weeks: A $14 billion National Clean Investment Fund (NCIF)
grant competition to expand the deployment of clean technologies at
the national scale and a $6 billion Clean Communities Investment
Accelerator (CCIA) grant competition to increase local clean financing
capacity via community lenders.

_Kenny Stancil is a staff writer for Common Dreams._

* solar
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* the poor
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* government subsidies
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* epa
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* Bernie Sanders
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