NC Low-Income Solar Program Threatened by EPA Cuts
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The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has terminated a major funding source for state-level solar projects called Solar For All. The program had allocated $7 billion to 60 grantees across the US to help lower-income people access renewable energy. The decision jeopardizes EnergizeNC, a North Carolina statewide coalition that received $156 million from the EPA’s Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund to subsidize clean energy businesses and help low-income communities and homeowners access solar energy.
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In an unexpected move, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has terminated a substantial source of funding for state-level solar projects. The Solar For All program, which assigned $7 billion to 60 beneficiaries across the United States, was created to facilitate access to renewable energy for lower-income citizens.
North Carolina was set to receive $156 million from the EPA’s Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund. This funding would have been disbursed over five years to EnergizeNC, a statewide alliance spearheaded by the Department of Environmental Quality and several statewide clean energy nonprofits.
Included in President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act, Solar For All was formulated to expand access to renewable energy, lessen fossil fuel-related climate pollution and decrease the electricity costs for lower-income Americans.
EnergizeNC, which has been in a design phase for the past year, aims to subsidise clean energy firms to supply solar energy to low-income communities and homeowners. The specifics of the program are yet to be determined, but it was expected to launch later this year, potentially assisting 12,500 North Carolina households to reduce their power bills. However, following the EPA’s announcement, the program’s future is unclear.
The EPA informed EnergizeNC and other Solar For All funding recipients nationwide that its funding has been cancelled. The EPA stated it has been considering the future of the Solar For All program and decided to end it along with all existing grants, citing a lack of statutory basis and dedicated funding as the reasons for its decision.
EPA administrator Lee Zeldin labelled the program a “boondoggle” in a post on X. Following the termination, the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) is required to submit final financial, technical, and programmatic reports to the EPA. The EPA’s letter recognises that some programs may have already spent funds from Solar For All and permits organisations to request reimbursement for some costs.
Josh Kastrinsky, spokesperson for DEQ, warned in an email that this termination endangers the economic prosperity and energy security of all North Carolinians, stating, “The solar energy industry employs more than 9,000 people across more than 200 businesses statewide,”
Several solar contractors, including Sugar Hollow Solar, were involved in helping the EnergizeNC coalition plan and design their program. Brian Hollister, vice president of Sundance Power Systems, one of these contractors, expressed disappointment at the cancellation of the funding. Hollister highlighted that the program was designed to serve low to moderate-income individuals who typically lack the resources to transition to solar energy without assistance.
Despite these obstacles, Hollister remains confident about the future. “I know all of us in the industry are working together to figure out the next steps to continue to serve people by being able to install solar,” he said. “Whether there’s federal funding for it or not, there are ways that we can create programs to incentivize people to do this,”
North Carolina has a robust solar industry, with a strong presence in Western North Carolina. Democrat Senator Julie Mayfield, who represents Buncombe County, spotlighted a crowdfunded solar installations program called Solarize, which has enjoyed substantial local support. Mayfield noted the significant participation of Asheville-Buncombe in Solarize, saying that of 180 local governments participating, Asheville-Buncombe saw the most uptake.
Mayfield lamented the increasing partisanship she has observed in recent years and urged for unity in supporting programs like Solar For All. She argued, “helping low-income customers live comfortable, healthy, and safe lives by enabling them to generate and store their own energy should be a program that everybody can get behind.”
All attempts to reach North Carolina Republican Senator Thom Tillis, U.S. Rep. Chuck Edwards (R- 11) and all Republican state representatives representing Western North Carolina for comment were unsuccessful.
Despite the funding cuts and other recent setbacks for the solar industry, the sector remains hopeful about its future.
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