TL/DR –
Rhode Island was awarded $49.33 million to expand solar energy for low-income households under the Solar for All program before it was terminated by the EPA in August 2025. The state Office of Energy Resources had planned seven financial incentive programs under the Rhode Island Equitable Access to Solar Energy (EASE) initiative, aiming to benefit over 8,500 households and saving approximately $48,477,353 in electric bills. However, after litigation over the funds’ allocation, the EPA blocked access to the grant accounts, and neither the grant nor the program has been restored a year later.
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Rhode Island’s $49.33 Million Solar Project for Low-Income Households Halted Following Closure of Federal Funding Program
In August 2025, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) terminated the Solar for All program, a federal initiative that had previously granted Rhode Island $49.33 million to implement solar energy projects for low-income households. A year following the program’s termination, Rhode Island’s grant remains unfulfilled, with litigation surrounding the issue ongoing.
Rhode Island had intended to use the funds to support low-income residents in gaining access to solar energy. The plans included equipping aging houses needing electrical upgrades with solar panels, fitting affordable housing developments with solar facilities, and aiding renters without ownership of a roof to install these energy-saving devices.
The federal grant was awarded to the state Office of Energy Resources on April 22, 2024. Unfortunately, the termination of the Solar for All program in August the following year halted these initiatives. The dispute around the grant’s restoration is still unsettled, with three separate litigations ongoing, two of which remain unresolved.
The Solar for All program was established under the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act by the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund. It was part of a $7 billion national competition aiming to create or expand domestic solar programs for disadvantaged communities. The EPA predicted that the investment would offer savings of over $350 million in electricity bills yearly, benefitting over 900,000 households, and reducing carbon-dioxide-equivalent emissions by 30 million metric tons over the life of these projects.
Rhode Island’s share of these funds was allocated to a comprehensive project titled EASE (Rhode Island Equitable Access to Solar Energy). The project proposed seven financial-assistance programs. These covered direct-ownership incentives for low-income homeowners, grants for pre-installation roof and electrical upgrades for older homes, a milestone-based grant program for energy-efficient affordable housing, incentives for battery storage, community remote net metering, and financing for community solar on preferred sites. The public plan proposed by the Office of Energy Resources stressed that the project aimed to overcome the financial barriers low-income households face when considering solar panel installations.
Of particular interest to renters was the community-solar component. The Office of Energy Resources (OER) revealed that the Solar for All funds would expand the state’s community remote-net-metering pilot from 30 megawatts to 70 megawatts, providing benefits to over 4,500 additional customers through low-commitment subscriptions.
However, the extent of assistance that could have been provided through EASE remains uncertain, with different state offices providing varying estimates. The OER’s projections suggested that over 8,500 households could benefit, while a release from Attorney General Peter Neronha’s office put the figure at approximately 5,225 low-income households.
As the litigation continues, the issue of unobligated balances remains central to the dispute. EPA’s own inspector general noted in an audit published on January 7 that nearly $6.98 billion — 99.7% of the Solar for All funding — had been obligated by July 2024, a full year prior to the legislation rescinding unobligated balances. Plaintiffs argue that only unspent balances should have been rescinded, not grants that were already allocated.
Despite the termination of the Solar for All program and the ongoing litigation, low-income solar assistance has continued in the state of Rhode Island. The state’s Renewable Energy Fund continues to provide grants for small-scale solar projects, commercial initiatives, and community renewable endeavors, subsidizing up to 30% of installation costs. However, these programs do not offer the comprehensive assistance EASE aimed to provide, such as simultaneous funding for roof replacement, panel installation, and electrical upgrades on low-income houses.
The fate of the EASE initiative now rests in the courts, with the most direct challenge coming from the Rhode Island AFL-CIO, the Rhode Island Center for Justice and Solar United Neighbors. These organizations, which were initially involved in the design of the EASE program, are now fighting for its implementation in court.
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