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The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has withdrawn $156m in funding from the Solar for All program in Michigan, which aimed to cut the power bills of low-income households through solar installations. The Michigan Department of Environment Great Lakes and Energy had already allocated $13.9m in awards to 13 pilot projects across the state, including a solar canopy at Stoney Lakeside Park that would have powered 50 homes annually and cut the average electricity bill by 20% for many more low-income customers. Lowell Light and Power, which anticipated $700,000 in grant money for the $935,000 canopy project, will not proceed unless the funds become available.
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Planned Solar Canopy in Michigan Suspended Due to Federal Funding Cuts
In Lowell, Michigan, the development of a solar canopy at Stoney Lakeside Park has been paused. The halt in progress comes in the wake of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) revoking its funding of $156 million intended for the Solar for All program on August 7. This initiative was originally created to facilitate solar installations to diminish electricity costs for low-income households.
The EPA cited The One Big Beautiful Bill Act, a directive from the Trump administration, as the legislation that permitted the termination of the federal program and its $7 billion allocation from the Inflation Reduction Act.
Up to this point, the Michigan Department of Environment Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE) had already dispersed $13.9 million in funding to 13 pilot projects throughout the state, one of which was the solar canopy at Stoney Lakeside Park. Learn more about the solar canopy project here.
This proposed canopy was anticipated to generate a substantial amount of energy, with an estimated annual output equivalent to the energy needs of around 50 homes. Furthermore, it would have slashed the average electrical bill by 20% for numerous low-income customers residing in the Lowell area.
However, the project is now in limbo. “We have paused our planning efforts and do not anticipate moving forward unless the grant funds become available,” stated Charlie West, Lowell Light and Power General Manager, in an email to FOX 17.
Lowell Light and Power had initially expected to utilize $700,000 in grant money for the solar canopy project, which had a total cost of $935,000.
In an official statement, EGLE Director Phil Roos expressed his disappointment, stating, “Regrettably, the EPA wants to retroactively cut funding for this vital program at a time when such initiatives should be prioritized. We are currently working with Michigan’s Attorney General to determine our next steps.”
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