IRA’s Solar for All to Install 1 Million Systems in US
TL/DR –
The Biden administration’s Solar for All program will offer $7 billion in support to 60 recipients including state and Tribal governments and nonprofits, aiming to increase access to solar power for lower-income and disadvantaged households. The funding will support projects such as the one led by California-based GRID Alternatives, which will receive grants totaling over $370 million to build on its existing work installing solar systems in low-income and Tribal communities. The funds will be used to help households reduce energy costs, improve air quality, and cut the use of fossil fuels.
The Biden administration’s $7 billion solar support
The Biden administration is providing huge support to the solar energy sector with its $7 billion Solar for All program. This initiative aims to extend the financial and environmental benefits of solar energy to low-income and disadvantaged households. State and Tribal governments, as well as nonprofits, are among the 60 recipients of these grants.
One such recipient is GRID Alternatives, a California-based nonprofit that will receive grants totaling over $310 million. This organization has long been promoting clean energy and environmental justice, targeting economically disadvantaged households to help reduce their energy costs and cut the use of fossil fuels.
GRID Alternatives began in 2004 with the installation of two solar systems. Today, it has grown to about 500 employees who provide job training for solar installers and set up solar systems for qualifying low-income households.
The Environmental Protection Agency selected the recipients from a pool of about 150 applicants. Nearly $5.5 billion is allocated to 49 grants for states or state-level organizations, around $1 billion for five grants covering multiple states, and about $500 million for six grants for Tribal governments or organizations serving Tribal communities.
See full list of grant recipients and their programs here.
President Joe Biden stated that Solar for All will lead to the installation of about 900,000 solar systems, saving households an estimated $400 annually on their energy bills. The savings over time would exceed the program’s cost.
The concept of Solar for All was initially part of a bill sponsored by Sen. Bernie Sanders. This initiative has now been included in the Inflation Reduction Act, the landmark federal climate and clean energy law signed in August 2022.
Federal funding boosts solar installations
These grants represent a significant increase in funding for solar installation across the country. For instance, the federal Solar for All grant will help expand an existing program in Illinois, which has previously suffered due to a lack of funding.
New Hampshire will receive $43.5 million to spend over five years, much more than the roughly $2 million per year the state currently has for low-income solar. These funds are particularly focused on entities serving low-income individuals, thereby boosting programs that are already making a positive impact.
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