The Solar For All program is giving out $7 billion in funding from the Inflation Reduction Act

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced 60 grants, worth up to $7 billion, for states, territories, Tribal governments, municipalities, and nonprofits for its Solar for All program. The program is expected to benefit over 900,000 households in low-income communities and generate roughly $350 million in annual energy savings by increasing access to affordable, resilient, and clean solar and storage technology.

Harry Godfrey, Managing Director at Advanced Energy United, a national business association of clean energy companies, released the following statement: 

“Today, the Biden Administration took a big step towards expanding access to affordable, reliable, and clean energy for all Americans, further unlocking the promise of the Inflation Reduction Act.”

“But let’s be clear, there’s still a way to go and any number of obstacles along the path. Smart state energy policies and streamlined implementation will determine whether American families ultimately see the savings from Solar for All (S4A) on their electric bills.”

“The ability of solar generation to lower residential energy costs while improving resilience and reliability is well established. Pairing solar with storage and energy efficiency, as S4A allows, augments these benefits. But for many low-income Americans, the upfront cost of going solar, installing energy storage, and making efficiency improvements have left these much-needed savings out of reach. That’s why S4A has the potential to be so impactful – it can unlock the economic benefits of advanced energy to more Americans.”

“The obstacles to deploying distributed and community solar are more than economic, however. They include lengthy and burdensome interconnection requirements, bureaucratic permitting processes, and state energy policies and regulations that undervalue or simply obstruct community and distributed solar. Overly complex and excessive implementation requirements for S4A can be a similar obstacle, tying up funds in red tape. Meanwhile underinvestment in the distribution grid, particularly in low-income and disadvantaged communities – the very communities S4A is intended to serve – can be a barrier to on-the-ground deployment.

“These obstacles are not insurmountable, but they require streamlined implementation, effective coordination, targeted investment, and the political will to change policies, processes, and regulations so more Americans can access clean, reliable, and affordable advanced energy. S4A funds can help address these obstacles, and we would encourage the Biden Administration to ensure states utilize them for as much. Advanced Energy United will continue working with its member companies and coalition partners in states across the country to lower these obstacles and ensure S4A realizes its full potential.”

Additional Resources: 

• Report: Bringing Resilience and Reliability Full Circle (Feb. 2024) 

Click here to learn more about Advanced Energy United’s work in advocating for federal investment in advanced energy solutions.