The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has launched a $7 billion grant competitors by means of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda to extend entry to solar energy for thousands and thousands of low-income households.
Residential distributed solar energy will decrease energy prices for households, create good-quality jobs in communities which were left behind, advance environmental justice and deal with the local weather disaster, the administration says.
The Solar for All competitors, which was created by the Inflation Reduction Act’s Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund (GGRF), will broaden the variety of low-income and deprived communities primed for residential solar funding by awarding as much as 60 grants to states, territories, tribal governments, municipalities and eligible nonprofits. The intention is to create and broaden solar packages that present financing and technical help, equivalent to workforce growth, to allow low-income and deprived communities to deploy and profit from residential solar.
EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan introduced the grant competitors for communities with Sen. Bernie Sanders, D-Vt., who championed this system, in Waterbury, Vt., whereas touring a residential solar venture.
“At a time when people are struggling to make ends meet, all while dealing with the existential threat of climate change, we must make residential rooftop solar a reality for low-income and working families that need it most,” mentioned Sanders. “This $7 billion residential solar program that I introduced and the EPA is administering is a major step in the right direction.”
The new grant competitors will present funds to broaden present low-income solar packages in addition to develop and implement new Solar for All packages nationwide, which can assist low-income and deprived communities expertise significant advantages, equivalent to guaranteeing a minimal 20% complete electrical energy invoice financial savings for enrolled households. The air pollution produced from powering our properties additionally will probably be lowered to enhance air high quality and public well being outcomes, all whereas creating good-paying, clear energy jobs.
The Solar for All program advances Biden’s Justice40 Initiative, which goals to make sure that 40% of the general advantages of sure federal investments move to deprived communities which are marginalized, underserved, and overburdened by air pollution. The program may also assist meet the President’s purpose of reaching a carbon pollution-free power sector by 2035 and web zero emissions financial system by no later than 2050.
EPA has revealed the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for this grant competitors on grants.gov. To participate on this competitors, all candidates are required to submit a Notice of Intent (NOI) to use. The deadline for the NOI differs by applicant sort.
The remaining deadline to use to this grant competitors is September 26. Additional particulars on eligibility could be present in Section III of the NOFO. Tools and assets for potential grantees, together with webinar hyperlinks and useful templates, could be discovered on EPA’s GGRF webpage.
