EPA Issues Awards for “Solar for All” Program
WASHINGTON – The Biden Administration today announced award winners for a grant competition it held last year for Solar for All, a $7 billion program within the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to deploy residential and community solar, integrated storage and cover related upgrades in underserved and disinvested communities throughout the country.
Solar for All is one of three major programs created under the Inflation Reduction Act’s $27 billion Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund (GGRF), a first-of-its-kind effort to combat climate change, advance environmental justice and accelerate the equitable clean energy future.
The following is a statement from Manish Bapna, president and CEO of NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council):
“The benefits of solar and storage—lower energy bills, the ability to keep your refrigerator running during power outages, asset ownership, and more—have not been equally distributed in our country. This will help to change that reality, expanding the opportunity for underserved and disinvested communities across our country to realize the benefits of solar and storage.”
The GGRF aims to transform how communities around the country access finance for low- and zero-emission projects. It will help rapidly deploy clean energy projects to areas that, without these investments, could be left behind in the clean energy transition.
Earlier this month, EPA made awards through a $14 billion National Clean Investment Fund and a $6 billion Clean Communities Investment Accelerator that are also part of the GGRF.
The GGRF will catalyze billions of dollars of additional public and private co-investment in clean energy projects nationwide and help modernize the U.S. financial system by transforming ‘green’ investments into ‘mainstream’ investments and building a more equitable clean energy future with significant benefits for underserved communities.
A blog on Solar for All will be posted here and here is a graphic explaining the GGRF and its three funding streams.
NRDC(Natural Resources Defense Council) is an international nonprofit environmental organization with more than 3 million members and online activists. Established in 1970, NRDC uses science, policy, law, and people power to confront the climate crisis, protect public health, and safeguard nature. NRDC has offices in New York City, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Bozeman, MT, Beijing and Delhi (an office of NRDC India Pvt. Ltd). Visit us atwww.nrdc.organd follow us on Twitter @NRDC.