The EPA’s Solar for All grants will help catalyze solar energy development in low-income and disadvantaged communities.
Grants will be awarded to states, municipalities, Tribal governments,and some nonprofits for initiatives that use solar energy generation to lower electricity costs for disadvantaged households. It’s one of the many clean energy financial assistance programs created by the Inflation Reduction Act.
The low-income and disadvantaged communities served by Solar for All have often suffered disproportionately from the harmful effects of fossil power generation. We know of several in the Southwest that have had a reputation for polluting the surrounding environment, especially the air.
Not only do those families suffer from pollution but disadvantaged households bear three times the energy burden as higher income households on average, and energy burdens are often proportionately much higher for Black and Hispanic households. Additionally, many Indigenous residents do not have electricity at all in their homes. Distributed solar offers relief from the high cost of electricity and can provide electricity where there is now none.
The more fossil fuel generation we can displace by adding solar to the grid, the more we can reduce health inequity caused by fossil fuels and improve the quality of life for many. Solar for All requires awarded solar projects to deliver a minimum 20% reduction in annual electricity costs for every household covered.
If this information interests you, please contact your local officials to inquire about whether they are planning to apply for these funds. Time is of the essence.
Lissa Ray
Durango
