Solar for All is rising to meet the moment
Big manufacturers and developers aren’t the only ones benefiting from the Inflation Reduction Act’s billions in climate funding. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has allocated $7 billion for solar initiatives in disadvantaged communities through a new program that will save eligible households hundreds in electricity costs. 💰 But how does it work, and what role can advocates play?
☀️ Solar energy for communities who need it most
What is Solar for All? The Solar for All program is specifically designed for building and upgrading solar projects in economically disadvantaged communities. States, Tribal governments, municipalities, and eligible nonprofits can apply, and the EPA will award up to 60 grants. It’s an important step toward building a future where clean, cheap, reliable energy is for everyone. The Solar for All program also advances the administration’s Justice40 Initiative, a commitment to ensure that 40% of the overall benefits of certain federal investments flow to disadvantaged and marginalized communities.
Eligible Solar for All initiatives include new or upgraded low-income distributed solar initiatives and technical/job training assistance that will help advance those projects. Distributed solar refers to solar energy generated at or near where it will be used. Distributed solar installations are smaller than a typical grid-scale solar farm, but they are usually connected to the grid to maximize efficiency and reliability. Two common types of distributed solar are community solar and residential rooftop solar. Community solar allows subscribers to lease or own shares of a local solar photovoltaic (PV) array and receive compensation for generated power through credits on their electricity bill. Since the array is offsite and benefits anyone who buys or leases a share, this type of arrangement is accessible to both renters and homeowners alike. Residential rooftop solar allows households to produce all or most of their typical electricity needs on-site.
Solar for All requires awarded solar initiatives to deliver a minimum 20% reduction in annual electricity costs for every household covered – clean energy with cost savings!
🌈 It is, in fact, all sunshine and rainbows
Rapid decarbonization: Renewable energy reduces emissions! Building out distributed solar programs will help shift a greater share of U.S. electricity generation to zero-emissions sources and can help states meet their 100% clean power goals.
Predictable prices: Because residential rooftop solar is generated on-site, it makes electricity costs stable and predictable for households. Households with rooftop solar panels can even make money off their solar generation by sending excess electricity generated back to the grid.
Equity & resilience: Distributed solar doesn’t just save money; they democratize energy resources, helping to shield disadvantaged communities against price surges in the larger electricity market. Disadvantaged households bear 3x the energy burden as higher-income households on average, and energy burdens are often much higher for Black and Hispanic households. This is one of the first times that a federal grant of this scale gives disadvantaged communities agency over their energy resources. As states and municipalities distribute Solar for All funding to developers, it’s imperative that local communities lead in the implementation of those grants.
Job creation: New solar projects and upgrades are job creators. Solar for All grants can be used for workforce development and boosting minority- and women-owned businesses, and awarded project developers must pay a prevailing wage.
Human health: The disadvantaged communities served by Solar for All have often suffered disproportionately from the harmful effects of fossil power generation. Many of them are in physical proximity to fossil gas “peaker plants” that pollute the surrounding environment. 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.
⚡ Forecast: electricity will be in high demand
The U.S. power sector is on a dual mission: 1) we need to replace fossil gas and coal generation with zero-emissions energy 2) while simultaneously adding more overall generation capacity to the grid. That’s because climate-smart upgrades like electric vehicle chargers and heat pumps use electricity to power things that were previously run directly on fossil gas or petroleum combustion. More zero-emissions electric goods means a greater number of electrons have to flow from power plants to homes and businesses. Building new grid-connected solar is necessary for meeting future electricity demand.
🔊 Sounds great—but what can I do?
Initiatives like Solar for All are a significant step toward decarbonization, but for these programs to truly make a difference, we need widespread participation. Talk to your friends, neighbors, and, most importantly, your state and local elected officials. Encourage officials in your city and state to apply for the grant and connect them to resources that will help them design a robust, equitable program. We have a playbook for that!
Our Action Plan, in partnership with EDF Action, features the four most impactful actions you can take as a constituent, each with an easy-to-use, step-by-step playbook. You can complete these actions on your own or join us for an Hour of Action to connect with fellow changemakers. Either way, you’ll accomplish something meaningful in under an hour. If you want to do something about climate change, this is the place.
To learn more about the Solar for All initiative and distributed solar, check out our comprehensive Issue Briefing.
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Featured photo by Markus Spiske on Unsplash.
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