The Administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency was in Waterbury, Vermont this afternoon to announce the start of a program intended to bring solar to underserved communities and homes.
The Inflation Reduction Act includes the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund and within that is the Solar for All initiative, a $7 billion program to deploy solar across the country.
EPA Administrator Michael Regan was at SunCommon in Waterbury to tour the solar company and explain the new program.
“I’m very proud to announce that we’re opening up the first funding opportunity for our $7 billion Solar for All competition. The Solar for All competition will expand the number of working class, low income and disadvantaged communities primed for residential solar opportunities, awarding up to 60 grants to states, territories, tribal governments, municipalities and eligible nonprofits enabling millions of households to access affordable, resilient, clean solar energy. Folks this is a big deal especially for overburdened communities who are on the frontlines of the climate crisis and who have been locked out of clean energy investments for far too long.”
Vermont Independent Senator Bernie Sanders hosted the visit and worked to create the Solar for All program.
“Our hope is that within the next ten years as a result of this $7 billion program we’re talking about 10 million rooftops throughout America having solar panels that otherwise might not have. That’s issue number one. Issue number two: the initial cost. What this program is about is helping you with that initial cost. In general, there will either be a grant or a loan going to a middle-income or a working class, a lower income family to help you buy the solar panels. And once you have the solar panels your electric bill will be reduced on average, in Vermont at least but all over the country, by 80 or 90 percent.”
Ian Shea is a middle school physics teacher who often talks to his students about the importance and advantages of solar energy. After years of teaching about it, Shea decided it was time to install solar panels on his home.
“There were two main realizations that came to me. One, that yes this was a smart financial decision for me. In a couple years when I finish paying that loan, I will no longer be paying for any energy I am using in my household. That’s huge. The second realization I had was I realized how much more I was studying my energy usage at home. What I can say with confidence is I am generating a lot more energy than I’m actually using, which is awesome. The best part about all this is not only do I own a house here, I own my energy.”
The EPA Solar for All grants are expected to be awarded in about a year. By way of disclosure, SunCommon has been a WAMC underwriter.
