MA Solar Project Receives $156M Federal Greenhouse Reduction Grant

MASSACHUSETTS— A solar project in Massachusetts will receive $156 million in grant funding under a $7 billion federal program to bring solar energy to more than 900,000 people nationwide, saving them $350 million annually in utility costs, the Biden administration announced on Earth Day Monday.

Solar power could save about $400 per household in electricity costs, and prevent 30 million metric tons of carbon pollution over 25 years, the Environmental Protection Agency said in a statement.

The Massachusetts program will be available to all low-income and disadvantaged communities across the state with the goal of maximizing participation and impact in historically underserved communities.

Much of the program's budget will go directly towards the funding of solar photovoltaic projects to achieve the maximum reduction of greenhouse gas emissions possible. The initiatives include a
residential zero-interest loan initiative, a residential lease initiative, a public affordable housing procurement initiative, a private affordable housing financing initiative, and a low-income
community shared solar initiative.

The program will include funding allocations for technical assistance, education and
outreach, quality assurance, and workforce training. The initiatives offered under the Solar For All program are designed to leverage federal funding and existing Massachusetts programs, such as the Solar Massachusetts Renewable Target program and Mass Save.

"Solar for All" grant funding is provided by the EPA's $27 billion Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund, authorized by the Inflation Reduction Act.

The projects funded this year not only lower energy costs in low-income and disadvantaged communities but also create good jobs in communities that have been "left behind," advancing environmental justice and tackling climate change, the EPA said in a statement.

The Solar for All awards "will mean that low-income communities, and not just well-off communities, will feel the cost-saving benefits of solar," John Podesta, senior adviser to the president for International Climate Policy, said in a statement.