Schumer announces $250 million for solar tech
Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer announced $249.8 million in federal funding for the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) to deploy solar technology for residents who live in disadvantaged communities and low-income households.
According to a press release, the funding comes from $7 billion in grant awards through the Solar for All grant competition to deliver residential solar projects nationwide through Schumer’s Inflation Reduction Act, which created EPA’s $27 billion Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund.
“The Inflation Reduction Act is powering a major $250 million boost in residential solar power for families across the Empire State,” Schumer said in the release. “This is a win-win-win: helping New York fight climate change, lowering costs, and creating new, good-paying jobs.
“Solar is the most cost-effective form of electricity and one of the easiest ways to help families lower their energy bills every month,” he continued. “I was proud to support NYSERDA’s Solar For All application and this Earth Day, the future of New York’s energy grid is looking sunny, clean and bright thanks to the historic investments of our Inflation Reduction Act.”
Specifically, the funding will support NYSERDA’S capacity to enhance the state’s existing portfolio of highly successful and effective solar deployments, technical assistance and workforce development programs to benefit millions of residents who live in disadvantaged communities and low-income households, the release said. NYSERDA will also implement new programs that target specific barriers to solar deployment for low-income New Yorkers, partnering with HCR, the City of New York, and HPD to do so.
“New York State has positioned itself as a leader in community solar, ensuring more residents than ever before have access to clean, affordable solar energy,” Gov. Kathy Hochul said in the release. “We thank President Biden, Administrator Regan and the New York Congressional Delegation for their support and are proud to partner with the Environmental Protection Agency to advance this historic investment in community solar and build a clean and healthy future for New Yorkers.”
The EPA Solar for All award will fulfill a critical need to build out New York’s proven, robust rooftop and community solar programs serving residential customers, officials said. The funding will expand solar access for the New York City low-income market with support to allow for infrastructure upgrades, provide increased benefits to disadvantaged residents, and tackle the barriers of affordable and multi-family housing solar deployment. It will also allow for the continuation of crucial workforce development programs and extend the reach of residential solar to diverse urban, suburban and rural communities across the state.
The finalization and execution of award agreements are expected by this summer, at which point NYSERDA will work with coalition partners and stakeholders to design and implement Solar for All funded programs over the fiveyear program period.
Schumer said the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced 60 selectees that will receive $7 billion in grant awards through the Solar for All grant competition to deliver residential solar projects to over 900,000 households nationwide through his Inflation Reduction Act.
The 60 selections under the $7 billion Solar for All program will provide funds to states, territories, Tribal governments, municipalities and nonprofits across the country to develop long-lasting solar programs that enable low-income and disadvantaged communities to deploy and benefit from distributed residential solar, lowering energy costs for families, creating good-quality jobs in communities that have been left
behind, advancing environmental justice, and tackling climate change.
Nationwide, the release said the program will reduce 30 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions cumulatively, from over four gigawatts of solar energy capacity unlocked for low-income communities over five years and generate an estimated 200,000 jobs across the country.
Schumer’s Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) makes the single largest investment in climate and energy in American history to support a robust domestic clean energy supply chain, accelerate investments in clean energy technologies and help cut climate and public health pollution, the release said, enabling America to tackle the climate crisis and advance environmental justice.
The IRA includes $370 billion for clean energy transitions and energy security and also offers tax credits and rebates that can cover up to 100% of the costs of installing a heat pump, which can save families hundreds of dollars per year on energy bills. The IRA also includes $8.8 billion in rebates for home energy efficiency and electrification projects, which is expected to save American households up to $1 billion annually.