Maine Receives $62 Million Federal Grant to Expand Solar Power Access for Low-Income Households - The Maine Wire

Maine Receives $62 Million Federal Grant to Expand Solar Power Access for Low-Income Households - The Maine Wire

Maine has received $62 million in federal funding to increase the accessibility of solar power for low-income households throughout the state.

This grant comes as part of the $7 billion Solar for All competition funded by the Inflation Reduction Act’s $27 billion Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund, which is administered through the federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

According to the United States Department of Energy (DOE), the Inflation Reduction Act made “the single largest investment in climate and energy in American history, enabling America to tackle the climate crisis, advancing environmental justice, securing America’s position as a world leader in domestic clean energy manufacturing.”

Gov. Janet Mills (D) explained in a press release Monday that this funding will be used to create a new statewide program aimed at bringing solar power to “low-income households and communities,” while simultaneously “creating job and economic development opportunities in the growing clean energy industry.”

This program will be administered through the Governor’s Energy Office (GEO) and is expected to launch by the end of the year.

Before the program becomes available, however, the GEO has said that it will “solicit public input” to help “shape program design.”

Final receipt of this award is expected no later than September 30 of this year. Once the funding has been secured, the GEO will begin sharing updated information and accepting public comment.

Click Here for More Information from the GEO on the Solar For All Grant

According to the two-page summary of Maine’s Solar for All application — as well as the governor’s Monday press release — the state plans to pursue three primary goals with these funds.

First, the GEO intends to create “new incentives for residential rooftop solar and energy storage” in “affordable multifamily housing” and “low-income and disadvantaged single-family homes.”

Second, it plans to provide “new technical and financial assistance to support cooperatively-owned community solar” in order to allow participation “in solar energy ownership without barriers of homeownership or rooftop suitability.”

Lastly, the office will establish a “new community solar and energy storage program focused on serving low-income and disadvantaged households.”

Click Here to Read the 2-Page Summary of Maine’s Solar for All Application

Maine was one of 60 projects nationwide to receive an award from the Solar for All competition. Among the winning endeavors were 49 state-level projects that were awarded a total of $5.5 billion, six tribal projects worth a combined $500 million, and five multi-state projects that were given an aggregate of $1 billion.

“All Maine people should have access to clean, affordable, reliable energy to power their homes and businesses, regardless of income level or home ownership status,” said Gov. Mills. “I welcome this funding from the EPA to help Maine establish a program to enable low-income communities across Maine to participate in and benefit from solar development in our state.”

“With funding from EPA, Maine will ensure the benefits of solar and energy storage are accessible to low-income homeowners and renters, who often face the highest energy burdens, by lowering barriers to solar adoption,” said GEO Director Dan Burgess. “By making solar more accessible, this new program can reduce energy costs, spur job growth and economic development in Maine’s fast growing clean energy sector, and fight climate change.”

Click Here to Read Gov. Mills’ Full Press Release

“On Earth Day, it’s important to not only appreciate our planet and all it has to offer, but to reaffirm our commitment to protect our environment,” said Sen. Angus King (I) and Rep. Chellie Pingree (D). “This funding will allow the [GEO] to develop more affordable, reliable, and local energy, while also creating well-paying new jobs in Maine.”

“This project builds on Maine’s strong track record of clean energy deployment by ensuring the benefits of solar and energy storage are accessible to those who stand to benefit the most while delivering cost savings on monthly electric bills,” Sen. King and Rep. Pingree said.

Click Here to Read Sen. King and Rep. Pingree’s Full Press Release

Also on Monday, the Mills Administration announced that the state has been awarded a separate $10.5 million grant to replace infrastructure along the coast, as well as to upgrade fisheries and marshlands to defend them from future storms and a predicted increase in water levels.

[RELATED: Biden Grants Mills Taxpayer Funds to Aid Her in Her Quest to Fight the Weather]

Earlier this month, Maine received $7 million in federal funding for renewable energy and energy efficiency investments at farms and businesses throughout rural Maine as part of a $124 million nationwide dispersal from the USDA’s Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) program, which was spread across a total of 541 projects in 44 states.

[RELATED: Maine Receives $7 Million in Federal Funding for “Energy Efficiency Investments” in Rural Maine]

In February, Mills announced that Maine had received $10 million in federal funding to subsidize the installation of heat pumps in mobile and manufactured homes throughout the state.

[RELATED: Maine Pols Tout $10M in Tax Dollars to Subsidize Heat Pumps]

That same month, Maine also received $4.4 million to “increase electrical grid resistance” and support the state’s “climate and clean energy goals,” with portions of this funding being made available to electric utilities, electricity generators, and storage operators.

[RELATED: Maine Receives $4.4 Million Federal Grant to “Increase Electrical Grid Resilience” and Support the State’s “Climate and Clean Energy Goals”]

In a separate statement released Monday, the governor celebrated Earth Day by asking Mainers to “remember that each of us plays a meaningful role in securing a cleaner, healthier future for our planet and our people.”

“On Earth Day 2024, may each of us recommit to doing our part to reduce pollution, preserve our planet, and protect our natural resources,” said Mills.

Click Here to Read Gov. Mills’ Full Earth Day Statement