MA Solar Project Receives $156 Million Federal Grant for Greenhouse Gas Reduction

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

Solar energy could save about $400 per household in electricity costs and avoid 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 to financing solar photovoltaic projects to achieve the maximum possible reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. The initiatives include a
interest-free residential loan initiative, a residential leasing initiative, a public affordable housing acquisition initiative, a private affordable housing financing initiative, and a low-income initiative.
Shared community 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 comes from EPA’s $27 billion Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund, authorized by the Inflation Reduction Act.

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

The Solar for All awards “will mean that low-income communities, and not just affluent communities, will feel the cost-saving benefits of solar energy,” John Podesta, senior adviser to the president for international climate policy, said in a statement. .