Beneficiaries of government incentives include funding for 60 state and local agencies and nonprofit organizations involved in programs to help residents in poor communities go solar and save on their electricity bills.
The President of the United States, Joe Biden, will celebrate Earth Day this Monday by announcing US$7 billion in subsidies for residential solar projects that will provide energy to almost one million low-income households, the White House reported today.
The announcement kicks off a week of activities aimed at promoting the Biden administration's record on climate change.
Biden will unveil the funding during a trip to Prince William Forest Park in Triangle, Virginia, where he will also announce the opening of applications to participate in the American Climate Corps, a program to prepare young people for jobs in climate-related sectors.
Young voters, who tend to be more concerned about climate change, are a key constituency for Biden as the Democrat prepares to face former Republican President Donald Trump in November's presidential election.
The $7 billion in tax incentives to be delivered through the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) "Solar for All" are part of the Biden administration's flagship bill to combat climate change, called the Climate Reduction Act. Inflation (IRA). The plan aims to create 200,000 jobs and save families participating in the program about $400 per year in electricity costs, according to the White House.
Beneficiaries include 60 state and local agencies and nonprofit organizations that have programs to help residents in poor communities go solar and save on their electricity bills. Beneficiaries include several organizations planning to provide solar power to Native American homes in states such as Alaska, Arizona, New Mexico and Colorado.
Residential solar has long been considered difficult to access for low-income Americans because of its high upfront cost and also because income-disadvantaged people tend to rent single-family homes or live in high-rise buildings.
The program aligns with Biden's goal of earmarking 40% of the benefits of federal clean energy investment to underserved communities.
