WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Trump administration issued an executive order (EO) pausing Solar for All grants across the United States, impacting 60 program awardees, including Pennsylvania.
The Solar for All program, which is part of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund (GGRF), is a $7 billion program that will save Americans $350 million on their utility bills, while creating new jobs and delivering domestically produced energy in communities across the country.
The Pennsylvania Solar for All Program aims to provide solar installations for 14,000 households over a 5-year period. Pennsylvania was awarded $156,120,000 in April 2024 to “deploy and enable deployment of residential-serving solar, storage, and enabling upgrades in low-income and disadvantaged communities across Pennsylvania.”
Just this morning, Governor Shapiro filed a federal complaint seeking an injunction preventing the Trump admin from interfering with the disbursement of any congressionally appropriated funds that have been obligated to Pennsylvania agencies, which includes Solar for All, and all other funding streams with previously signed agreements between the state and federal government pursuant to the Inflation Reduction Act and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.
Following is a reaction from Robert Routh, Pennsylvania policy director at NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council):
“For communities throughout Pennsylvania, the Solar for All program helps lower utility bills and encourages clean, reliable energy systems that protect our environment and public health. By interrupting Solar for All funding, the Trump administration is stalling important infrastructure projects and putting Pennsylvania’s move toward a cleaner, more affordable energy economy on the line.”
“The administration’s EO has left local officials and grant program managers uncertain about the legality of its directives. While solar energy developers and advocates wait for clarity, the funding freeze leaves upcoming projects in turmoil.”
NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council) is an international nonprofit environmental organization with more than 3 million members and online activists. Established in 1970, NRDC uses science, policy, law, and people power to confront the climate crisis, protect public health, and safeguard nature. NRDC has offices in New York City, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Bozeman, MT, Beijing and Delhi (an office of NRDC India Pvt. Ltd). Visit us at www.nrdc.org and follow us on Twitter @NRDC.
