Kentuckians could see more affordable solar panels across the Commonwealth after an investment from the federal government to make them more widely available to low-income families.
The Biden-Harris Administration announced on Monday, April 22, in celebration of Earth Day, that it would give nearly $62.5 million to the Kentucky Energy and Environment Cabinet through the Solar for All (SFA) grant competition.
In a press release, the Environmental Protection Agency says the money will be used to “develop long-lasting solar programs that enable low-income and disadvantaged communities to deploy and benefit from distributed residential solar across Kentucky.”
The Kentucky SFA program will expand solar energy access to low-income communities in the Commonwealth through financial assistance, which the EPA says will help increase resilience for energy-burdened communities, save on utility bills and improve the environment.
The money comes from the $27 billion Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund which is part of the Inflation Reduction Act, passed in 2022.
“Residential solar cuts home energy bills and provides families with resilient and secure power,” said acting Region 4 Administrator Jeaneanne Gettle in a press release. “But many have not been able to access these benefits, including low-income and disadvantaged communities who pay the largest share of their income on energy bills. This program will provide vital assistance to these communities.”
Kentucky’s solar grant was one of 49 state-level awards given. In total, the EPA announced nearly $5.5 billion in state-level awards.
Here is a complete list of the selected applicants across the country.
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This article appears in Apr 9-23, 2024.
