Oregon is set to receive nearly $87 million in federal funds to boost solar adoption for low-income and rural Oregonians over the next five years.

On Monday, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced Oregon will receive $86.6 million through the Solar for All grant. The program opens the doors for low-income and rural residents and disadvantaged communities, those most impacted by climate change, to have access to these energy saving technologies without being financially burdened.

The program also aims to curb greenhouse gas emissions, reduce air pollution and create renewable energy jobs to boost local economies.

Funds will go to the Oregon Department of Energy, along with Energy Trust of Oregon and Bonneville Environmental Foundation. The awarded groups, also known as the Oregon Solar for All Coalition, will spend the first year of the five-year grant developing programs in which organizations can apply for funds, while leveraging and supporting existing solar incentives programs in place.

The grant will boost solar adoption by:

• providing rebates for low-income single-family households to install rooftop solar with little to no upfront cost,
• providing rebates for multi-family buildings,
• developing community solar projects that benefit low-income households and residents under the current Oregon Community Solar Program
• and strengthening the state’s green jobs workforce.

“This is not a program that’s going to launch the minute we get the money,” Oregon Department of Energy senior policy analyst Rob Del Mar said. “We will be building these programs for the next 8 to 12 months, working with our community partners to get everything lined up.

According to the EPA, at least 40% of the funds must go to communities most impacted by climate change through President Joe Biden’s Justice40 Initiative.

But Del Mar said most of the funds Oregon is set to receive will go directly to those impacted communities.

“We do plan to work with community partners all across the state and what we really hope to gain with our community partners is just a better understanding of how to serve the low-income market, which as you know, unfortunately, that’s a sector that the solar rebate programs haven’t really been able to support in the past,” he said. “These new funds will give us the opportunity to go into these new areas.”

Del Mar expects the program could be ready to launch in early 2025.

ODOE Director Janine Benner said the agency is thrilled to be bringing a significant amount of funds that will be dedicated to creating more renewable energy and will help the state reach its emission reduction goals.

“While past programs have helped expand access to solar for many Oregonians, it has been a challenge to lower the costs enough to ensure low-income households and other disadvantaged communities could participate,” she said in a press release statement. “Solar for All can make this happen.”

Programs like Solar For All could help the state reduce greenhouse gas emissions while making technologies like solar panels more accessible.

The grant is part of President Joe Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act, a billion-dollar investment in climate action that seeks to help lower energy bills, boost the renewable energy job market and lower overall greenhouse gas emissions.

“President Biden committed to making the largest investment in our nation’s history to combat global climate change. Our announcement today ensures every community has a green energy future,” EPA Region 10 Administrator Casey Sixkiller said in a statement. “This funding will be used to supercharge the deployment of solar power in communities, create jobs, make our power grid more resilient, and lower the cost of energy for every household.”

News Source : https://www.opb.org/article/2024/04/23/oregon-awarded-nearly-87-million-to-boost-solar-low-income-communities/