Oregon is set to lose a nearly $87 million federal grant aimed at boosting solar adoption for low-income and rural Oregonians, after a Trump administration move to end the Solar for All program.

But officials in the state issued a statement suggesting Oregon might sue to keep access to the program.

On Thursday, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced through a social media post it was ending the $7 billion Solar for All grant as part of the implementation of the federal budget legislation called the One Big Beautiful Bill.

According to EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin, the “EPA no longer has the authority to administer the program or appropriate the funds” to keep the program running.

“With clear language and intent from Congress in the One Big Beautiful Bill, EPA is taking action to end this program for good,” Zeldin said in a video.

The One Big Beautiful Bill eliminated the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund, which included a $7 billion pot called “Solar for All”.

In some cases, your tax dollars were diluted through up to FOUR pass-through entities, each taking their own cut off the top!

The bottom line is… pic.twitter.com/TXS8IYhcoh

— Lee Zeldin (@epaleezeldin) August 7, 2025

Last year, Oregon was awarded nearly $87 million through a competitive federal grant program, with 40% of the funding aimed at communities most impacted by climate change.

The Solar for All program was intended to help lower-income households as well as rural Oregonians get easy access to rooftop solar at little to no cost. The program also aimed to provide rebates for solar on multi-family buildings and would develop more community solar projects that would benefit low-income households.

The program’s other purposes: lowering greenhouse gas emissions, reducing air pollution and creating more renewable energy jobs.

“We are surprised and disappointed to hear the U.S. EPA moved to rescind these already-obligated funds,” Oregon Department of Energy Director Janine Benner said in an emailed statement. “ODOE will work with our partners, the Governor’s Office, and Oregon’s Attorney General to consider next steps to ensure these funds continue to serve Oregonians as intended.”

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As of Thursday, the Oregon Department of Energy had not received any formal communication from the EPA about plans to eliminate the program.

Solar for All was funded through the Biden administration’s Inflation Reduction Act, which set aside hundreds of billions of dollars toward climate action. The Trump administration has worked to dismantle the law through multiple executive orders along with the passage of One Big Beautiful Bill.

The funding awarded to Oregon was set to go to the Oregon Department of Energy, Energy Trust of Oregon, and Bonneville Environmental Foundation.

Oregon awarded nearly $87 million to increase solar adopting in low-income communities

Benner said the state energy department has already started “spending significant administrative funds to stand up the Solar for All programs later this year.”

According to the state Department of Energy, as of Wednesday the agency has spent more than $400,000 to develop and implement the program.

Some of the funds awarded to Oregon were slated for —

• $29 million for solar installations at single-family households, with little to no upfront customer cost.
• $10.86 million​ for solar for multifamily buildings that provide tangible benefits to low-income residents.
• $15 million for financial and technical assistance to develop community solar projects under the Oregon Community Solar Program.
• $11 million for financial and technical assistance to develop Consumer-owned Utility Territory Community Solar projects.
• $2.87 million for workforce development activities.

The program was set to roll out later this year.

News Source : https://www.opb.org/article/2025/08/07/oregon-could-lose-87m-rooftop-solar-funding/