RI Solar Project Receives $49.33M Federal Greenhouse Reduction Grant

RHODE ISLAND — A solar project in Rhode Island will receive $49.33 million in grant funding under a $7 billion federal program to bring solar energy to more than 900,000 people nationwide, saving them $350 million annually in utility costs, the Biden administration announced on Earth Day Monday.

Solar power could save about $400 per household in electricity costs, and prevent 30 million metric tons of carbon pollution over 25 years, the Environmental Protection Agency said in a statement.

According to the EPA, the Rhode Island coalition of applicants will use the money to launch and expand seven financial assistance programs and 12 project deployment technical assistance initiatives. Federal officials said the projects are designed to equitably address barriers to solar adoption in Rhode Island’s low-income and disadvantaged communities.

“Solar for All” grant funding is provided by the EPA’s $27 billion Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund, authorized by the Inflation Reduction Act.

The projects funded this year not only lower energy costs in low-income and disadvantaged communities but also create good jobs in communities that have been “left behind,” advancing environmental justice and tackling climate change, the EPA said in a statement.

As the cheapest form of energy, solar-generated energy is one of the best ways to lower utility costs for American families. The Solar for All awards “will mean that low-income communities, and not just well-off communities, will feel the cost-saving benefits of solar,” John Podesta, senior adviser to the president for International Climate Policy, said in a statement.

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